Nearly 900 English Churches in Danger of Falling to Ruin

Almost 900 churches in England are at risk of falling to ruin, according to a report. English Heritage named 887 churches that are in danger in the newly-released “Heritage at Risk” list. 

The organization said that many of the churches face financial problems which leads to building decay. Metal theft is also a problem, as thieves steal metal pieces of roofing, leaving holes for rain to come inside the building. 

Diana Evans of English Heritage said, "It is a challenge to morale. People run coffee mornings and gift days to replace the boiler and then find someone's stolen the lead from the roof and the money has to go on that instead.”

English Heritage has “compassion” for the problems that the churches are facing, Evans says. 

"Being on the 'at risk' register is not an accusation of failure. It's an indication that there is a building of national significance and the cost of maintaining it is way beyond the church's resources. It's a call for focused help, not a finger-pointing exercise,” she said. 

Courtesy: Religion News Service

Publication date: October 22, 2014