Swelling UK chorus demands: Save Our Churches
Pastor Dale Morgan
Swelling UK chorus demands: Save Our Churches*
By Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent
Last updated: 11:49 PM BST 17/05/2008
Church leaders, celebrities and heritage groups have come out in support
of The Sunday Telegraph's campaign to save the nation's churches.
Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cardinal Cormac
Murphy O'Connor, the Archbishop of Westminster, have backed the Save Our
Churches campaign.
The campaign calls for a number of measures to keep churches at the
heart of community life including changing planning rules to help them
adapt and providing grants. It has also won the backing of public
figures, including the actress Joanna Lumley and the musician Jools Holland
Last week, Christian Research forecast that the number of churches in
Britain could decline from 48,500 to only 39,200 by 2030. But while
there are signs of growth in attendance at services, many churches are
struggling to find money for repairs.
Public support for churches is at a high level, according to a new
YouGov poll. Two-thirds of those questioned said they would be concerned
if their local church fell into disrepair, while 56 per cent said they
would be opposed to it closing.
Asked whether their church played an important part in their community's
history and heritage, more than twice as many people agreed as
disagreed, 40 per cent compared with 18 per cent. The research, carried
out for Ecclesiastical Insurance, shows that churches are still highly
valued, despite declining levels of churchgoing.
Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in
England and Wales, said: "I approve of this campaign – it is important
that we all support churches in this country as places of prayer and for
the benefit of the entire community."
Dr Williams said: "A good church is a focus for the community in the
literal sense of the word – a place which keeps the common life warm and
alive." Dr Barry Morgan, the Archbishop of the Church in Wales, added
his weight to the campaign.
He said: "There is a vital need not only to preserve our Christian
heritage but also to adapt and carefully redesign our buildings so that
they can be both places of prayer and a means of better serving the
communities in which they are placed."
The Methodist Church has suffered the most rapid decline, losing about
300 buildings between 1998 and 2005.
The Rt Rev Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, warns today that the
Government needs to increase its funding if churches are to flourish.
Writing in this newspaper, he argues that it is a "fantasy" to think
that the Church can bankroll the maintenance and upkeep of every church
building in the country.
In France, the state is responsible for the financial support of all
ecclesiastical buildings built before 1904. In Germany, too, churches
receive taxpayers' money.
Jonathan Edwards, the general secretary of the Baptist Union of Great
Britain, said that extra funding from the Government was needed to
relieve the burden on worshippers. "The upkeep of buildings is a major
drain on the church community," he said.
A recent Church of Scotland document stated: "The cost of maintaining
and repairing church buildings is a cost that inevitably limits the
resources otherwise available for the spiritual life of the congregation."
It adds: "The risk of expensive storm damage to our buildings,
particularly those in the west and north, is only predicted to increase
through the effects of global warming."
Historic Scotland spends an annual £1.5 million on places of worship,
under a 10th of its repairs budget. But experts calculate that it would
take up to 70 years to secure all Scottish "most at risk" buildings.
Miss Lumley said: "Churches are more than places of worship. Church
bells announced the end of war, the death of a king, the celebration of
a marriage… If they decay, so will our way of life."
Griff Rhys Jones, the comedian and presenter of the BBC's Restoration
programme, said: "Churches have an enormous value in the local
community. We have to be alert to the fact that they are continually
under threat."
Kirstie Allsopp, the television presenter, added her support. "Churches
are an incredible, breathtaking part of our heritage," she said.
"We take them for granted, but we can't just expect them always to be
there."
Supporting the campaign:
Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster
Sir Roy Strong, historian
The Rt Rev Richard Chartres, Bishop of London
Dr Barry Morgan, Archbishop of the Church in Wales
Jonathan Edwards, general secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain
Crispin Truman, chief executive of the Churches Conservation Trust
Hugo Swire, shadow culture secretary
Eric Pickles, shadow secretary for communities and local government
Griff Rhys, Jones comedian and presenter of the BBC's Restoration programme
Loyd Grossman, chef, and chairman of the Churches Conservation Trust
Candida Lycett Green, writer and daughter of Sir John Betjeman
Joanna Lumley, actress
Dr Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage
Kirstie Allsopp, television presenter
Dr Ian Dungavell, director of the Victorian Society