THE Diocese of Exeter is delighted to announce it has successfully been awarded £10m to help churches across Devon grow, flourish and serve their communities for generations to come.

The funding will help resource Pray Grow Serve 2035, an ambitious 10-year strategic plan based on the diocese’s five missional priorities: missional leadership, missional DNA, vocations, children and families and mixed ecology (varied missional forms of church).

The grant, which is the largest the diocese has ever received, has been awarded by the Church of England’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB). The first phase is a grant of £10m missional investment followed by £2.5m implementation support from 2027 in phase 1.

The diocese will then be able to apply for phase two funding of £10m plus £1.5m implementation support in 2028. Overall, the diocese could receive £24m over six years.

The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Rev Dr Mike Harrison, said: “This is a fantastic springboard for new and creative mission and ministry across the diocese and a real vote of confidence in our plans from the national Church.

“My prayer is that this resourcing might lead many to know the love of God in Christ for them and to grow as followers of Jesus, joyfully witnessing and serving in His name.”

Pray, Grow, Serve 2035 draws on the vision the diocese has had since 2014, to Grow in Prayer, Make New Disciples and Serve the People of Devon with Joy.

It also draws on various listening consultations across the diocese, including the 2021/22 post-pandemic Next Steps consultations and the 2023/24 Vacancy in See consultations.

The National Church investment is the result of two years of intensive strategic planning by the diocese, drawing on detailed research about the challenges and opportunities facing communities across Devon.

The money is specifically targeted to help churches grow and make new disciples (one of the Diocese of Exeter’s core aims.) It will be delivered through five interventions:

Energising and Releasing Clergy for Mission

Empowering Lay Disciples for Missional Transformation

Ensuring Children, Young People and Families (CYPF) are at the Heart

Enabling Growth Through Revitalisation, Planting, and Pioneering

A Bold Reshaping of the Church in Plymouth (known as Plymouth 2035).

The interventions will be overseen by the Pray, Grow, Serve 2035 Programme Board, chaired by the Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Rev James Grier.

He said: “This is such good news for Devon, as we seek to live out and share the good news of Jesus.”

Kerry Gilbert, who is Chair of the House of Laity for the Diocese of Exeter and a churchwarden in Plymouth, said “This is a really exciting time to be in the Diocese of Exeter – this funding, alongside the relaunch of the Diocesan Vision and particularly, our five priorities are a real opportunity for us all to engage – clergy and laity together, to grow and make known the presence of God through the message of Jesus more broadly in Devon.

“My hope and prayer are that every parish, benefice and mission community will embrace this 10-Year mission to collectively become five-priority churches reaching out to their communities in new, innovative and inspiring ways to the places where Jesus' message has not yet reached and is needed most.”

The funding will be awarded over six years as criteria are met. The interventions will be implemented in stages, with recruitment for some of the new parish roles starting in the next few weeks.

Although the funding is ring-fenced for new growth projects, a key part of it will be investments in existing clergy and lay leadership. It’s hoped that it will build on great work already happening across Devon’s churches and its impact will benefit every mission community (group of parishes working together) and their local communities.

Plymouth, as the largest urban centre in Devon with particular socio-economic challenges, has a specific plan within the overall strategy to revitalise mission and help serve the needs of the city.

Known as Plymouth 2035, it includes the appointment of a new City Dean to help oversee and resource the reshaping of the church’s mission and next year a half-time social justice post to support local churches. Goals for Plymouth include 2035 people finding faith and 2035 adults and 2035 under 18s exploring Christian faith in the next 10 years and 35 new worshipping communities.

The Bishop of Plymouth said: “I am particularly delighted for Plymouth. It is a wonderful city with so much that is fantastic about it and yet also has challenges. Churches are already doing much to serve the city, but this funding will enable a bold reshaping of the Anglican church in Plymouth to offer hope and transformation in Christ.”

Some of the national funding will be used to develop a digital learning hub which will enable all clergy and lay people to access high quality training and guidance for free across different vocational disciplines.

It will also be used to deliver the Exeter Leadership Development Programme (ELDP) for all licensed members of clergy, and it will help to release funding for the Exeter Ordination Pathway, which will lead to new Self-Supporting priests based in their local setting.

Mission Communities will also be able to apply for Matthew 25 grants (based on the Parable of the Talents) through the ELDP, to start new missional projects.

Lay people will also benefit from free training opportunities for Commissioned roles in the Diocese of Exeter, including Children and Youth ministry, Anna Chaplaincy for people in later life, Creation Care champions and Pioneer ministry and Evangelism.

There will also be investment in Growing Faith workers, trainees and volunteers to work with children, families and schools. Mission Community Development Ministers in each archdeaconry will work for a time alongside churches needing extra support.

The Venerable Verena Breed, Archdeacon of Barnstaple, who also oversees rural ministry in the diocese, said “This national Church investment to support the mission and ministry in Exeter Diocese is fantastic news. It will strengthen our diocese and therefore strengthen our own mission and ministry across Devon.

“We are not only enabled to retain our clergy numbers and plan for growth but also experience how the Exeter Leadership Development Programme and the on-the-ground, embedded Mission Community Development Officers will offer direct help and support to our clergy and rural mission communities. I am excited and encouraged.”

The key goals of Pray Grow Serve 2035 include helping 6500 new people over the next decade make a commitment to the Christian faith, 101 new church missional initiatives (for example a Forest Church or Messy Church), church plants (when a church is started or revitalised by an existing church), and a healthier picture across the whole of the Diocese of Exeter, with fewer churches at risk of closure and more thriving church congregations, which in turn will benefit their local communities in terms of faith, social action and outreach.

You can find more information about Pray Grow Serve 2035 here: www.exeter.anglican.org/who-we-are/pray-grow-serve-2035/