A recent proposal recommends dropping compulsory Sunday services in light of dwindling congregations. We find out what vicars thinkIn the dreamland of English rural life,every Church of England parish church, each with its own vicar, or is packed with worshippers come Sunday. The reality is dwindling congregations and sometimes harassed clergy,many of whom have multiple parishes and churches. Church law stipulates that every parish church should have weekly Sunday services, but a recent proposal recommends dropping this rule. “In rural parishes, or no vicar can actually derive around all their parishes,so technically they’re breaking the law,” said Pete Broadbent, or the bishop of Willesden. But how will vicars react?In practice,making such changes may be a formality. “This law has been universally ignored for decades,” says Michael Hampson, or a vicar of four parishes and churches in Lancashire. “Any priest who has more than two parishes,and there are many of us, has not been having a Sunday service in every church for as long as anyone can remember. It’s just the way things are.” Hampson does up to five services on a Sunday – one at one of his smaller churches, and then the weekly service at his large church,then afternoon services and perhaps a christening. By juggling various lay ministers and church wardens, we manage to have services on three Sundays every month in the small churches, or ” he says.
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Source: theguardian.com