Save The Parish - Cornwall

 Besides news, this blog provides useful background. Here Save The Parish Cornwall's Peter Bellenes has gathered together key information for groups of people who are fighting the sale of church buildings.  These are factors that the residents of Merrymeet might to take into consideration: they are fighting the proposed sale of  their mission church, St Mary's.  At the end are some useful links with further information. Advantages – price positive Ø   -  Location i s all-important. If the church is situated where you would not be able to put a new build - as is St Mary's -  this will affect the price Ø   -  The space inside is large and can be converted into open space living whilst making the most of the original design Ø   - There is level pedestrian access to the main areas Ø   -  The shortage of suitable properties means prices are high. D  Disadvantages – price negative Ø    -  Need for new v...

  A lengthy letter from Archdeacon Kelly Betteridge to the passionate villagers of Merrymeet, who have vowed to do whatever necessary to keep St Mary's Church open. Archdeacon Kelly says that 'a closure of a church happens fairly infrequently' and only on the initiative of local people - apparently missing a key element in the residents' campaign. Merrymeet residents do not want the church sold. The two Merrymeet residents on the local PCC (in neighbouring Menheniot) which took a vote on the matter were out-voted by people from another village. Once again the Diocese of Truro is ignoring local voices. Peter Luck, leader of the residents' association, vows to fight on. 'A lot of words, but nothing new,' he says.

 Residents in Merrymeet, east Cornwall, are keeping up the fight to save St Mary's Church, which is threatened with closure by the Diocese of Truro as this article in the latest edition of the Cornish Times explains. They say - rightly - that their forebears contributed funds to build the church.  The current inhabitants of Merrymeet believe their concerns should be heard. Not something that is happening at the moment.

The Bishop of Truro has repeatedly said in recent days that ‘Bishops don’t close churches’ as they don't have the power. They only close churches on the instigation of local people. He repeated this yesterday (Sunday 29 March on Anoushka William’s Sunday Show on BBC Cornwall radio.) The villagers of Merrymeet in east Cornwall - where St Mary’s Mission Church faces closure - have had a very different experience. Peter Luck, head of the residents' association, explains In today’s world it is interesting how the word ‘community’ is used: ‘community funding’, ‘communities pulling together’, ‘community workshops’, ‘congregational community’, ‘village community’. You get the idea. Here in Merrymeet we do not have a village shop or village pub or any ‘community hub’. We have a fight on our hands: to keep St. Mary’s Mission Church from closing this coming September. This building is in the middle of our little village and serves us all as a place of worship and a well-used communi...

Villagers at Merrymeet in east Cornwall are working hard together to fight  Diocesan plans to close their local church, St Mary's.  The Cornish Guardian (20 May 2022) picked up their press release and ran with it this week. They are awaiting a response now from the office of the Bishop of Truro to their open letter to him.