Rural parishes fears over church restructure plans

St Michael's Church in Horton is one of the churches parishioners fear could lose out under proposed changes to how it is run

Worshippers are appealing to church leaders to reconsider plans to pair four rural churches in the Staffordshire Moorlands with others in more urban areas.

Parishioners say the Diocese of Lichfield - which is responsible for all the churches in Staffordshire, northern Shropshire and the Black Country – has failed to listen to their concerns.

They say they want to maintain their traditional way of worship, and that the rural communities do not suit being paired with more evangelical services in built-up areas.

The Diocese of Lichfield said the scheme would not close any churches and had come about from a long process involving all the relevant parishes.

Church commissioners from London are due to meet with parishioners and diocesan leaders on Thursday to hear representations on the proposal.

The four churches – located in Horton, Cheddleton, Longsdon and Rushton - collectively form a benefice, and used to share a vicar until she left due to ill health about seven years ago.

They have been continuing to worship with the support of a retired vicar and others, but now hope to have a permanent replacement appointed.

However, they say they have been told by the diocese that they must pair up with other churches – including those in Endon and Bagnall, Leek and Biddulph – and that some services could be led by lay people rather than an ordained minister.

'Too distant'

Lorraine Hare has been involved in the parochial church council at St Michael’s Church in Horton for about 10 years and is currently its secretary.

She said many parishioners felt uncomfortable with the changes being proposed.

“Most people that go to St Michael’s are from a farming community, people living on the land with farms handed down from generation to generation,” she said.

“Endon and Bagnall are wonderful communities, but their way of worship is different.”

She added that many people felt able to confide in their local vicar, in a way they wouldn’t with a lay preacher.

Father Stephen Anderson believes the current proposals would sever links between communities that have shared traditions

Father Stephen Anderson is a retired vicar but has been leading services at St Michael’s on an interim basis.

He said he believed the current plans would deprive Horton of its links with communities that have shared characteristics and traditions.

“The concern is that people from Horton will not be able to have a voice in a much larger urban community.”

He said the current parish had a population of about 780 people, whereas Endon and Bagnall parish’s population is about 3,500 people.

He believed the proposed changes would mean the vicar would be too distant, and that they would be focused on meeting the needs of parishioners in the urban areas meaning the more rural communities would not have an effective voice.

The diocese says restructuring the benefices in the area will benefit smaller churches "both missionally and financially".

It said the minister of a newly-combined benefice would oversee and develop "a largely lay-led worshipping community at one parish whilst offering a more traditional model of ministry and leadership at the other".

It added that it hoped the new arrangements would help secure the future for all parishes involved, preventing any church closures in the area.