SUPERFLUOUS CITY CHURCHES

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 6 November 1933, Page 7

SUPERFLUOUS CITY CHURCHES

INDICATIONS AT LONDON. AIOYE TO CLOSE MAJORITY. 'United Preca Association—By Electrio Telegraph Copyright.) Received 2.50 p.m. to-day. LONDON, Nov. 5. Although there are 47 churches inside the boundaries of the city of London its week-end population is small and most of the churches are superfluous. A movement is afoot to close the majority of the city churches on Sunday in order to allow the clergy to assist in busier centres, but as a last effort to attract a congregation the Rev. Martyn Sanders, vicar of All Hallows in the Wall, announced he would invite questions and answer them from the pulpit. To-day the congregation consisted of four adults, 11 girl guides and three small children instead of the customary organist, choristers and woman caretaker. The latter has held her job for 35 years and can scarcely remember when a christening, marriage or burial was held at All Hallows. The vicar cast one glance at today’s congregation and immediately dropped his plan. He said afterward: “The truth is we are not needed in the city.” Nevertheless church law insists that services must be held, irrespective of attendance.