Just read an interesting article on the Guardian website, by Simon Jenkins. He notes that barely 2% of the nation regularly go to their Church of England parish church, and a third of them are over 70, with only 1% of 18- to 24-year-olds now identifying as Anglican. This decline in Christian observance leaves a lot of churches surplus to requirements. What, he asks, should we do with them? The situation is complicated by the fact that some 70% of England’s churches are listed and undestroyable, including 45% of the country’s Grade 1 historic buildings. Unless they are de-listed, we can’t allow them to crumble into picturesque ruins.
Though it may seem strange for an atheist like me to be concerned about the fate of old churches, atheism is not, in fact, a belief system. Atheists can appreciate religious art, ecclesiastical architecture and the church's place in social history; we’re not the Taliban!
Some churches are being re-purposed, with many currently serving as much-needed food banks. The church in my pic - at Beech Hill, near Reading - doubles up as the village shop. Everything folds away behind screens, when the building is required for services: the counter, displays and even the frozen food cabinets…
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