The largest Anglican diocese in western New South Wales is suffering from a crippling shortage of ministers as it struggles to pay back the church’s victims of child sexual abuse.

Key points:

• Anglican churches in regional NSW are struggling to recruit ministers to the bush and owe millions of dollars to victims of child sexual abuse
• More than half of the parishes in a third of the state are without a full-time minister
• Historical churches are being put up for sale to cover debt

The Anglican Diocese of Bathurst, which covers a third of the state, is also selling churches to fulfil its reparations commitments under the National Redress Scheme.

In a bid to balance its books, the church is also asking new ministers to raise up to $30,000 to help run their churches before relocating out west.

Bishop Mark Calder said the church was at a crossroads between…