CHURCH PRESERVATION SIR,—In your issue of August 26, Mr. John
Betjeman gives St. George's, Tiverton, as being among recent examples of 'the destruc- tion of churches brought about by modern archdeacons.' He then proceeds to make a certain comment which, of course, he is perfectly entitled to do; but such comment loses both its humour (if indeed humour was intended) and its point if the facts on which it is based happen to be inaccurate. St. George's, Tiverton, has not been destroyed : its destruction has not even been finally recom- mended—far less approved. None of the com- plex statutory procedure has as yet been put in train. There is no need to describe that procedure here; but a study of the Pastoral Reorganisation Measure, 1949, will show that its sole object is 'to make better provision for the cure of souls'; that the framing of pro- posals and their submission to the bishop (and by him to the Church Commissioners) is the business of a committee on which there is strong lay representation; and finally that the Measure is intentionally designed to prevent dictatorial decisions by any one person so that there is no scope for single-handed wielding of the archidiaconal pick and shovel.—Yours faithfully,
E. 3. N. WALLIS
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