These were the words which concluded the briefing notes from the last Area Deans' meeting with the Bishop, and which were communicated to the Deanery Chapter this week; some dissatisfaction with the working of the diocesan Properties Department had apparently surfaced and this was the conclusion. One of my colleagues has been waiting for two years to have holes in his roof fixed and yes, during heavy rain, does have to get buckets out; others report a reluctance to talk about matters such as collapsing driveways and the like. The 'cost' of ministry is usually thought of in terms of the modest financial recompense of the ordained life relative to other similar professions, the demands on time and family life, and the sense of exposure a clergyperson has, that sort of thing, not having to run around your house with saucepans when it rains a lot. It's not like asking to have a minibar installed in the bedroom. To have it put in these terms - well, it doesn't go down well.
My own experiences with Properties have been mixed. Last year my shower was packing up and on the brink of having it replaced by Alan, the plumber who's a member of the church, the thought suddenly occurred to me that it might be a diocesan responsibility, and so it was. They got it fixed very quickly. However, when I reported that I thought my little garden shed - the former outside toilet of the house - had what looked suspiciously like sheets of asbestos in the roof, sheets which were cracking and falling down, the person I was promised would come and have a look at it never did. I now just tend to hold my breath when I go to get the rake out. I wonder whether mesothelioma will be one of the costs of my ministry, in particular.
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