Churches Weekly Newsletter, 3 July 2022
It might seem surprising to you to find the Foreword to the Church of England book How Village Churches Thrive being written by the entertainer Hugh Dennis. “If I am honest, I probably find it as surprising as you do,” he begins, “but let me give you a little context.”
Hugh Dennis calculates that for nearly half his life he has lived next door to churches of various shapes and sizes. Born in the Rectory of Kettering Parish Church where his father was the curate, “when I was a mere three months old, my father became the rather cool, pipe-smoking vicar of Christ Church, on the Isle of Dogs, in the East End of London.” Later, Mill Hill in North London was followed by a stint in Yorkshire where his father John served as the Bishop of Knaresborough, and then a move to Suffolk when he became Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich.
“You might think, quite reasonably, that a childhood of such proximity to churches would mean that I would step away from the habit in adult life, but not a bit of it. Instead, I bought a house next to a small church in the South Downs, one of eight churches in a team parish in the Diocese of Chichester. In other words, when it comes to churches and parishes, I am something of an insider with a particular love for rural churches, and a great sympathy for those who toil to keep them going in what are often very difficult circumstances.”
Hugh Dennis knows church life well enough to be able to state that “It would be folly to make the mistake of thinking that these buildings are simply historic monuments, facing inevitable decline. In my experience. they are often well loved, well used buildings that stand at the centre of the communities they serve, with halls and facilities that could be used or indeed are already used. to bring the community together, be they churchgoers or non-churchgoers. During the pandemic, for example, many such churches have led the way in organising networks of support. The same pandemic, in one of its rather unexpected consequences, has changed the outlook for rural areas as, helped by the move homeworking, families increasingly look to leave larger towns to and cities to experience the peace and quiet of the countryside. So, if anything, I think many rural churches are rather like spring bulbs, ready for the right conditions to release all the potential they hold, and to thrive. Some are already growing and blossoming, and many others will follow.”
This is an encouragingly positive perspective from a supportive friend of the churches and church people. It serves well as an introduction to the equally positive workbook How Village Churches Thrive which I hope you'll not tire of hearing about in the coming months as I'll be using it to help us engage together with practical questions about our future, starting with a morning on Saturday 10 September devoted to discussing positive approaches to stewardship and fundraising: please do come along and get involved.
