Saving Penshurst Church is about more than the church itself - its about saving traditional community values of 'village England'.
Too many churches have had to close their doors to the community and over recent years this unfortunate situation has become even more of a problem. Places of worship across Britain are now closing at an alarming rate.
If we ignore the signs and take no action we may find that the church will not be able to sustain itself and it may have to close!
Read below some of the newspaper articles that underline the plight of CofE churches in the UK and why the 'Friends of Penshurst Church' feel it is so important to support the need for the changes to the church now and into the future.
Please click on the headings below to open and close and read more...
Below are just three examples - there are many more…
All Saints - Hawkhurst
Developers are hoping to submit a planning application to bring this prominent roadside church back to life.
The sandstone church was built by its first vicar, Henry Anthony Jeffreys, and his sister Charlotte. It was designed by Sir George Gilbert-Scott, whose other achievements include St Pancras station and the Albert Memorial in London.
Despite local people trying to raise funds to keep it, in 1998 the Church Commissioners revealed they intended to sell the building to property developers.
Planning permission was finally granted in 2006 to convert it into seven flats. However, the building was sold on and the permission expired. The bells and organ have been removed and re-homed, although a well remains in place.
This month Faversham-based building contractor Burton Construction was working with English Heritage and hoped to submit an application to convert it into homes within weeks.
Developers told Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in August they wanted to submit a similar applicant to the 2006 plans.
Today the beautiful church of St Mary's - Chatham stands empty and boarded up!
Methodist Chapel - Faversham
Big plans were created for this little former church last year.
Still owned by the Methodist Church Tunbridge Wells circuit, it was closed in 2009 due to falling numbers.
A red-bricked chapel built in 1898 out of locally manufactured bricks, it still has stained-glass windows.
The building in Highgate Hill is crucially sited within the limits of the village, permitting development.
Planning permission was applied for to convert the one-storey chapel and its old Sunday school hall into two two-bedroomed homes.
Too many churches have had to close their doors to the community and over recent years this unfortunate situation has become even more of a problem. Places of worship across Britain are now closing at an alarming rate.
If we ignore the signs and take no action we may find that the church will not be able to sustain itself and it may have to close!
Read below some of the newspaper articles that underline the plight of CofE churches in the UK and why the 'Friends of Penshurst Church' feel it is so important to support the need for the changes to the church now and into the future.
Please click on the headings below to open and close and read more...
Telegraph Article
Extract from the Daily Telegraph dated 12 July 2011
Ageing Church of England ‘will be dead in 20 years’
The Church of England will cease to exist in 20 years, Anglican leaders warned
In the past 40 years the number of adult churchgoers has halved, while the number of children attending regular worship has declined by four-fifths.
The average age of its members is now 61 and by 2020 a “crisis” of “natural wastage” will lead to their numbers falling “through the floor”, the Church’s national assembly was told.
The warnings follow an internal report calling for an urgent national recruitment drive to attract more members.
The Rev Dr Patrick Richmond, a Synod member from Norwich, told the meeting that some projections suggested that the Church would no longer be “functionally extant” in 20 years’ time. His concern is shared by many – the question is: what is being done about it?
Clear evidence that if we don't widen the usage of this wonderful building it could shut up shop in our lifetimes.
Over the past years our church has also seen a decline in the congregation. However, we have already started to take action. Without a church building, there would be no place of worship in Penshurst. All the more reason to re-double our efforts to ‘Save Penshurst Church’ for future generations.
Ageing Church of England ‘will be dead in 20 years’
The Church of England will cease to exist in 20 years, Anglican leaders warned
In the past 40 years the number of adult churchgoers has halved, while the number of children attending regular worship has declined by four-fifths.
The average age of its members is now 61 and by 2020 a “crisis” of “natural wastage” will lead to their numbers falling “through the floor”, the Church’s national assembly was told.
The warnings follow an internal report calling for an urgent national recruitment drive to attract more members.
The Rev Dr Patrick Richmond, a Synod member from Norwich, told the meeting that some projections suggested that the Church would no longer be “functionally extant” in 20 years’ time. His concern is shared by many – the question is: what is being done about it?
Clear evidence that if we don't widen the usage of this wonderful building it could shut up shop in our lifetimes.
Over the past years our church has also seen a decline in the congregation. However, we have already started to take action. Without a church building, there would be no place of worship in Penshurst. All the more reason to re-double our efforts to ‘Save Penshurst Church’ for future generations.
The demise of some local Kent churches
Below are just three examples - there are many more…
All Saints - Hawkhurst
Developers are hoping to submit a planning application to bring this prominent roadside church back to life.
The sandstone church was built by its first vicar, Henry Anthony Jeffreys, and his sister Charlotte. It was designed by Sir George Gilbert-Scott, whose other achievements include St Pancras station and the Albert Memorial in London.
Despite local people trying to raise funds to keep it, in 1998 the Church Commissioners revealed they intended to sell the building to property developers.
Planning permission was finally granted in 2006 to convert it into seven flats. However, the building was sold on and the permission expired. The bells and organ have been removed and re-homed, although a well remains in place.
This month Faversham-based building contractor Burton Construction was working with English Heritage and hoped to submit an application to convert it into homes within weeks.
Developers told Tunbridge Wells Borough Council in August they wanted to submit a similar applicant to the 2006 plans.
Today the beautiful church of St Mary's - Chatham stands empty and boarded up!
Methodist Chapel - Faversham
Big plans were created for this little former church last year.
Still owned by the Methodist Church Tunbridge Wells circuit, it was closed in 2009 due to falling numbers.
A red-bricked chapel built in 1898 out of locally manufactured bricks, it still has stained-glass windows.
The building in Highgate Hill is crucially sited within the limits of the village, permitting development.
Planning permission was applied for to convert the one-storey chapel and its old Sunday school hall into two two-bedroomed homes.
