The Diocese of Leeds is beginning its Parish Share processes for 2026, with the launch of the Parish Share Agreements process and a suite of new resources to help parishes have good conversations about generosity.
Parish Share contributions enable local ministry to thrive by funding the work of clergy.
Every penny given supports the costs of clergy, their pensions and their housing, and is shared out so that every parish, regardless of its individual wealth, is supported in its ministry and mission.
Helping together is what Parish Share is all about, as every church is asked to give and every church receives so that we can be confident Christians, grow our churches and transform our communities.
At the most recent Diocesan Synod, the Rt Revd Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford and Acting Bishop of Leeds, said: “We will need to pray and to talk about money more and in different ways than we have done previously.
“I put it to you that being open with God and with one another about how much money we have as churches and benefices and how we intend to spend that money feels a bit like taking off our shoes and socks and washing one another’s feet.
“It’s not easy.
“It was uncomfortable and counter-cultural for the disciples to allow Jesus to wash their feet and to wash one another’s, but it opened up a new dimension to their understanding of him and of the ministry to which he was calling them.
“As we obey Jesus’ command, my prayer is that we will also grow in our understanding and experience of him in our own ministries in the months ahead.”
We are taking a new approach to Parish Share and looking to open up new lines of communication between parishes and Church House, by launching Parish Share Agreements.
A face-to-face meeting will be held with every parish on a rolling three-year basis, giving an opportunity for parishes to share about their individual concerns, local context and the impact of contributing to Parish Share.
The meetings will enable diocesan officers to fully understand local context and agree a reasonable share request for a three-year period, using the existing share formula as the benchmark for discussions.
The meetings will be an opportunity to identify issues in a parish, so that targeted support can be provided to make a difference, encourage confidence and help parishes flourish.
The hope is that this process will empower parishes to fulfil their Parish Share contributions, provide opportunities to explain the impact of Parish Share, and act as an opportunity to build stronger relationships between Church House and parishes, improve open communication, and grow trust.
The Parish Share Agreements process commenced in autumn 2025, but all parishes have received a three-year request covering the years 2026-28.
To help with the Parish Share processes, we have produced some supporting materials, looking to enable good conversations in parishes, deaneries, and across the diocese.
Bishop Toby has shared a message with the diocese about the importance of Parish Share, asking all people to pray and talk about church finances and Parish Share.
This video can be seen below.
The diocese has also produced an animation setting out the details of Parish Share, what it supports across the diocese and something of the Parish Share Agreements process.
This can be seen below.
We have also produced a Parish Share Guide for 2026, talking about the diocesan finances for the next year, the importance of Parish Share to supporting ministry and mission, answering some frequently asked questions, and talking about what support our Stewardship Team can offer.
This can be read below, or a PDF of the Guide can be downloaded here.
Our Parish Share Explained page contains all this information and more about Parish Share, and can be found here.