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Churches should be used as post offices to benefit community, says
Government
Churches should be used as post offices or day care centres so they
benefit everyone in their communities and not just worshippers,
according to official guidance.
By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 11:05PM GMT 24 Mar 2009
Churches should be used as post offices to benefit whole community,
Government says
St. Bega's Church of England (pictured above) instigated the use of the
building to maintain the post office which would otherwise be closed,
Lake District Photo: RII SCHROER
A guide published by the Government and the Church of England tells
clergy how they can navigate the maze of public funding, and so obtain
grants to make better use of their buildings.
It claims that this not only helps local people but ensures that
historic churches, many of which need repairs, will be preserved for the
future.
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Ministers also want charities and public bodies to get over their
"squeamishness" about giving money to religious groups, pointing out
that they are often ideally placed to run services as they have
good-quality buildings, willing workers and a deep knowledge of their
local areas.
At least 12 post offices now operate from church buildings around the
country while many more of England's 16,000 parish churches host child
care centres, youth clubs and cafes.
The Culture Secretary, Andy Burnham, said: "Churches and other places of
worship are at the heart of neighbourhoods. They are the local landmarks
by which we navigate and they often represent the best of our heritage.
At the same time, both the buildings and the people that frequent them,
are so often active in enhancing the lives of many people, offering
services to meet the needs of the local community.
"This excellent paper brings together two important things – the bricks
and mortar of much-loved buildings, and the benefits they bring as
resources for the wider community. Put them together and we are helping
these buildings to meet the challenges of the future."
The Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, insisted that
churches that take on new roles for the wider community will remain
primarily places of worship.
He went on: "This is an example of a growing trend to return church
buildings to their original function as places of worship and also
places of assembly and celebration for the whole of the local community.
"This ancient tradition has in more recent times been overlaid by a
distaste for mixing the sacred and the secular but this dichotomy is
increasingly being challenged."
Speaking at the launch of the report, called Churches and Faith
Buildings: Realising the Potential, at St Martin-in-the-
Trafalgar Square, the bishop said it was an unequivocal sign of the
Government's support for religious groups – despite the lack of new
money.
Last year a report published by the Von Hügel Institute accused the
Government of "religious illiteracy", claiming it had no idea of the
significant contribution made to society by the Church.
Meanwhile the Government has announced that England's first "Inter Faith
Week" will take place from November 15 this year to strengthen relations
between the country's religious groups.
It could include a football match between followers of different
religions, or churches and mosques organising exchanges of their
congregations.
http://www.telegrap
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
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