Only “ruthless” reforms, the authors contend, can stem a deepening crisis characterised by falling attendance, shrinking donations and declining ordinations.
The Church of England welcomed the “wide-ranging and thoughtful” report, with a spokesman saying: “As the report notes, there are already good examples of successful sharing of resources at a national level.
“Dioceses have also made strides in sharing roles and services regionally in recent years. As seen with the reorganisation which brought three dioceses together into a new diocese earlier this century, structures are regularly kept under review.
“Larger-scale restructuring, even within a shared region, is a major undertaking. The report singles out the growth in safeguarding staff in dioceses as its primary example of an apparent growth of ‘administrators’.
“These new posts, bringing expertise in child protection and policing, are vital in helping ensure the most vulnerable people within our communities are safe.”