[Bell Historians] Perspectives

[Richard Offen]

> I think the role of DACs is changing and that did not really come 
through.
> DACs seem to want to work much more closely with PCCs from the outset 
of a
> project and this does involve informal advice, talking about the
> technicalities and coming up with solutions.  What is the point in
> continually saying some proposal or other is not suitable if you don't
> actually come up with something suitable?

This is an interesting comment Andrew.   

Probably the reason I did not emphasise this point in my presentation 
on the role of a diocesan advisor was that the Canterbury Diocese, of 
which I have the most experience, always has worked with parishes from 
the early stages of a project to ensure that a scheme was acceptable to 
all concerned.   

>From what Andrew says, twenty years ago this must have been ground-
breaking stuff, but we didn't realise it as it just seemed common sense 
to help parishes achieve a satisfactory outcome for their projects 
through DAC guidance.   It certainly ensured that confrontations 
between PCCs and the DAC were kept to a minimum!

Richard