Covenant Pledges 2027

Supporting Our Shared Ministry in 2027

As we move into a Time to Grow Together and strengthen collaboration across our Deaneries and Local Mission Partnerships (LMPs), we invite every parish to prayerfully consider and register its 2027 Covenant Pledge.

Please discuss your parish’s pledge at your next PCC meeting and in consultation with your Local Mission Partnership. Submissions close on 17 September 2026.

Our Shared Ministry

We are deeply grateful to all parishes that have pledged and paid their Covenant Pledge during 2026. Your generosity helps sustain stipendiary ministry across the Diocese of Lincoln and supports our commitment to building a sustainable church for the future.

Your contributions have enabled progress towards the goal of maintaining the ministry resources envisioned through the Resourcing Sustainable Church programme. While important progress has been made, continued support is needed to sustain and strengthen ministry across the diocese.

For 2027, we are asking every parish to make a prayerful, proportionate and realistic contribution towards our shared ministry.

Understanding the Cost of Ministry

In 2021, through the Time to Change Together programme, the average cost of supporting a stipendiary minister was calculated at £55,000 per year.

Over the past five years, rising costs have affected ministry provision across the diocese. Following a review, the actual average cost of a stipendiary minister for 2027 is now calculated at £64,500.

While this represents a significant increase, it reflects average annual growth of approximately 2.7% over the period.

We believe it is important to be transparent about these costs so that parishes and Local Mission Partnerships can make informed decisions about how best to support ministry within their communities.

Cost of Ministry Growth

2021 Cost of Ministry: £55,000
2027 Cost of Ministry: £64,500
Average annual increase: 2.7%

Local Mission Partnerships will be encouraged to discuss how each parish can contribute toward the shared cost of stipendiary ministry, with the collective aim of meeting those costs in full.

Support Available

We recognise that many churches are facing financial pressures. We also believe that the responsibility for funding mission and ministry should be shared more widely than the regular congregation alone.
The Diocese’s Generous Living Team is available to help parishes explore:

• Community fundraising opportunities
• Grant funding possibilities
• Legacy giving
• Stewardship development
• Engagement with donors and supporters

Contact Us

If you have any questions about Covenant Pledges or the 2027 process, please contact the Generous Living Team.

Submitting your Parish’s Covenant Pledge

Please use this form to submit your parish’s Covenant Pledge.

If possible, please set up a regular payment to the following bank account:

Lincoln Diocesan Trust and Board of Finance Ltd
Account No: 00825255
Sort Code: 60-13-15

Please use as the payment reference either the parish name or your Q number (if you know it).