While the Church of England nationally is anguishing over whether a gay Bishop should be appointed, more fundamental matters are being debated in Sussex.

There are simply too many churches in Brighton and Hove.

In Victorian times, when most of the churches were built, it was the norm to worship on Sunday. Now only two per cent of the population does so and congregations are ageing.

It costs an enormous amount of money to keep the churches - many of which are architectural treasures - in order and a tidy sum to staff them with clergy. The game is plainly not worth the ecclesiastical candle.

The surprise is not that a report is now recommending the wholesale closure of churches in Brighton and Hove but that so many remain open.

Great and grand buildings with the capacity to hold perhaps a thousand people often have only a few dozen rattling around the pews.

Among the churches in dire need of attention is St Peter's, the lovely creation of Sir Charles Barry slap bang in the middle of Brighton.

It would cost £2.5 million to repair this building, a sum totally beyond the congregation of perhaps 100 people, and another £2 million for a part conversion into a community building.

It would only remain as a place of worship if the congregation of St Luke's were transferred there.

That would not be popular in the Prestonville area but in the best interests of Brighton it's a sensible suggestion.

St Martin's Church, in Lewes Road, is one of the largest and finest in the whole of southern England. But it has just 40 people in its regular congregation and there is no way that can be considered viable.

All Saints in Hove, which some people believe is an even finer building than St Peter's, also needs a lot of money spent on it, perhaps £1.5 million. Once again, this cannot be justified unless far more intensive use is made of the building.

There may be no future at all for all sorts of other churches which have tried to serve the community for many years. They include St Philip's in New Church Road and Holy Trinity in Blatchington Road.

Doubtless there will be strong opposition to these plans, particularly from the congregations affected.

Their numbers may be small but their faith will not waver and many of the more elderly may find it hard to reach other churches, even if they are only a few hundred yards away.

But there is little doubt the deed will have to be done.

After that comes the ticklish question of what should happen to the redundant buildings. In some cases, they could remain but be given new uses and in others they could be demolished.

The Church of England in the Chichester diocese has a good record in this respect. The partial conversion of St Patrick's in Cambridge Road, Hove, into a centre for the homeless has been a huge success.

In Elm Grove, Brighton, the art deco building of St Wildrid's has been converted into housing without losing either the amazing mural inside or the broad shape of the building.

St Andrew's in Portslade is about to become mainly a community centre, following on the lines of St John's, which has become the focal point for Palmeira Square.

While some worshippers may consider the closures a tragedy, they should be regarded as a challenge which will revive the Church in the city.

That is certainly the way in which the review team regarded it.

Faced with all these changes, the matter of whether the new Bishop of Reading happens to be gay or not fades into utter insignificance.