When the church and society have a falling out

Published: 12 November, 2010

• I AM a lifetime member of The Soho Society and have greatly appreciated its efforts in defending the integrity of historic buildings and the unique ambience of the neighbourhood. 

As a result, I was alarmed and distressed when I found out that St Anne’s Church and the society have had a serious falling out that threatens their relationship. 

It is difficult to see what the problem is as far as the society is concerned. 

It seems to me that the church has tried hard to be fair and accommodating. Yes, it served notice on the society to quit its present office but in return offered a room free of charge in an annex – not in a corridor as stated in one of the letters I have read. 

I can only assume that the society’s objections are based on the new space offered being somehow less congenial than their present office, because the price is obviously right. 

As officers of the society only make occasional and brief use of their present space, I honestly can’t see why they are making such a fuss. 

It’s common knowledge that the Church of England has been struggling to maintain the fabric of their buildings and the salaries of their priests and officers for some years now. 

This is due to diminishing congregations putting less and less cash into collection plates, a state of affairs that is not peculiar to St Anne’s.

What nobody at the society who has publicly aired their views seems to grasp is that if the Church cannot generate enough income from its assets to maintain St Anne’s, Soho will lose its much-loved and very necessary parish church forever, and that the Soho Society will be rendered completely homeless when the valuable buildings are sold to the highest bidder, a fate that has befallen many a church over recent years. 

PIP GRANGER
Address supplied