CHURCH leaders in parts of Oxfordshire face a funding crisis because of falling attendances and higher bills from their diocese.

There are fears services could be axed as vicars have to cover more parishes or leave churches altogether.

Churches generate money through fundraising events and collections at services.

The Rev Emma Pennington, of Horspath’s St Giles Church, is asking village households for support.

Her church is struggling to pay this year’s £19,180 parish share, collected by the Diocese of Oxford to pay for her role and other services, and £4,000 more in bills.

In the parish magazine, she warns a “full-time vicar and the services which Horspath has come to expect over the years will no longer be available” if funds are not found.

She said: “If Horspath can’t pay, then it will go. This is why those of us at the church are so worried about our financial situation.”

The parish paid nearly all its share last year, with help from other churches.

Treasurer Charles Gurden said: “There are not enough people going to church these days. There are more distractions in modern society than 20 years ago. The worse case scenario would be that we wouldn’t have a vicar.”

The church has been hit by the £10,637 parish share in 2005 rising to £17,484 in 2006 because of changes to how it is calculated.

Previously, the share was based on numbers on the church electoral roll. Now it is mostly based on clergy time, attendances and size of the civil electoral roll.

The Rev Ros Latham, whose churches include Berinsfield and Nuneham Courtenay, said it was “increasingly difficult” to reach its £80,000 share.

She said: “It is considered that, because we have a larger population, we can fundraise from that. But no account is taken of the different financial circumstances of different areas.”

Repairs, maintenance and community programmes were suffering as a result, she said.

The Rev Richard Coombs, of Burford St John the Baptist, said the village’s wealth helped finances, but boosting the congregations and encouraging giving was key.

He said: “We do it through from a pound in the collection plate or a jumble sale. We are expecting our regular congregation to give generously.”

Congregations had risen from about 30 in 1997 to more than 200 today, he said.

Last year, 96.9 per cent of the parish share was paid across the diocese. Churches had supported each other, leaders said.

The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev John Pritchard, said: “Financially, there is always going to be a problem.

“Like the rest of the country, we are victims of the recession, but our giving has stood up relatively well.”

He believed attendances actually rose during 2010 although figures are not available.

The latest available diocese figures, for 2009, show 41,000 Sunday church attendances.

That compared with 42,200 the previous year.

Average recorded weekly attendances fell from 46,900 to 46,800.