The council is advertising the job, paying £13-an-hour, for people who are “empathetic, able to work at short notice, good listeners and excellent public speakers”.

But Bishops Tachbrook vicar, the Rev Canon Mervyn Roberts, believes new ‘civil’ celebrants employed by the county council have no purpose, and that the council may try to compete with churches and other religions.

When anyone in England dies they automatically have the right to an Anglican funeral, but can opt for a humanist service or one of the religion of their choice.

Mr Roberts said: “I’m concerned this is going to be an almost pointless and meaningless move. I wondered where all these civil funerals are going to come from.

“I can’t see the demand for funeral celebrants. If you are not religious, you can have a humanist celebrant and, if you are, you can have a minister. In many cases people don’t have a problem with God being mentioned, prayers being said, or a Bible used. The county council is extending its services into an area where there is no real need.”

Civil funerals were introduced in 2002, but have only recently been introduced in Warwickshire. One position is advertised for. Mr Roberts feels anyone taking up the job may find there is little demand and the county council may attempt to compensate for this with “aggressive” marketing so it will compete with religious or humanist ceremonies.

He believes the only reason for the new position is a precedent set by other county councils, such as in Kent, where he says “glossy” promotional materials caused some controversy. The vicar is also concerned at the level of ongoing pastoral care a civil celebrant could offer bereaved families compared to a priest or humanist trained for their position.

Warwickshire County Council spokesman Louise Ali explained celebrants were chosen for their professionalism and empathy, and were rigorously trained and assessed to ensure they were suitable for the job.

She added: “Many people still opt for a ‘traditional’ religious funeral service, but every family is different and not everyone wants the same type of funeral. A civil funeral ceremony offers another choice for bereaved families and individuals planning ahead for their own funerals.

“The main distinction between a humanist funeral and a civil funeral is that a humanist funeral will not normally contain any religious elements at all. In contrast, a civil funeral can include hymns, religious readings and quiet time for prayer. It can therefore reflect the spirituality and beliefs of the deceased, whatever form that may take. A civil funeral is driven by the wishes, beliefs and values of the deceased and their families and not by the beliefs or ideology of the person conducting the funeral.”