From The Church Times-IN 1983, Tony, a candidate for ordination from the diocese of Bradford, was told by the diocesan director of ordinands (DDO) that, if he wanted to train for the priesthood, he would first have to sell his house.
The money raised from the sale would be needed to look after his family and cover his costs while training, Tony was told. “Like an idiot, I did it,” he said last month.
The house was sold for £8000; £2000 went to pay off the rest of the mortgage, leaving just £6000 to fund the family during his time in theological college. Before the end of his first year of study, the money raised from selling his house had run out, forcing him to ask his bishop for an emergency handout to stay on at college.
When Tony checked online recently, the same house changed hands recently for more than £300,000 — an increase in value of 3650 per cent in 30 years.
After a string of setbacks, and a breakdown, he chose early retirement in 2005. Four years later, his wife, Susan, who is also a priest, joined him in retirement because of ill health, meaning that the couple needed to find their own home for the first time since 1983.
More here-
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/10-march/news/uk/the-clergy-who-were-told-to-step-off-the-ladder
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