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HOW MIGHT RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES AND CHARITY TRUSTEES RE-ASSESS HOW BEST TO PURSUE THE MISSION AND OBJECTIVES TO WHICH THEY HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES?
There are no magic answers to the questions charity trustees need to be
asking – the solutions will be different for each religious institute. They can only be answered by the charity trustees and the members of the institute. What is essential is that this process needs collaboration by all members – communication and discernment are essential. This is something most religious institutes have been doing for a number of years – both at provincial and
at general chapters and it is gaining in its importance and urgency. At such meetings, many things are discussed but ultimately it is all about deciding on the religious institute’s strategy in the UK and further a eld, not just for the next three to six years but beyond. The tools that help religious institutes achieve such a strategy are good governance and nancial planning. Inevitably, this will involve looking at practical aspects such as the future work of individual members, the geographical locations where members will be based and the wider property implications, and the future governance requirements such as who will serve as trustees in the years ahead etc.
For the purpose of this chapter it has been assumed that those more practical areas have been considered and decisions have been made and plans are beginning to be implemented. This chapter concentrates on the ultimate charitable work of the religious institute charity – on the bigger picture – its strategy and future ministry.
WHAT IS MEANT BY STRATEGY AND FUTURE MINISTRY?
Strategy means deciding on your destination and how you will reach it: it means thinking about your future work and your “legacy”. Institutional works are reducing and/or being handed over to lay control often by setting up new charities. The pastoral and social work of individual members will continue but there may be changes to the type of work, locations and other implications such as training needs and there is a real need to think about the future care of members: how, where and by whom?
The long term strategy of the charity means thinking about the future work of the charity and the religious institute’s “legacy” here in the UK – what does it want to be remembered for should there ever come a point when there are
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