REBUILDING COVENTRY CATHEDRAL

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume 35, Issue 5, 1 July 1944, Page 8

REBUILDING COVENTRY CATHEDRAL

Co-operation of Free Churches

A remarkable bid for Anglican and Free Church fellowship is embodied m a scheme, just announced for rebuilding Coventry Cathedral oh novel lines after the war;. As an essential part of the scheme, but outside the" cathedral itself, there will be an inter- denominational . Christian . Centre, with its own chapel adjoining the cathedral, and through this centre the Anglican and Free Church leaders will co-operate m joint work to serve the whole community. The scheme has been approved by the Cathedra! Council and by the Coventry Free Church Federal Council. The architect is Sir Giles .. Gilbert Scott and the plan includes a church with a central altar. N The existing tower and apse which have survived destructions will, ,be incorporated m the, scheme, sc!me details of which are dependent on the agreement of the City Council to the sale of a small portion of the site whiclris at present the property of the city. It is not proposed to issue any formal appeal at present or, indeed, until after the war. • . Christian Value of a Cathedral. In the course of a statement on the proposals, the Bishop of Coventry 'says: ■ • v "Now that the plans for the rebuilding of our cathedral have begun to take shape I want to explain to the people of Coventry and its diocese what these plans are and why we have made them. This is what we propose: (i.) To rebuild the cathedral as the central church of the diocese. The cathedral itself will naturally belong to the Church of .England, which will have the sole control of its services, (ii.) To build as an essential part of the cathedral scheme a Christian centre of service to the .community. (iiL) To set up an endowment fund to staff both cathedral and Christian centre. v (iy.) The Free Churches to be invited to a full partnership m the Christian centre with a pooling of resources m its staff personnel. ( v.) A special Chapel of Unity attached to the fabric of the cathedral would connect the cathedral itself with the Christian centre. This chapel, as a/ building and a place of worship, would belong to the Free Churches and the Anglicans together. "When the time comes to ask for your support there will be no earmarking of gifts to endowment or-

fabric m separation. If you dd not believe m the Christian value and work of a cathedral we do riot want the gift. The scheme is integral. "Sir Giles Scott's plan is the work of one of the great architects of England at the mature height of his power. He has designed the church round the central altar, m which the religious significance of the building lies/ This is not a crank idear It goes back to the. very, earliest days of the Christian Church, and it w«uld make the cathedral m its plan' ah expression of the best modern theology and ideas of Christian Liturgy of the' present day.' Fellowship of Brothers and Sisters. "The "altar is the symbol of the sacrifice of Christ for the world. Christians are drawn by .that sacrrifice to. offer themselves to Christ as they kneel round the altar. But that altar is also a table where we break the bread and drink the wine with the risen Lord, as a communion or a fellowship of brothers and sisters for whom Christ died. The altar does not belong only to the clergy; it belongs also to the people. Therefore, set it m the middle of a church and let the people gather round it. "Our business, then, is to go out from there as a fellowship to witness to God's truth and and give Christian service to others. That is the ideal we want this cathedral to stand for. That is why, connected with the cathedral m its worship, we want a Christian centre of . service for the needs of Coventry and its diocese."