A CHURCH official has complained to the Bishop of Durham about the problems of attracting and retaining clergy.

David Warren, the secretary of the parochial church council at St James the Great Church, in Darlington, has suggested positions in parishes are being overlooked so more senior positions can be filled.

The complaint came after it was revealed in The Northern Echo that St Thomas' Church, in Stanhope, might not be getting a replacement for the serving canon, who has emigrated.

The Archdeacon of Auckland, the Venerable Ian Jagger, said parishes would have to share a limited number of clergy because there was not enough money in the Church or willing applicants to fill local vacancies.

In a letter to the Right Reverend Michael Turnbull, Bishop of Durham, Mr Warren said a lack of parish priests would lead to a reduction in congregations, in turn reducing the amount of money donated to the Church.

He said: "Of course there is a financial problem, but the current strategy is severely weakening the Church where it matters - in the parishes.

"Why are we promoting those we do have to hierarchical positions? It is those positions that can remain unfilled.

"I am in no doubt that the declining number of priests remaining to look after people in the parishes are suffering great stress and they will certainly be unfit to do the job expected of them. Without clergy in the parishes, congregations will decline still further and giving will be reduced in proportion.

"Surely it is not living in God's reality when you replace assistant bishops and archdeacons but not the clergy in the parishes?"

But the bishop defended the long-term plans for the Church, saying parishes would have to share staff because less people were being ordained than were retiring.

He also defended the higher posts, saying that archdeacons already spent a lot of time in parishes, and adding: "Not to appoint archdeacons would be a grave disservice to the parishes and especially to those who are most in need of advice help and encouragement and priestly service."