Easter outside locked church as Cornwall's Bishops ignore the voice of local communities

Villagers in Merrymeet, east Cornwall, once again celebrated a major Christian festival outside their locked church - as Cornwall's Bishops continue to ignore the voices of communities across the county.

On Easter Sunday, two pop-up tents sheltered about 20 people gathered to mark the Christian calendar's major festival - four months after they similarly celebrated Christmas. Merrymeet Church was closed last October and for the past six months the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen, has ignored villagers' protests as he pursues his unpopular plans for radical parish re-organisation. These plans envisage cutting priests in parishes and boosting the number of lay workers in a 'resource church model' - shown by recent research to be deeply flawed. 

Merrymeet Residents' Association Chairman Peter Luck said: "Once again we have been able to celebrate an annual religious event by using our pop up combination of two gazebos."

" This time it was not blowing a gale and lashing with rain," he added. "The wind from the SE did have a bite to it but it did not deter a good turnout of over 20 people.   At the end of the celebration there was a good supply of hot cross buns, hot tea and coffee."

Planting the Coronation Tree

The villagers  - who are being encouraged instead to go to neighbouring Menheniot - are now planning for the next community event under canvas. Menheniot, they say, is not an option. Like many villages across the rest of Cornwall, Merrymeet has a strong sense of local identity and pride in its heritage.

"We are missing the use of the church which was closed by Menheniot Parochial Church Council and Truro diocese," said Mr Luck. "After the service (and hot cross buns) we planted a yellow magnolia tree in advance of king Charles coronation."

The Diocese of Truro says its plans for radical parish re-organisation originated in individual deaneries. In fact, anyone who has had anything to do with these plans - known as On The Way - knows that the whole process was carefully micromanaged by the Bishops. Click here to read how the Bishop of St Germans, the Rt Rev Hugh Nelson, intervened at every stage in Carnmarth Deanery.   

The most shocking example of a planned 'mega benefice' is in Kerrier - where the On The Way plan envisages 23 churches overseen by one rural dean (recently appointed, who will live in Helston). This plan - which threatens to change the nature of church life in the area forever - was only narrowly passed in a secret ballot on 23^rd September 2022 - with 14 for the plan, 11 against and three abstentions.