THE Church of England is to set up its first official internet parish church in an attempt to woo would-be Christians who no longer want to go to church on Sundays.

The Oxford Diocese advertises today in the Church Times for a stipendiary “web pastor” to create and build the virtual church.

The Bishop of Oxford, the Right Rev Richard Harries, will have pastoral custody over the online parish, as he does over the 624 other parishes in his diocese. He will also carry out confirmations and deliver virtual sermons and prayers.

The new pastor, who can be lay or ordained, will be part-time and have a stipend amounting to half the £17,000 paid to a full-time stipendiary priest. Pension and expenses will be provided but he or she will not be given a vicarage.

Anyone will be able to join the new church, which is to seek affiliation with a Benedictine, Franciscan or other Anglican religious community.

Members will be asked to sign up to a “rule of life” involving prayer, study and social action. They will be made welcome “regardless of faith, position, sexuality, political or geographical location”, the diocese said.

If too many people join from another country, however, they will be advised to “plant” or set up their own i-church.

The Oxford Diocese is financing the initiative from its new Cutting Edge mission fund, which has been set up with the help of the Church Commissioners. It is hoped that, just like normal parishes, it will eventually be supported by its members, who will be asked to make explicitly non-virtual donations on its virtual collection plate.

Daily services with prayers and readings will be posted on the parish website.

The parish, for now named www.i-church.org, is expected eventually to be dedicated to a saint once enough members can agree on the preferred candidate. The official patron saint of the internet is St Isidore of Seville, a 5th- century archbishop.

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