An Open Meeting at St Leonard's Church, Glapthorn

Every parishioner has been invited to the Open Meeting at 7.30pm on Wednesday 3rd November. The current proposals from the PCC concerning re-ordering are displayed in church and a Comments Boxhasbeen provided for those who are unable to attend the Open Meeting. All comments regarding these proposals, whether at the APCM, by letter, by email, through the Comments Box or at the Open Meeting, will be thoroughly debated by the PCC at their meeting on

16th November. If, after the PCC meeting, the PCC feel that it is right to proceed with any of the proposals, then parishioners w ill be informed and notified as to how they can be part of the Faculty Procedures. However, no decisions have yet been taken because the PCC is anxious to hear the fu ll breadth of opinion across the parish.

It is always easier not to change, but life doesn't stand still. Glapthorn village has,accordingto one retired clergyman who grew up in this area, changed more than any other village in the whole Deanery. Some change is inevitable. It's part of life. The PCC is looking at a number of possibilities that would involvesomechangeto the interior of Glapthorn Church.Nodecisionshave beentaken regarding any of these, but the possibilities include:

1. The installation of a toilet in the tower. Society has changed over the past century. Most people now have an indoor toilet in their homes because their expectations have rightly changed. Similarly, even the most historic public buildings provide toilet facilities. Many churches are happy to provide thesefacilities too for those who attend worship or come to social events. People now travel considerable distances to baptisms, weddings, funerals, family worship, school events, concerts and festivals, and are very grateful to find toilet facilities when they arrive.

2. The installation of a kitchen unit in the unobtrusive style of a wooden 'Frontal Cupboard' (often used in churches for storing the coloured seasonalAltar Frontals). It would be sited in the north-west corner of the Nave, and the pews around the unit would have to be removed to make it accessible. The provision of hospitality is a wonderful Christian tradition - from tramps calling at the Vicarage door for a bottle of tea and some sandwiches, to a glass of wine in the churchyard after the Glapthorn Summer Songs of Praise. Glapthorn is a very hospitable village. One of the regular features of Family Services at Glapthorn is the provision of tea and coffee after the service. Our sister church at Benefield has found that a simple facility for washing up has made the provision of hospitality so mucheasier.

3. The removal of the front pews on the north and south sides of the church - taking care that the old pew ends are retained and safeguarded. We are delighted that children play an important part in the life of Glapthorn Church - whether it is through Sunday Club activities, Primary School Services or Family Services - andwe are doing all we canto encourage the 'church of the future'. There is very limited space at the front of the church for children to take part in singing, music or drama. However, the additional space at the front of-the church would also be helpful at weddings and funerals, and at musical events. The pews were fitted in their present position when it wasconsidered prestigious to have asmany seats aspossible in a church building. In Leamington Spaat the end of the 19th Century, there was more seating in the town churches than there were people living in the town. Even if everyone had come to church at the same time the churches would have been only three-quarters fu ll. The same seems to have happened at Glapthorn. Even if the front pews were removed and the back pews cleared around a kitchen unit, we would still have room for over 150 people. Our average Sunday attendance is 26, which rises to about 80 plus at festival times. It is encouraging that 26 people come every Sunday because this makes us proportionally the best attended church in the Deanery - over 10% of the population coming to church. Although Oundle has a church membership of over 350, it falls a long way short of being 10% of the population. However, even if Glapthorn Church were to treble its Sunday congregation there would still be as many empty seats as full ones.

4. The repositioning of the Chancel Screen. This is perhaps the most contentious matter. The PCC recognises that people w ill have strong (and sometimes opposed) opinions about this, and so have not taken the decision lightly to include this in the raft of possibilities for the future. The screen was fitted at the beginning of the 20th Century and there is absolutely no reference to it at all in the Northamptonshire Records Office at Wootton Hall. This is surprising in that everything else, from light fittings to boilers are mentioned, it is probable that it was fitted by a Vicar who had been influenced by the 'Oxford Movement'. This 19th Century movement reverted to a medieval understanding of God by suggesting that God resides in a holy space at the east end of the church, rather than where the parishioners sit. Hence the screen. Whatever the aestheticmerits of the screen, it hasthe effect of dividing Priest from Congregationat the very point when there should be intimacy - the reminder of the Last Supper, the sacrifice of Jesus, the breaking of bread and pouring of wine, and the invitation to 'draw near with faith'. All this is currently carried out in pre-Reformation style with the Vicar out of sight.The PCC is not suggesting that the Chancel Screen is removed from the church, but rather that it is repositioned in front of the organ in place of the current curtained screen. The result would be more space, light and openness at the Chancel step, and a return to its pre-20th Century appearance.

The PCC is currently ensuring that St Leonard's Church is in a good state of repair. This is essential. Structural work always comes before anything else and that is why the PCC has done aconsiderable amount of work on windows, roof and stonework over recent years. None of the possible changes to the interior of the building would come at the expense of the basic fabric of the building. In addition to the current building work and the possible changes i have outlined, the PCC is clear that the redecoration of the church interior is well overdue.

The PCC is united in its desire to maintain an active and vibrant church community in Glapthorn against a backdrop of increasing secularism. This is not easy. The days when people attended church because 'it was the thing to do' have long gone. Church attendance across the country has been gently declining since 1918. However, the PCC is delighted that the new Brshop of ' Peterborough has made it clear that he will not be buying into the agenda of decline but will be doing all he can to ensure that the church in the Diocese grows. This remains our aim at Glapthorn.

Please come to the Open Meeting. Following some input from me, there will be a time when questions and comments can be raised, responded to and noted. All of this will form the basis of the PCC's discussions (with the Archdeacon)later in the month. The PCC is endeavouring to make this an open and transparent process and would value your presence at the Open Meeting.

Richard Ormston,

Vicar of Glapthorn