Hertingfordbury Parish News: November 2003

Serious Food Thought

General Synod (July 2003)

A debate on, 'A Future for Church Buildings," was introduced by the Bishop of London, the Rt. Rev'd Richard Chartres. He said the purpose was to inform members about the present situation. "We are responsible for an inheritance of Churches and Cathedrals which are part of the living history of England and properly belong to the whole community," he said. The trick was to get the whole community to contribute to their upkeep, instead of just churchgoers. Latest figures suggested that the cost of repairing Church buildings over the next five years would not be less than three-quarters of a billion pounds, of which the Church would probably have to find half a billion. It was therefore necessary to convince people that these buildings were not for the Church alone, but for their communities as a whole, which they served in a variety of important ways, so that it could be seen that it was reasonable for the Church to ask for contributions from outside sources. (End of report).

It is our duty to take such reports seriously and to ask ourselves, 'What can we do as a community to keep our Church alive and not just on Sundays or Festivals.

Rev'd Rosemary

Please note: Although the Hertingfordbury Parish News is produced by St. Mary's PCC, the opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the PCC.