THE picture you paint on page 3 of last week's Hereford Times and in your editorial is both negative and profoundly misleading.

The right pattern of ministry in Hereford City Deanery is a matter which has been debated for at least 15 years, and it is certainly good there is now a more realistic approach to financial responsibility.

But even with seven stipendiary clergy in Hereford City we are better off than most urban areas in terms of the ratio of clergy to people.

And the really important point is that we are not talking about "just seven clergy".

Not only will there be seven full-time stipendiary parish priests, whose ministry is vital, but there are also three full-time stipendiary curates, three non-stipendiary clergy (combining their ordained ministry with some other secular work), 10 licensed Readers, and two support ministers, based in the Hereford City Deanery, both of whom help out in the parishes.

In addition, we have developed three ministry teams in the City Deanery, involving considerable numbers of enthusiastic, trained lay people who share with the clergy in taking responsibility, leadership and in exercising ministry.

The picture is very different indeed from the one portrayed in the article, and I want to pay tribute to the development of new forms of ministry, which have involved many people, and have brought a great deal of new talent and enthusiasm to the life and mission of the Church in the City Deanery.

There are still financial problems which need to be tackled, and there may well be further reorganisations which will be helpful.

The creation of the West Hereford Team Ministry has been a notable step forward, and recently a group of lay people have put forward some extremely helpful suggestions for further reorganisation which would spread the available ministry and responsibility for the payment of stipendiary clergy more fairly across the whole city.

It is not accurate to describe support ministers as "middle management" or "administration".

The diocese has thought very carefully about the most helpful forms of specialised support ministry, and some posts have been eliminated while others have been created to take advantage of new opportunities, and to provide expertise in areas where it is particularly needed - such as helping with ministry among children, young people, and with some of the most pressing social issues of the day.

The parishes are extremely well served by these support ministers and one of them, who is based in a Hereford City parish, is responsible for developing ministry to the shops and offices of the city centre.

Quite apart from the resources and ministry which I have mentioned above, there is the ministry of the Cathedral itself, with the clergy there serving a large regular congregation, and ministering to very large numbers of tourists and visitors.

If we add in the number of retired clergy, some of whom are active and very much involved in ministry in the City Deanery, the picture is very different indeed from that which your article painted.

There will be no difficulty in offering baptisms, marriages and funerals for all who wish to use their parish church, and there is certainly no need for the alarmist talk which found a place in last week's paper.

But there is reason to celebrate some remarkable developments in the sharing of ministry in recent years.

God is indeed the most important thing in our lives, and the people of the Hereford City Deanery will strive in every way to work for his Kingdom.

The Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Rev John Oliver, The Bishop's House, Hereford.