Brighton's St Peter's Church saved (From The Argus)
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Brighton's St Peter's Church saved
12:00pm Friday 8th May 2009 in News By Naomi Loomes
Brighton's St Peter's Church
An iconic church has been saved after a plan to hand it over to a London-based Anglican group was approved.
St Peter's Church in York Place, Brighton, faced closure after falling congregation numbers and structural disrepair made it financially unsound.
But this week Holy Trinity Brompton, a world renowned Anglican group who first developed the Alpha Course, agreed to take over the running of the church.
For more than a year it looked as though Grade II* St Peter's - one of Brighton's most prominent landmarks - might be closed as a place of worship and converted into a cafe or shops.
But under the new pastoral scheme approved by the Church Commissioners on Tuesday St Peter's will remain under Church of England control.
It will be leased by the Chichester Diocesan Fund and Board of Finance to HTB who will maintain the building and run services.
The parish and benefice of Brighton and St Peter with the Chapel Royal will be dissolved and two new parishes and benefices created – Brighton The Chapel Royal and Brighton St Peter.
Jean Calder, convenor of the Friends of St Peter's Church said: "We welcome the help of HTB.
"We accept the proposed division of the two parishes and note that although the new parish of St Peter will be reduced in size, this might make it easier for the church to serve the city as a whole."
But the group have made a request to the Church Commissioners that worship continue during the handover period.
Ms Calder added: "After the epic struggle to save the church, the last thing the congregation needs is to be dispersed, which would create a risk of vandalism.
"It is vital to ensure the period of redundancy is for a matter of hours, rather than days, weeks or months."
But a spokesman for the Diocese of Chichester says this is unlikely.
Revd David Guest said: "This is just one early step in a long process – nothing is confirmed for sure.
"We must now partake in further legal discussions and also perhaps the repair of the church roof before Holy Trinity Brompton could arrive.
"The church may well have to close until the final details of the agreement are decided upon and dates are fixed by the bishop.
"It is a little bit like selling a house – you wouldn't expect to have people moving in the next day, there are a lot of legal details to be dealt with.
"Hopefully it will be no more than a matter of months and then we can all join hands and reopen St Peter's with HTB."
A spokesman from HTB said: “"It has been a privilege to work with the diocese of Chichester on the future of St Peter's Brighton and we are grateful to the Bishop and his leadership team for all their encouragement and support.
“We are excited to have been invited to play a part in the diocese's vision for a new chapter in the life of St Peter's."
Comments(25)
ABC1
says...
12:23pm Fri 8 May 09
Dixonian
says...
12:28pm Fri 8 May 09
maxiboy
says...
12:42pm Fri 8 May 09
Cry Me A River
says...
12:44pm Fri 8 May 09
ABC1 wrote:Where you aware that those people going to Church would be much better off if they had a lie-in on Sunday morning?
Were you aware that the total number of people attending church on Sunday is greater than the total number of people attending a weeks football league matches?
Also, Brighton doesn't need anymore religious nuts... Or any more nuts, actually...
ABC1
says...
12:52pm Fri 8 May 09
The stats don't include non-Christians either.....
Jaghebby
says...
1:12pm Fri 8 May 09
In every village there is a beacon - the teacher and an extinguisher - the priest!
Cry Me A River
says...
1:23pm Fri 8 May 09
ABC1 wrote:A large section of the ELDERLY population.
I'm just pointing out that although it is fashionable to decry religion, it is still extremely important to a very large section of the population.
The stats don't include non-Christians either.....
PETE OF QUEENS PARK
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1:53pm Fri 8 May 09
jonathon
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2:13pm Fri 8 May 09
BiggerH
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2:35pm Fri 8 May 09
Juan Albion
says...
2:37pm Fri 8 May 09
Cry Me A River wrote:You are an arrogant person, aren't you.
ABC1 wrote: Were you aware that the total number of people attending church on Sunday is greater than the total number of people attending a weeks football league matches?Where you aware that those people going to Church would be much better off if they had a lie-in on Sunday morning? Also, Brighton doesn't need anymore religious nuts... Or any more nuts, actually...
Cry Me A River
says...
2:41pm Fri 8 May 09
Juan Albion wrote:Nope, just a non-deluded citizen capable of seeing the Church for what it is; a brainwashing, money-grabbing establishment no better than a piece of gum on the street.
Cry Me A River wrote:You are an arrogant person, aren't you.
ABC1 wrote: Were you aware that the total number of people attending church on Sunday is greater than the total number of people attending a weeks football league matches?Where you aware that those people going to Church would be much better off if they had a lie-in on Sunday morning? Also, Brighton doesn't need anymore religious nuts... Or any more nuts, actually...
False hope anyone?
miss_lad_pink
says...
2:53pm Fri 8 May 09
Mark Too
says...
3:08pm Fri 8 May 09
Juan Albion
says...
3:28pm Fri 8 May 09
Cry Me A River wrote:Ah! You are right, they are wrong. But you're not arrogant? Well, I am a person of faith, with seven years of higher education, so statistically I am probably 'smarter' than you. But I don't go around telling you that you are a 'nut' because you think differently to me. I wouldn't be that arrogant. I respect your beliefs, even if I don't agree with them. Your "false hope anyone?" comment does suggest to me, however, that you have no real understanding of Christians or what motivates them.
Juan Albion wrote:Nope, just a non-deluded citizen capable of seeing the Church for what it is; a brainwashing, money-grabbing establishment no better than a piece of gum on the street. False hope anyone?Cry Me A River wrote:You are an arrogant person, aren't you.ABC1 wrote: Were you aware that the total number of people attending church on Sunday is greater than the total number of people attending a weeks football league matches?Where you aware that those people going to Church would be much better off if they had a lie-in on Sunday morning? Also, Brighton doesn't need anymore religious nuts... Or any more nuts, actually...
phaser
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4:10pm Fri 8 May 09
quedula
says...
4:17pm Fri 8 May 09
Juan Albion wrote:How do you define "smartness" then Juan Albion? I don't think believing in an "Imaginary Friend" counts.
Cry Me A River wrote:Ah! You are right, they are wrong. But you're not arrogant? Well, I am a person of faith, with seven years of higher education, so statistically I am probably 'smarter' than you. But I don't go around telling you that you are a 'nut' because you think differently to me. I wouldn't be that arrogant. I respect your beliefs, even if I don't agree with them. Your "false hope anyone?" comment does suggest to me, however, that you have no real understanding of Christians or what motivates them.
Juan Albion wrote:Nope, just a non-deluded citizen capable of seeing the Church for what it is; a brainwashing, money-grabbing establishment no better than a piece of gum on the street. False hope anyone?Cry Me A River wrote:You are an arrogant person, aren't you.ABC1 wrote: Were you aware that the total number of people attending church on Sunday is greater than the total number of people attending a weeks football league matches?Where you aware that those people going to Church would be much better off if they had a lie-in on Sunday morning? Also, Brighton doesn't need anymore religious nuts... Or any more nuts, actually...
quedula
says...
4:28pm Fri 8 May 09
Security Word Huge-Plan.
;-)
Pebbles
says...
5:49pm Fri 8 May 09
TheInsider
says...
6:07pm Fri 8 May 09
Acheron
says...
6:27pm Fri 8 May 09
quedula
says...
6:37pm Fri 8 May 09
Acheron wrote:Very few choose to become religious as adults. People are religious because they were indoctrinated when they were young
There's no point arguing against those who are anti-religion. Most are as zealous (if not more) than those who have a faith. Oddly they throw out accusations of brain-washing but don't want people to have the right to choose. Still thats a different matter totally. ;-)
wardth
says...
9:44am Sat 9 May 09
Also the Church of England is not exactly poor as somebody has already pointed out and this whole fiasco simply needn't have happened in the first place if they'd dipped into their own pocket rather than appealling to the weak minded for funds.
I am slightly worred by the level of vitrol in the various comments though. Just goes to shown how nasty minded some people can be!
Cry Me A River
says...
9:57am Sat 9 May 09
Juan Albion wrote:'smarter' or 'more intelligent'? there is a difference. and i can only assume that if you needed seven years of higher education that you are either a doctor, a vet, or had to retake several years... and if you are a doctor or a vet, you would know that medicine and science prevails over religion and false hope (prayer). which would not make you very 'smart' at all, seeing as worshiping something that doesn't exist is very very ill-educated.
Cry Me A River wrote:Ah! You are right, they are wrong. But you're not arrogant? Well, I am a person of faith, with seven years of higher education, so statistically I am probably 'smarter' than you. But I don't go around telling you that you are a 'nut' because you think differently to me. I wouldn't be that arrogant. I respect your beliefs, even if I don't agree with them. Your "false hope anyone?" comment does suggest to me, however, that you have no real understanding of Christians or what motivates them.
Juan Albion wrote:Nope, just a non-deluded citizen capable of seeing the Church for what it is; a brainwashing, money-grabbing establishment no better than a piece of gum on the street. False hope anyone?Cry Me A River wrote:You are an arrogant person, aren't you.ABC1 wrote: Were you aware that the total number of people attending church on Sunday is greater than the total number of people attending a weeks football league matches?Where you aware that those people going to Church would be much better off if they had a lie-in on Sunday morning? Also, Brighton doesn't need anymore religious nuts... Or any more nuts, actually...
quedula says...
12:07pm Fri 8 May 09