Renewing the Ecumenical Vision – Reviewing the Relationship between

the Parish and the Ecumenical Centre

Michael Bartlett

St PETER’S REVIEW

Why do we need this review?

Since its inception 26 years ago by Canon Lunt, St Peter’s Ecumenical Centre has played host to an active public life providing a warm and convivial setting for visitors and regulars. However, all this is threatened by the escalating cost of St Peter’s. Currently, the costs to maintain the building in a self-sustaining manner are far beyond our means.

The St Peter’s Review aims to make St Peter’s a viable and self-sustainable community centre

and Ecumenical Centre.

Income does not match expenditureCanon Lunt’s original vision is no longer being

effectively delivered.

Thank you to all volunteers for your contribution and for its continued success

you are centre’s most valuable asset.

WHAT THE SJP HERITAGE PROJECT HAS ACHIEVED SO FAR

Recruited 46 volunteers 86% which not from the parish

Implemented best practice procedures and full health and safety codes

Created a shop and refreshment counter for St John’s

Built links with 3rd sector; i.e. the University, Chester Renaissance, Cheshire West and Chester Council

Secured £160,000 from the council to improve the area around St John’s and link with the amphitheatre

Received £130,000 from English Heritage to repair upper stonework of St John’s

Launched an appeal for St John’s and secured £500,000 from the Duke of Westminster over 10 years

Built an Internet Café in St Peter’s, used by all sectors of the community, but particularly the unemployed and social excluded

AND WE’VE ONLY JUST GOT GOING!

We want to make St Peter’s the heart of the city.

We want to see Canon Lunt’s vision become a reality.

We want to open St Peter’s up to be a Church of the Night, in partnership with the University and the Light Project.

We want to introduce a youth café, so young people have a safe place to go in the evening.

We want to improve the facilities in St Peter’s; the toilets, the kitchen and the internet café.

THE PROJECT TEAMThe team has wide ranging commercial business expertise.

Rev. David Chesters OBE – 30 Years experience in civil service managementMike Bartlett - 20 Years experience in retail managementPeter Hilliard - 40 Years experience in the finance industryAlan Lees – Retired Judge and 30 years of church management experienceBill Sibbald – Currently studying for a degree in Multimedia at Chester UniversityMervin Williams - 40 Years experience process and change ManagementIsobel Alonso – A fundraiser for the NHS, with marketing experience.

The Review has been undertaken by the PCC alongside the SJP team. It started last November and final version was published in July.June this year SJP was setup as sub committee of PCC and given as one of their duties, was the responsibility to develop St Peter’s .

The review itself has been completed, and now we are ready for further consultation, which will take place in September. As well as consulting all those involved in the centre, we will consult with Church leaders around Chester, and any other outside parties that are necessary to ensure that St Peter’s can continue as the community heart of the city centre.

We are looking to take forward the actions outlined in the review from January 2011. This will give time every for everyone to get ready and be involved in the way forward.

THE REVIEW - WHERE WE ARE TODAY

The Review

The Value of the Ecumenical Centre

Fair-trade tea and coffee at cost pricesDelicious homemade cakes by charity

Dial House and a lunchtime range of healthy food

A small gift shopA warm, friendly and personal service for

allRespite and shelter from the hustle and

bustle of city lifeA central meeting point for all members

of the public for planned or informal contact

A peaceful quiet room when private prayer is needed

Regular usage by Chester Students Union and ‘Tell A Tourist’

Occasional exhibitions by local organisations

Free provision of internet and help with IT @ the Cross

St PETER’S TODAY

St PETER’S TODAYThe Constitution of the Ecumenical Centre

Present a united Christian witness in the centre of the city

Present a place of Christian enquiry and exhibition

Present an informal Christian meeting place

Present a venue for ecumenical eventsProvide an ecumenical platform for

proclaiming the Gospel in the city

Although the Ecumenical Centre does not quite fulfil its aims, it still provides some of the diversity, sociability and communality Canon Lunt originally set out to achieve.

St PETER’S TODAY

x≤1 Year 1<x≤5 Years

5<x≤10 Years

10<x≤15 Years

x>15 Years

0

5

10

15

20

25

23%

18%

24%

13%

8%

8%6%

Quiet PeacefulFriendly CheapGood Food and Drink StaffOther

79%

7%

7% 7%

Coffeeshop Internet CafeWorship Gift Shop

Information adapted from St Peter’s Visitor

Questionnaire May 2010

A pie chart to show why people visit the church

A graph to show why customers like coming to the church

A line bar chart to show how long customers have been coming to the church

Management by two separate bodies presents hurdles and ‘grey’ areas around significant matters like legal status, liability, best organisational practice and cost implications.

With two governing bodies we have two separate insurance policies for health and safety reducing transparency and intelligibility over responsibility for accidents. In the past, this has presented problems trying to open the Ecumenical Centre when there has been no power and we still have no clear induction process for volunteers or explanation of health and safety.

The Ecumenical Centre though not established to generate profit has the power to contribute a lot more to St Peter’s if we can harness this potential to generate income. The extremely low overheads like no rental payment mean that money could be reinvested back into the mission and building. It also could be expanded as evidence indicates nearly 50% of customers are between 60 and 70 years, serving a limited selection of citizens.

An overwhelming 81% of people think money raised at St Peter’s and the Ecumenical Centre is reinvested back into the building when in fact it is held in an account.

We are now looking for a way forward for the future and our best possible options

CURRENT ISSUES

Building81%

Charity8%

Reserved in an ac-

count4%

Other7%

All this is further reinforced by the quinquennial report due later this year which may reveal further outlay.

Current income does not match expenditure for building.

THE WAY FORWARD

We have identified 3 avenues to remedy these issues, each with their own benefits and risks.

Solution 1. The Parish and the Ecumenical Centre as Separate Entities

The cafe, all community facilities ,and all surplus monies such as that already in reserve, would remain under the control of the Ecumenical centre.

Health and safety issues as well as the liability in St Peter’s would need to be elucidated.

The Ecumenical Centre would make a mandatory contribution of £11,492 p.a. towards the maintenance of St Peter’s.

To allow all this, the Constitution of the Ecumenical Centre would have to be reworded to make adjustments easier.

This will not secure the financial future of the Church and the centre.

Solution 2. Ecumenical Centre to be Rented to a Private ProviderA Private Provider would rent the space for approximately £15,000 per year.

This would naturally resolve issues of health and safety and also liability as everything would be run by the one Provider.

The Proclamation of the Gospel would still take place since the Provider would have to close for church services and funerals.

This may be an opportunity for the church to become more widely known because the Provider would promote their activities and additionally attract people to pray.

Naturally, St Peter’s would no longer host the Ecumenical Centre and there is no other expression of Ecumenicalism in our city centre.

The success of the cafe and gift shop demonstrates the need for low-cost refreshment in the city centre.

There may be less control concerning a myriad of issues; how St Peter’s is perceived by the public; with rental, lesser treatment of property is to be expected.

No or limited usage for exhibitions, ‘Tell A Tourist’ and the CSU.

No means to ensure the longevity and safety of the buildings as we would be narrowing our potential to generate income to reinvest into projects.

Solution 3. The Parish Led by the Project Team Running the Administration of the Ecumenical Centre

The PCC would be the overall governing body and this would eliminate many incongruities.

This would allow for more clarity concerning policy. For instance, no competing insurance policies and clear health and safety rulings for volunteers.

Our finance management would be more effective meaning that money raised could be directly reinvested to community projects and the building restoration.

Managed by the Project sub-committee so day-to-day operation would not change with volunteers continuing to run the cafe and community area.

The sub-committee would have clear parameters for future development and would have both internal and external members to ensure delivery of ecumenical outreach with a clear Constitution, aims and purpose.

The Project has experience in volunteer management, full recruitment policies, volunteer agreements and a more advanced vetting procedure than currently operated by the Ecumenical Centre.

Many of the project’s volunteers have relevant development skills and are well-known to volunteers of Ecumenical Centre.

Volunteer and administration costs could be combined and thus reduced to create a more adequate level of health and safety, volunteer best practice, induction process and recruitment.

Surplus money collected from the past 26 years could be reinvested.

The Ecumenical Centre redistributes 10% of the surplus to local charities. With potential to generate more income comes the potential to donate more to the wider world through redistribution to local charities.

Management by an Anglican Parish would not hinder ecumenical activity. We could work together with Chester City Churches Together, Chester Churches Together, Light Project, and Chester University to meet a wider Christian denomination.

Volunteers would be represented by an elected member on the sub-committee to make sure the centre grows effectively.

‘Fresh Expressions’ would be introduced to further promote ecumenicalism through employment of a part-time mission worker. This scheme initiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury focuses on what the community needs and offers a non-denominational approach to widen appeal and encourage growth.

Money reinvested in the long term could improve the lighting, build a second toilet, improve facilities like general seating, update the kitchen for volunteers and gift shop, re-open the lost South Gallery perhaps for the IT unit or Living History.

Solution 3. The Parish Led by the Project Team Running the Administration of the Ecumenical Centre

All the scenarios outlined have risk attached but only the merging of the PCC and Ecumenical Centre offers a solution which ensures long term viability of St Peter’s and with it St John’s. It presents less ambiguity over whether or not we can together secure the positive influence of the Church.

Solution 1 allows provision of the Ecumenical Centre but does not allow for growth and improvement to proclaim the Gospel by any means.

Solution 2 would provide financial stability if a Private Provider is found but would also inevitably lead to the closure of the Ecumenical Centre, give vastly less control over the presentation and hinder future progress.

Solution 3 is by far the most effective course of action allowing us to grow despite the lack of state funding. It allows St Peter’s to be better utilised by the community and generate new revenue by diversification. The more St Peter’s can offer the public and market successfully, the more likely it is to become an integral part of Chester and secure financial sustainability.

DOING NOTHING IS NOT AN OPTION

Thank you for your time

What are your feelings on the Review?What about your solutions?How would you like to get involved?What are your ways forward?