Lambeth Palace ducks church sale debate

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The residents of Merrymeet, east Cornwall, have received a non committal letter from Archbishop Justin Welby, after appealing him for help in their fight to save their local church from closure.

The Archbishop is unable to intervene in individual cases, it says, and urges concerned local residents to raise concerns with their Archdeacon 'who would be best placed to respond to your specific concerns in this local context.'

In fact, the residents received an unhelpful letter from the Archdeacon just yesterday.

"From what I have now observed, "pass the buck" is a standard procedure for the church management," says Peter Luck, who heads up the residents' association. "Is there any one who can make a decision? What is the point of a heirarchy if nobody can make a decision or has authority to make that decision? This is not a way to give confidence to the public. How can these people be looked up to for spiritual guidance and comfort."

Save The Parish Cornwall's Peter Bellenes adds: "This is part of the pretence that all decisions are "bottom up" - that  the parishes decide and the bishops agree.
"Not true of course as there is a very firm steer from the top through funding decisions and in the diocese from HQ advisors and financial impositions.
"Menheniot, like other parishes, has to raise an inordinate amount of cash for very little in return. Hence the drive to sell property and other assets. It's the economics of the madhouse that will undermine a great deal of local effort.
""The Church of England has been taken over by idealogues with no respect for local people and local place."

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