EIGHT
YEARS ON: 4 CASE STUDIES
THE PARISH OF ALSTON MOOR
Eight years ago the Anglican Christian community of
Alston Moor was fighting very hard to keep Alston
parsonage, a large Victorian house in the centre of the
town and directly opposite St. Augustine's Church. The
Diocese of Newcastle was adamant that it should be sold
and a smaller, modern building be built for any future
incumbent. Mainly owing to its position in the town the
local people felt the present house should be kept and
updated, but the Diocesan Council did not agree as, we
then learned, there would not be another vicar for the
parish. The assistant vicar was to be made priest-m
charge and would continue to reside in the recently
purchased parsonage house on the perimeter of the town
and a good mile away from the church.
A great deal of discussion
followed with a vision for a Christian centre in the
building, with a three-bedroomed flat on the upper floor
for any future incumbent or to be let as a Christian
holiday home to make more income. Again the powers that
be refused to listen, and the priest-in-charge did not
approve of the idea. Even though it was suggested we buy
the property outright, a covenant was placed on it that
we could not, under any circumstances put up any name
plates that tied it in any way to the Church. Therefore
we could not advertise it as a Christian centre. The
vicar of the day was also most unhelpful and did his
best to put every obstacle in our way. It was obvious it
would be impossible to even try to run such a venture in
such circumstances and the vicarage was consequently
sold, altered and then re-sold and at present houses one
elderly lady. The upset and bitterness caused much
friction among the congregation and eventually people
left the local churches and went further afield for
worship. The community was broken and felt defeated.
Eight years on, the vicarage has
gone from us, but as stalwarts of the Church we are very
much still here and doing what God asks of us. Several
of the diocesan hierarchy have retired and new people
have come alongside us. We now have a new, younger vicar
who is very much part of our community.
Was it worth fighting for? I think
so. Because of our willingness to fight, we are a
stronger community now and realise our own strengths and
weaknesses. Because of the damage done by the hard line
taken at the time, it has now been made a condition that
no more vicarages will be sold without very thorough
proposals and discussions taking place with the
communities in question. In fact, the diocese is
actually suggesting that people find ways of keeping
their buildings rather than selling them.
We did not save the vicarage
building, but we did keep the Church going here despite
the difficulties. Incidentally, the 'new' building has
never been built because, it has been said, a suitable
site has not presented itself as it should be near to
the church! We can actually laugh about that now, but of
course it should never have happened.
Janet Southward
November 2006
ST MARY & ST MARGARET RECTORY, CASTLE BROMWICH
Early in the year 2000 the rector announced that he was
leaving. The Parsonage Committee scented blood, pleased
at the prospect of ceasing the pretence of maintaining
the splendid Grade II rectory. The rectory though
comparatively small had three storeys with the benefit
of a self contained flat. Built in 1910 in a private
lane with extensive lawned gardens it was 100 yards from
the church and in the conservation area that embraces
the village. It provided a focal point for many parish
social activities both inside and out: strawberry teas
on the lawn, firework parties, poetry evenings and
parish suppers. On the strictly church side were study
evenings, confirmation classes etc. Very importantly for
the church was the use of the flat by the Sunday School
and the Youth Group.
The proposed sale of the rectory
was strongly opposed by both the church community and
the wider parish with a local petition which attracted
many signatures The youth leaders engaged in a heated
correspondence with the Bishop. The Earl of Bradford
whose family had built the rectory and given it and the
grounds to the church was strongly opposed but like all
other protestors was ignored by the Church
Commissioners, who implied in correspondence with the
churchwardens that the appointment of a new incumbent
was likely to be delayed until they gave up their right
to oppose. The need for a new incumbent was considered
to be of prime importance after a prolonged interregnum.
The Bishop, mindful of the feelings of the Youth Group,
promised to donate up to £100,000 from the expected
profit from the sale of the rectory towards the
provision of alternative accommodation.
The sale and repurchase were in
our opinion badly handled, the 100 year old rectory was
sold for £350,000 and replaced by a 150 year old
Victorian semi half a mile from the church for £340,000.
A rather shame faced diocese gave us £20,000 and even
the church commissioners gave us £20,000, but with
building costs as they are our Sunday School is still
without a permanent home and has halved in number. A
great deal of social life has been lost.
W.L. Jones, Churchwarden
December 2006
ALL SAINTS' CHURCH, NEWTOWN LINFORD
Until 1987 there was a full-time vicar (Revd W.H.G.
Fletcher) living in the Vicarage, but he died in
September of that year at the age of 70, having served
in the parish for 15 years. He was an outstanding
pastor, assiduous in parish visiting, well known and
popular in the village, successful in drawing people
into the church and making it the centre of village
life, demonstrating that the trend of shrinking
congregations could be reversed.
Newtown Linford is a well-known
local beauty spot, and after his death the Vicarage was
renamed Bishopsmead and occupied by the Assistant Bishop
of Leicester. Services were taken mainly by a retired
minister who lived about 10 miles away. In September
1992, the Assistant Bishop was licensed as
priest-in-charge, but as he still had diocesan
responsibilities little time was devoted to pastoral
visits. There was also a curate, a full-time policeman
who lived about 20 miles away.
In 1995, we obtained the services
of a non-stipendiary minister, (NSM) for five years, who
moved into the vicarage after the Assistant Bishop
retired. The NSM was licensed as Assistant Curate in
November 1995, and later became Hon. Team Vicar.
However, as a condition of his occupying the vicarage,
the building was transferred to the Diocesan Board of
Finance. In addition we were charged rent for the
building and were responsible for its maintenance. We
also paid the minister's expenses, plus the Parish Share
- then about £19,000 for a parish of about 400
residences with a population of 1000. At the same time
we were forced to accept the union of the three parishes
of Ratby, Groby and Newtown Linford as the Bradgate Team
Parish (ratified on 1st June 1998) with only 2 full-time
clergy. Owing to his wife developing cancer, the Hon.
Vicar left the vicarage in about 1999, but continued to
take some services until 2000.
I wrote to the Bishop of Leicester
at the time, and warned him of the consequences of
losing a resident pastor, based on our previous
experience during the period from 1987 to 1995, and the
deleterious effect this had on church attendance, but
this was ignored. It seemed the diocese was intent on
realising the cash value of the vicarage regardless of
the future consequences for the community. Although
Newtown Linford would have gladly continued to finance
an NSM, and to maintain the church and vicarage, the
diocese would not agree, and the vicarage was put on the
market and eventually sold.
In March 2000, the present Team
Rector arrived to live in Ratby Vicarage. He was
inducted in July 2001, and has responsibility for Ratby
and Newtown Linford. In August 2001, a vicar was
obtained for Groby. Our Parish share now amounts to
about £23,000 annually.
EFFECTS OF THE LOSS OF CLERGY
As there are three churches, served by only two
full-time clergy, the number of services has been
reduced. In 1987, every Sunday had services at 8 a.m.,
11 a.m. and 6.30 p.m., plus a mid-week Communion once a
month. Evensong ceased in October 1993, owing to small
numbers, but the other services continued, and a weekly
Communion was held on Thursdays.
From July 2000, linked with the
loss of clergy, both the 8 a.m. Sunday Communion and the
mid-week Communion became fortnightly. Also, some
services are occasionally combined for the whole
Bradgate Team, to allow for clergy holidays. At Newtown
Linford, the Team Rector takes about two-thirds of the
services, with the rest taken by the Groby Vicar, lay
readers or other (e.g. retired) clergy.
EFFECTS OF THE LOSS OF THE VICARAGE
Our Team Rector devotes as much time as he can to
Newtown Linford Church, and is as good a clergyman as
you could wish to get. However, the main result of
losing a resident minister is that pastoral visiting
suffers. He has to look after both Ratby and Newtown
Linford, and has insufficient time for visits apart from
those associated with illness or bereavement. Possibly
over-much of his time is taken up with bureaucracy and
ecclesiastical meetings. Although he has charisma he has
failed to make as much impact on numbers as the NSM who
resided in the vicarage. The existence of teams can be a
distraction, and add more to bureaucracy than it does to
efficacy.
The Sunday School for children,
which was successful, ceased in 2003 when the
long-standing teacher retired and no replacement was
forthcoming. As a partial substitute the rector holds
about 5 "Saturday Specials" per year, which are less
well attended.
We have analysed the figures for
church attendance from December 1986 to the present, to
show average attendances. The church holds about 150 in
the pews, but with extra chairs up to 180 can be
accommodated.
8 a.m. COMMUNION
SERVICE - average attendances for sample years
1986-87* |
1991 |
1994** |
1998* |
2005 |
16 |
11 |
15 |
15 |
16 |
* Minister resident
in the Vicarage ** Asst. Bishop in the Vicarage (i.e.
little visiting)
The numbers attending this service
have been maintained. But these represent people already
committed to the Church, who are getting older. A good
number were attracted to the Church during the time of
the resident vicar (1972 to 1987).
MID-WEEK COMMUNION
1986-87* |
1991 |
1994** |
1998* |
2005 |
18 |
13 |
7 |
14 |
8 |
11 a.m. SUNDAY SERVICE (omitting special services)
1986-87* |
1991 |
1994** |
1998* |
2005 |
45 |
36 |
27 |
30 |
18 |
The Sunday service has been most
affected, falling to less than half the figure of 20
years ago. Note the increase from 1994 to 1998, when the
NSM was living in the Vicarage.
The fall in church attendance is perhaps more evident in
practice than the figures show. For instance, the number
attending the Annual District Church Meeting fell from
40 in 1998 to 7 in 2006, and is now almost confined to
members of the Church Council. In his last week's News
Sheet the Rector wrote: "Rather close to home! Use it or
lose it - that's the message being put out by two vicars
who are threatening to close their churches if more
people don't attend.. .. etc." as though this was the
fault of the congregations rather than of the Church
(with a big "C") and of clergymen themselves. From
recent sermons I gather the latest wheeze is to go out
and deal with large crowds wherever they can be found -
presumably whilst, through misdirected efforts, they
lose the communities in which they operate! This is a
rural, not an urban community.
CONCLUSION
The removal of a resident pastor has been the most
significant blow, and the loss of the vicarage makes it
impossible for this to be put right in the future. At
the time we pointed out that the house could be let out
until an incumbent could be found, and in this locality
could be rented for over £1000 monthly. In the past
clergy have been more than willing (while they were
physically fit) to retire to a rent-free house in this
village in exchange for some of their time. The vicarage
formerly provided an office for the vicar, was used for
meetings, and the garden for fetes. We now have to rely
on the kindness of individuals with large enough houses
or gardens to hold such events. The Sunday School is
sometimes used for Church Council meetings, but is not
very suitable, and some events are held at the Ratby
Rectory. But this is 3-4 miles distant along winding
roads and only the Church committee and a few other
committed church members seem ready to make the journey
-- whereas events held in Newtown Linford attract other
residents of the village. The loss of the vicarage has
made all this much more difficult.
R.G. Lowe
August 2006
STORY OF A SAVED RECTORY: TRENT
RECTORY, QUEEN THORNE PARSONAGE
Nine years after we saved it, the rectory at Trent is
still the powerhouse of a strong Christian community.
Our young priest has moved on and today we have Henry
Pearson, a man who can only be described as God's gift
for a community like ours. We all enjoy his masterly
management of our unruly rurals, and the way in which he
is building an even stronger community than hitherto.
What has been such a help to us
has been the change of heart by the Diocese. Where once
we dreaded what they might be planning or plotting,
today we have a body that has teamed with us to develop
the Christian message and ethos.
Trent Rectory can easily park more
than a dozen cars. Accordingly the parish room is made
good use of. The rectory provides not just facilities,
but a warm welcome to all. Judith Pearson is the lady of
the house, and the community feel at ease when we visit.
We have riches and know it.
Thinking back, it is hard to
believe that our future looked so bleak The middlemen
were starting to gather to oversee and manage the demise
of our parochial leader's house and workshop. It was
something of a fight, and we are very aware that Save
Our Parsonages gave us that edge that tipped the wheel
of fortune in our favour. One feels that there is a
better understanding now than in days gone by of what
makes a Christian community. Even the dreaded press are
finding it harder to print bad news. Asset management
has not been our Church's greatest strength, but we do
seem now to have a significantly better attitude here as
to how to use these in a proper way. We hope that it
prevails across England's green and pleasant land.
Michael J. Pearce
November 2006 |