Sm,—The Archdeacon of Leeds has come in for such a
dub- bing from your correspondents that, while I'm not a supporter of archdeacons as a class, for they normally seem to serve so little purpose, I would like to say a word in this particular archdeacon's defence.
The time has come for the Church to say very firmly that it it not an historical society. Its job is to bring men and women into a living relation- ship with Christ. Buildings, like everything else, are only of value to the Church if they serve that end. Where it has become too expensive or im- practical to maintain a church, then the authorities have the right to say so.
The trouble is that some people have developed such a complex about history that they imagine they only have to in- voke it and we must all bow down and worship.
Only the other day a pomp- ous ass from one of the Oxford colleges looked round our church (which happens to be of Saxon/ Norman vintage) and wrote in the Visitors Book: 'Interesting historically which world be enhanced if concessions were not made to modernity.' The only concessions to modernity' are a twentieth-century vestry and electric lighting. What does he want us to do—robe in the graveyard and fumble around with candles ? Doubtless he'd prefer us not to worship in the place at all. It's ' historical ' and therefore sacrosanct. As Scrooge would say: ' Bah I Humbug I '
it. But I equally have no doubt that it's people who really matter and we might hear less moans about poor church attendances if the Church as a whole spent more time caring for people instead of trying at such enormous cost to maintain buildings 'which frequently arc not even, when maintained, suitable for modern use, are difficult to heat, light and clean.
Let's be a little more realistic.—Yours faithfully, NEVILLE D. GILL Darenth Vicarage, Dartford
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