THE Bishop of Durham has been told the current strategy of making the filling of vacant senior posts a priority is weakening the Church where it matters - in the parishes.

David Warren, secretary of the parochial church council for St James the Great Church in Darlington, has had his letter printed in the parish magazine.

In it, he compares the speedy replacements in top posts with long intervals without priests in rural areas, followed, often, by the news that vicars were not being replaced.

Mr Warren said he had heard comments from lay and clergy alike to the effect the diocese could get by quite well without the rumoured replacement for the Archdeacon of Sunderland.

His contention is that reducing the number of clergy is not the only option to solve Durham's severe financial difficulties.

"Indeed, my greatest fear in pursuing such a strategy is that we end up in a vicious cycle of decline."

Flagging up the number of senior posts filled recently, he says: "Contrast that with all those parishes whose priest has retired or been promoted. Long interregnums, and eventually told 'no replacement'."

Mr Warren wrote after hearing that St Thomas' Church, Stanhope, was unlikely to have its priest in charge replaced.

Instead, deaneries are being asked to work in bigger units because there are not enough clergy to go around in rural areas and the escalating costs of supporting stipends like Stanhope are also adding to financial difficulties.

Mr Warren retorted : "If that is the case, why are we promoting those we do have into hierarchical positions? It is those positions that can remain unfilled, so that we do not have Stanhope situations."

He points out that, in the Darlington Deanery, two curates left recently to take up positions in the South, adding: "I am in no doubt that the declining number of priests remaining to look after the people are suffering great stress."

He agreed parishes were not actually supporting their own costs - but without their clergy, congregations would decline still further and even less money would be contributed.

In reply, Bishop Michael Turnbull said more people were retiring than being ordained to take their places.

He also defended the filling of higher posts, saying that archdeacons already spent a lot of vital time in parishes with worshippers.

"Not to appoint archdeacons would be a grave disservice to the parishes and especially to those which are most in need of advice, help and encouragement and priestly service," he added