Archbishop's post office suggestion
SETTING up post offices in churches could be a new way of generating much-needed funds, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury when he was in Magdalen on Saturday.
Dr Rowan Williams said some churches were struggling with finances and felt the idea of using the church for additional purposes, such as a post office or a centre for language teaching, was worth investigating.
Dr Williams was at Magdalen because he wanted to compare the approach of churchgoers in an agricultural community with those of a city and he spent an hour at St Mary Magdalene Church where the flags had been put out to greet him.
Dr Williams' visit was part of a two-day trip to the Diocese of Ely to mark the launch of its 900th anniversary.
Magdalen is part of the east Marshland benefice which also includes Tilney All Saints, Tilney St Lawrence, Terrington St John and St Germans and he spent several minutes looking at various displays from each as well as talking to parishioners.
Vicar the Rev Diana Penny told the packed church the benefice faced many challenges such as costs and the lack of some facilities.
People had to take on multiple roles, she said, adding that the community was trying to set up a Friends of Churches group to boost funding, including from those who were not necessarily regular churchgoers.
In reply, Dr Williams said congregations were "not getting any younger" and recognised it was difficult to get initiatives going which needed volunteers.
But he was "amazed" how much was going on, including the St Germans' Y-Club Christian youth group, calling the level of activities astonishing.
The Archbishop said communities needed somewhere that was everybody's and the church was everybody's place. The degree of gratitude and appreciation there was for friendship should not be underestimated.
The church is currently undergoing 255,000 worth of repairs including to its south aisle and nave, with some of the money coming from fundraising.
He prayed for the local community and took questions before leaving to applause and bells for a service at Ely Cathedral.
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Weather for King's Lynn
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
