No doubt many of you have heard at some stage the scandal over the management of the British Post Office, which began in 2009. In brief, an accounting programme, called ‘Horizon, developed by Fujitsu, a Japanese information and technology corporation, for large businesses. This was adopted by the British Post Office – but it was faulty. Problems emerged, as the programme recorded shortfalls, and between 1999 –2015, 900 local postmasters and mistresses were accused of fraud and embezzling money. Someone must have thought that this could not be right. The amounts were up to 35 thousand UK pounds. Court cases followed, but courts believed the ’experts’ and people were fined, went to jail, lost their homes and health. Four committed suicide. The real crime, however, was the management of the Post Office knew the program was faulty.
A judge ruled in 2019 after post masters and mistresses brought a class action against the British Post Office that there was a miscarriage of justice and was ordered to pay compensation. Leading up to that time it became evident that the executives has lied and committed perjury, and had lobbied parliamentarians for a coverup. One of the peers in the House of Lords, Lord Arbuthnot, who was also a successful business man, was key person in support of the postal workers, described the administration of the chief executive officer as "both cruel and incompetent."
So what has this to do with the Church of England? It is Paula Vennells, the then-Post Office chief executive 2012 - 2019. Paula Vennells had a long career as a business women. She then went to a part-time theological course and was ordained a deacon 2005 and priest 2006. Her ministry was in the Saint Alban’s Diocese, but because of her work only in minor tasks of assistance. However, because of her business experience she was taken on by the Archbishop of Canterbury to serve on various church committees, but her attendance was poor. Archbishop Welby also been a business man in the oil industry. Unfortunately, Welby believes that a business executive would be good in any area of administration. – including the Church – but a Church is not business. This process is now called the buisnessfication of the church turning it into a corporation.
The next step in this saga was Archbishop Welby favouring Vennells to be the Bishop of London, despite having no pastoral experience of being a parish priest, and limited qualifications, nor serving as an Archdeacon or Dean of a cathedral. She made the short list, but fortunately was not appointed. It was a narrow escape for the Church of England. She has now resigned all her priestly duties, but is still a priest.
When she resigned from the Post Office she was given a CBE – Commander of the Order of the British Empire, which is high honour – but with such an outcry she returned has returned it honour this year.
The real question now is the Archbishop of Canterbury exhibiting such lack of insight in the midst of a major scandal. However, this is now added to 75 t0 80% of the Anglican Communion not recognising him as the head of the Anglican Church. His leadership is now splitting the Church of England over a botched, ill thought out plan, and unwise venture in experimenting in blessing of same-sex marriages. Calls for his resignation are mounting. However, statistics of church attendance is taking a serious nose dive. One recent example is the Diocese of Manchester losing 50% of its regular worshippers. The total average attendance for Sunday services across the Church of England in 2013 was 1,009,100. By 2019, that figure had dropped to 854,00 – a decline of just over 15 % – but that was five years ago, and since we have had three years of Covid.
So, we need bishops who are teachers and pastors of Christ’s flock and not business executives.