Church BuildingsFinding a Pathway to a

Use

Harvey Howlett - Casework Support ManagerClosed Churches Division

Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011

Only means to close a church building – to declare “closed for regular public worship”

Only means to dispose of or sell consecrated land

Requirements relating to burials on disposed land administered by the Commissioners

Effected by a legal instrument called a “Scheme”

Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011 - Closed

ChurchesOne Stop Pastoral Church Buildings SchemeClosure & Use

Pastoral Schemefor closure

Two Stage

Option

Pastoral (Church Buildings Disposal) Scheme for use of building

For Sale

ShipmeadowSt Bartholomew

Kneesall St Bartholomew

Issues to Look Out For

The Building and its significance

• History and context– Land/Townscape

value– Features– Contents– Art– Memorials– Architectural value

Condition

• Survey– State of Repair

• Maintenance• Liability – Repair

Cost

Location, Location, Location (Where is it & how do you get to it?)

• Physical Barriers?

• Site Levels?

Legal Issues

• Covenants• Access

Controls• Title• Service lines/ power supply

Church: usually the Vicar (Incumbent) but PCC responsible for maintenance

So Who Owns a Church ?

Churchyard also the Vicar (Incumbent) but PCC responsible except if closed when Local Authority can be required to take over the care

So Who Owns a Church ?

Church hall usually owned by DBFin trust for the PCC.

but if it has been built on the churchyard or attached to the church could be owned by the Vicar

Sharing space can be a problem

• Bats• Burials• Access• Maintenance• Planning• Pastoral

... are also a burden and a worry too. That’s especially the case where a tiny number of elderly people feel they are the last ones to care for their church and there’s no one coming on to replace them. A feeling of failure accompanies their tiredness. This makes the living Church less joinable.

The Bishop of Norwich writes that Church Buildings:

It isn’t always feasible by any means to make these buildings available for community use since there isn’t always much of a community to use them. If there is, a village hall has often been built in the previous generation and in a good many cases is being supported and sustained by the very same people as the church.

Bishop of Norwich 2013

Dishforth Christ Church

CC Division Staff Working in the

Regions

A Collaborative PartnershipTo offer Dioceses access to skills that are difficult to resource.•To be able to give time to projects if it is needed.•To work with the grain of the state system for the Church’s own needs. •To be more accessible and more effective•To keep easy access to the Division’s expertise in the legislation intricacies and technicalities

•www.ccpastoral.org