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I don't personally know The Revd Paul Nicolson but I admire his work and words in defence of the poor. He has written to The Guardian about some of the issues raised by the work and words of The Revd Prebendary The Lord Stephen Green. In his letter he says "The Rev Stephen Green’s chairmanship of HSBC while legal tax avoidance and illegal tax evasion were taking place raises important questions for the Church of England about the role of all clergy in secular employment.".
I for one would welcome such questions, though I regret them being triggered by what is essentially a negative reason. The fact is that the church-as-institution has very little interest in those clergy who in obedience to their perceived vocation and reading of the Gospel seek to become priests in secular employment - worker-priests. I have been ordained into such a vocation now for the past 25 years and I have never been asked by any bishop or archdeacon or director of ministry or CMD why that was, how I understand it, what it has meant or the successes or failures of such a calling. In an email to me one bishop complained that such clergy 'bleat' about how they are ignored and sidelined. I wonder why that impression might arise?
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Maggie Ross in Pillars of Flame: Power, Priesthood and Spirtual Maturity says "education for nonstipendiary ministry [sic] must not be lumped with that of career, administration-oriented ministry. The two must be kept increasingly separate in identity and complementary in service, if institutional Christinaity is to survive".
Why are bishops' officers for non-stipendiary ministry usually appointed from among the stipendiary priests? Would it not be far better if they were appointed from among those priests whom they are supposed to represent? "There should...be an increasing number of theologians whose vocational position should be in the midst of contemporary society as workers or salaried employees, parliamentarians or journalists, etc, so that they will experience in concrete form what it means to bear responsibility for secular life ...
They should uncover the theological relevance of the most concrete social facts and processes of the sort that can be grasped only by having lived through them with others, deliberated together about them and come to common decisions. ... They would discover for the churches what things in the secular world are 'true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, praiseworthy' and help them to 'think about these things'. (Phil 4:8ff). They would help us 'prove what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect' ". (Rom 12:2). (Horst Symanowski, Pastor in the German Confessing Church (The Christian Witness in an Industrial Society 1966) Symanowski worked in a cement factory and in construction for a number of years. The Rt Revd Tom Slipshod rather regretted the idea of a year-long absence from his See in order to experience the world of work. It had seemed a good idea at the time. Still, only eleven months and two weeks to go. 
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