VICARS could lose freehold – the ancient right that makes them almost unsackable.
But the sensitive proposal, which comes from a group headed by a Yorkshire academic, is expected to be fiercely fought, with critics claiming it would give too much power to the bishops.
Michael Brown
Religious Affairs Correspondent
Under the plan, unveiled yesterday, bishops would be able to hire and fire vicars.
But as a sop to the abolition of freehold, all clergy, including curates, would be given the right, at present denied, to bring unfair dismissal claims to employmen
t tribunals.
Under the present system the 5,000 vicars can only be sacked after being convicted of a serious offence in the criminal or ecclesiastical courts, for causing pastoral breakdown, on reaching the age of 70 or when a post is abolished.
Freehold would be replaced by "common tenure" for all clergy, including assistant priests, cathedral dignitaries and the bishops themselves, which would mean "fairness for all", said the report on the review of clergy terms of service, published yesterday.
Common tenure would mean posts being open-ended until retirement age – though subject to a "capability procedure" which would be used when clergy failed to perform to a minimum standard.
The review was chaired by David McClean, law professor at Sheffield University, who said: "This represents a major advance for all. Common tenure will mean that, for the first time, all clergy will hold their office on the same basis."
But a clergy union rounded on the proposal yesterday.
Rachael Maskell, national officer of Amicus Clergy and Church Workers, which repres-ents nearly 2,000 Anglican clergy, said: "We are against this in principal. We don't see that it has to be either or – either freehold rights or common tenure. We don't stand up to that. The clergy should have both freehold and employment rights. We shall be making a full and vigorous response to these proposals."
The proposal will come before the General Synod, the Church of England's parliament, in London next month. But that will only be the beginning of a long process that will involve the dioceses being consulted and that is likely to take up to four years to bring into force.
