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  1. #21
    Sheep
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    Hey,
    Our church is locked when not in use. Though I'm pretty sure that the Chapel opposite us keeps their doors open. Its quite annoying when you turn up at the church for an organisation and the doors are locked and you find yourself sitting on the doorstep for an hour because nobody answers at the rectory... happened to me a couple of times. Keeping the doors locked doesn't necessarily keep vandals away either. Our church was set on fire when i was about eight and the sevices where held in the church hall for about 6 months until the damage was repared. That church has been sitting there since 1600s, was made into a cathedral in 1800s and it only recently was purposely damaged. How well does that reflect on society today?

  2. #22
    Stephen M. Kohler
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    Keep them unlocked!

    I grew up north of Boston, Massachusetts. In my teenage years in the late 1960s and early 1970s I frequently made my way home from the library, DeMolay meetings, and work at night on foot. In winter months I walked by way of the most churches because in the rain or snow I could stop and warm up in the foyers. If it were not for unlocked churches those years might have been made miserable.

    Not many years ago while stationed in Tallahassee, Florida and assigned to the 160th Military Police I was asked by a Episcopal priest/friend to perform a security evaluation of his parish because thieves had entered a rectory one night and made off with audio equipment and musical instruments. While working on the evaluation in the evenings I discovered members of the youth group handing stolen items out a window. My only recommendations to the pastor were, “Leave the doors unlocked,” “Approach the boys quietly and directly ask for the property back or seek compensation through their parents,” and, “Teach the youth group leader how to supervise teenage children”.

    Fortunately my military vocation allows me to spend time on Army posts and installations where there are still unlocked churches. The chapel at Harmony Church on Fort Benning, Georgia is not used anymore except for an occasional family gathering or wedding. It was always a favorite place for me to get away and pray.

    There are four old rural Episcopal chapels in the Johnston County, South Carolina parish that my wife and I visit every so often when visiting relatives down that way. They are always unlocked.

    /R

    Stephen

  3. #23
    Haggis
    Guest

    Default This is a toughy ...

    The highly estimable Simon Jenkins, in the preface to his excellent '1000 Best Churches' said he had to rule out several contenders, reluctantly, because despite best efforts he just couldn't gain access. In one case he was brusquely told by a churchwarden or some such deeply Christian gentleman 'I wouldn't let you in even if I had the key'.

    On the other hand one cannot argue with my local incumbent, a feisty lady, who reminds us forcefully that her fundamental job is to minister to her flock, and that she is not primarily a guardian of an historically interesting building with beautiful and valuable artifacts. So, in the absence of the 'dear old lady' referred to previously, what is to be done?

  4. #24
    Guy Etchells
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Haggis
    snip
    On the other hand one cannot argue with my local incumbent, a feisty lady, who reminds us forcefully that her fundamental job is to minister to her flock, and that she is not primarily a guardian of an historically interesting building with beautiful and valuable artifacts. So, in the absence of the 'dear old lady' referred to previously, what is to be done?
    I would remind that feisty lady that the reason for the church is to facilitate worship and not to act as a museum for interesting and valuable artifacts.
    Far better a bare church with tubular seating than a richly endowed church that remains locked.
    Cheers
    Guy

  5. #25
    Stephen M. Kohler
    Guest

    Default My God

    Quote Originally Posted by Guy Etchells
    I would remind that feisty lady that the reason for the church is to facilitate worship and not to act as a museum for interesting and valuable artifacts.
    Far better a bare church with tubular seating than a richly endowed church that remains locked.
    Cheers
    Guy
    Aye, Guy! Agreed! Makes me want to belt out the lyrics to Jethro Tull's "My God". Sell the artifacts, crystal flower vases, the brass candelabras, and the velveteen robes and donate the proceeds to a worthy cause. The four Episcopal churches in Johnston County, South Carolina, and Harmony Church, Fort Benning are all wooden structures built from trees felled in the local forests. The wooden pulpits and the wooden pews are nailed to the floors. There are wooden crosses nailed to the walls. The only things not nailed down are the field mice peeping out from the corners. That's just the kind of place my God hangs out!

    /R

    Stephen
    Washington, DC

  6. #26
    waspexile
    Guest

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    I'm delighted to say that my parents were able to visit the 1880 church at Northington (near Winchester) which was open on a totally deserted Monday afternoon (on a trip back from the IOW) to pay their respects to my gggg grandparents and ggg grandfather who are buried in the old churchyard, and whose gravestone is still there.

    Well done to whoever helps look after the church.

  7. #27
    A fountain of knowledge.
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Surrey, UK
    Posts
    363

    Wink

    Every year (several times a year) we stayed at Brothertoft, near Boston, Lincs, and throughout my early years the church door was unlocked. It was always with glee that we would sit and gaze at the altar from the balcony, and enjoy the peace, whilst mum and dad busied themselves preparing flowers for the family graves. In later years, however, the door remains firmly locked. I guess the vicarage holds the key, we went once to ask for it, but no one was home. These days we dont bother to try, just pay respects at the graveside and leave.
    Boston Stump (St Botolphs) is another matter. We have always found its door unlocked and were free to roam about looking at all the many artifacts and even climbing the old church tower, and viewing the town from 145 feet up. I used to take my cousins up there (typical really, they lived there and never went up there unless I took em ) even today, the church is always open during daylight hours.

  8. #28
    A fountain of knowledge.
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    When I began looking for my ancestors, I began to realise just how often churches were being locked these days. Hogsthorpe Church was open, but disappointing as they had uprooted all the gravestones and "helpfully" displayed them around the walls. grrr.
    Bilsby Church was fabulous, a lovely peaceful little church with its doors open, in a churchyard containing the gravestones of my ggg grandparents.
    At South Thoresby, my parents went MI hunting, and ended up in conversation with the people minding the church, who at a rare absolutely no charge, allowed mum and dad to ferret about in the church records and they then proceeded to photocopy details and give them to my parents. I bet that doesnt happen very often these days!. Incidentally, the church still has a witch-cover over the font.

  9. #29
    A fountain of knowledge.
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    The best one though, has to be Swaby. Here we went to look at the real roots of the family, back in the 1600s, and here we found that the present church was the third on the site. No joy there we thought. Wrong, the local vicar was present and actually showed them a small silver chalice which was presented to the church in 1664, and chances were that my ancestors drank from the cup at communion. He graciously allowed us to photograph it. Overall, I cant praise Lincs churches highly enough.

    As to the question, should they be locked? I wish that we still lived in a world where doors didnt have to be locked, but I feel that it would be all too likely that vandalism and/or theft would take place. It certainly would be lovely to see them open during daylight hours, thats for sure.

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