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Concerns have emerged from within the Church of England regarding its ambitious net zero climate targets, with clergy and church wardens suggesting that the policies are jeopardizing the institution’s future.
Due to a commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by the year 2030, access to new oil or gas boilers has been significantly curtailed.
A recent investigation has highlighted that this decision has resulted in numerous churches struggling to maintain adequate heating, particularly affecting rural communities, with some remaining unheated for extended periods.
Church leaders have raised alarms that this environmental initiative is inadvertently risking the health of parishioners, leading to declining attendance and the deterioration of historically significant buildings due to dampness.
An example includes the Grade I-listed St John the Baptist Church in Tideswell, Derbyshire, which has faced 18 months without heating.
Mike Burrell, the assistant churchwarden, expressed frustration, stating, “It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the Church of England is purposefully allowing rural churches to suffer.”
Peter Robinson, a fellow warden, echoed these sentiments, characterizing the net zero target as “a mechanism for the decline” of rural churches.
The Church initiated its net zero mission in February 2020 during a General Synod meeting, where it vowed to eliminate carbon emissions by 2030. In July 2022, Synod enacted regulations necessitating that parishes secure a faculty—similar to planning permission—before the installation of any new fossil fuel heating systems. Parishes are also required to demonstrate the absence of feasible green alternatives.
The Church advocates for options such as heat pumps, electric boilers, and solar panels, along with low-energy choices like heater systems placed under pews.
However, many older stone churches are not conducive to these emerging technologies. In practice, heat pumps can struggle to effectively warm expansive, drafty spaces, and many roofs are too delicate to support solar panels.
Additionally, the financial burden of adopting green technologies poses challenges. Church leaders reported estimates ranging from £70,000 to £400,000 to install air-source heat pumps, with rural churches seeing the need for supplementary investments of over £60,000 to upgrade their electrical infrastructure.
Although the Synod allocated £190 million over a decade starting in 2022 to assist in reaching the net zero goal, many parishes have declared that available grants are insufficient to meet the financial demands.
Compounding these challenges is a significant decrease in church attendance. Since 2013, average Sunday worship numbers have plummeted from 788,000 to 557,000.
‘People Will Freeze or Become Ill’
Rev Marcus Walker, rector of St Bartholomew the Great Church in London, has emerged as a vocal critic of the net zero policy, particularly as his own church suffered heating failures during the winter of 2022.
He described the situation as “absurd,” noting that some individuals appear more interested in maintaining a green agenda than ensuring active congregations.
“They create barriers that make it extremely difficult to install boilers, hoping that you will abandon the effort. However, during this prolonged process, churches remain cold, and people are at risk of freezing, becoming sick, and seeking other places to worship,” he said, expressing doubts about the priority given to fostering community and worship.
Walker’s personal experience underscored the risks when he collapsed during a church service: “I recall leading a carol service, and as I stood up, my legs went numb, and I fell forward.”
This church ultimately faced a wait of seven months for approval to install a new gas boiler, incurring £30,000 in architect fees to validate their need for the system, pushing the church into a financial deficit.
Vulnerable Parishioners Wrapped in Blankets
Similarly, the St James the Great Church in Dursley, Gloucestershire, has functioned without central heating since late 2023. Janet Vonberg, the church warden, noted that elderly and frail congregants have endured a second consecutive winter bundled under blankets.
“The conditions have been challenging this winter,” she reported, mentioning that their portable electric heaters broke due to excessive use.
“Desperately, we resolved to provide blankets this winter for our more fragile members who maintained their attendance remarkably despite the cold,” she added.
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Gloucester attributed the delays in heating installation to the church’s failure to submit adequate information but assured that heating would be installed shortly.
Meanwhile, the church of St Mary the Virgin in the village of Chislet, Kent, is nearing four years without central heating.
Acting warden Colin Dawson shared that while they almost raised the funds for a new boiler, the diocese rejected their request on the grounds of fossil fuel restrictions.
Churches can now only gain approval for new gas or oil boilers if they successfully assert that transitioning to a greener system is unfeasible.
In contrast, Rev Liz Cox of the St Mary Magdalene Church in Gillingham was successful in obtaining permission for a new gas boiler after arguing the need for warmth for her elderly congregation and the potential risk to the building itself.
“The stakes were high; without heat, not only was the health of my elderly congregation at risk, but the church’s structure could be compromised,” she explained.
The regulation enacted in 2022 that complicates fossil fuel installations is embedded in ecclesiastical law.
Churches Choose to Disregard Regulations for Safety
Some church officials have indicated to The Telegraph that they felt compelled to ignore these regulations in order to ensure the safety of their congregations.
One church warden admitted to installing a gas boiler without proper authorization, reflecting on the moral dilemma by asking, “What would Jesus say? What would Jesus do?”
The consequences for parishes caught violating these regulations can be severe, including financial repercussions and potential disciplinary measures for clergy and wardens, who could face disqualification or legal action.
Yet, recent judicial trends have seen courts granting retroactive approvals for unlawfully installed fossil fuel appliances, recognizing the dire circumstances under which churches operated.
A spokesperson for the Church of England commented on the situation, stating, “Increasing energy bills have become a significant concern for parishes, which strive to serve their communities effectively. Enhancing the energy efficiency of church buildings can lead to substantial savings on bills while simultaneously creating a warmer environment during the winter months.”
“For certain churches, this might necessitate a different heating system when current systems need replacing. However, each of our 16,000 churches is unique, and in many cases, especially smaller and older facilities in rural locations, no significant changes may be required,” they added.
The Diocese of Canterbury and the Diocese of Derby have been contacted for further comment.
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