Today is the 1st day in 15 years that I’ve not been employed in the CofE & I am very relieved.
From parish ministry in 2005, to the Diocesan role in 2010 and the National Education Office last year - I’ve had opportunities to travel & share ideas and have loved much of it...1/4

...but the last few years have been particularly tough for me as the increasingly evangelical focus within the CofE has prioritised numerical growth. I had hoped that the relational & intergenerational approach that I see as the church’s best future would find a place, but...2/4

...the emphasis on numerical growth & evangelism is all that seems to matter. Eg I was told that measuring “the number of conversations about faith” was ‘a weak metric’ & that a target of churches to have ‘grown to have more than 25 Under 16s’ would be considered more robust. 3/4

I disagree fundamentally with the direction the church is taking and so I felt I had to resign.
I am hugely fortunate that my love of science is giving me a chance at another career in teaching and am looking forward to a new adventure!! 4/4