WITH a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford, Anthony Bedell had a high-flying future in the lucrative world of finance.

He passed his chartered accountancy exams and enjoyed a comfortable living in a leading Birmingham practice. Then he discovered his true vocation.

Now, he is the vicar at St Luke with St Philip in the Bank Top area of Blackburn. And as well as ministering to the spiritual and emotional needs of his congregation and the wider community, he also has to balance the parish books.

Anthony will freely admit that his financial training gave him few of the answers needed to keep his church finances afloat.

Quite simply, if St Luke with St Philip was a business, it would have been closed years ago.

But the church is not a business and Anthony rejoices in the fact that the needs of his community come before the profit and loss account.

Nevertheless, once an accountant, always an accountant. And after five years of being in the red, he is hoping St Luke with St Philip will break even this year.

The cost of running the church last year came to a total of £33,900. Its contribution to his own salary - £16,600 a year - plus the cost of the vicarage was £14,000.

"Being a poorer parish, we are supported by wealthier churches and we only have to pay 55 per cent of the cost," explained Anthony. Council tax, water rates, telephone and expenses add another £2,800 to the bill. Its contribution to St Luke with St Philip's CE Primary School is another £700.

Administration, covering items such as stationery, printing and an accountant to audit his own figures, comes in at £2,300 with a further £500 spent on donations to other groups.

The upkeep of the church building was £14,300, including £6,900 for maintenance, £2,600 for heating and lighting and £2,300 for insurance. Even the cost of wine, wafers and candles is another £1,000.

"We are constantly looking at costs and how we can reduce our expenditure," said Anthony. "We were delighted when Peter Johnson agreed to play the organ and refused to take any payment. Items like that do make a difference."

The income column is headed by contributions from parishioners. But with a congregation of around 60-65 adults and up to 45 children, support is limited.

A tax-efficient planned giving scheme brought in £9,200, which attracted another £1,200 from the Inland Revenue. Collections on the plate raised a further £2,200. Anthony, however, is not disillusioned about the total and believes his flock is doing all it can. "You have to be realistic," he said. "Bank Top is in a poor part of town with a transient population. Our parishioners are giving as much as they can."

Legacies realised £3,700 and fund-raising events such as the Christmas Fair, a 50 Club and a sponsored slim brought in a further £2,600.

Fees from wedding and funerals added £1,500 to the kitty and individual donations brought in £1,200. What has rescued the finances is the rent paid by nearby St Wildrid's CE High for the use of the church for daily services.

"The school is very much a partner in the building," said Anthony. "It is wonderful to see the church full and it means the building is open for worship all week." Rental income for both the church and the church hall came to £5,200 last year.

Investment income of £4,700 brought the church closer to break-even. Anthony explained that the church had investments of £112,000, mostly from the sale of land and buildings associated with the former St Philip's Church. "Last year, we made a deficit of around £4,000," he said. "Without the interest on our savings, our defecit would have been £8,700. To preserve churches in difficult areas like this, you need all the support you can get."

Yet despite all his fiscal trials and tribulations, Anthony has no intentions of swapping his chalice for a calculator and returning to his previous life as an accountant.

"I decided in my late 20s that I had a vocation and there is no way I would change anything," he said. "I genuinely believe I can help the people in my parish. People round here need someone to be able to talk to and just being able to be there for them does make a difference."