Could your church be a Festival Church?

Focus on Festivals

‘No-one benefits from a closed church’ – how the Church of England’s Festival Church concept is taking root

Rural church has a distinct problem – historic, old church buildings seeing smaller congregations, and clergy spread over greater distances. Some remote churches remain at risk of being shuttered and a home for wildlife.

Faced with deconsecrations, benefices have sought an alternative – the ‘festival’ church. To support the concept, the Association of Festival Churches was established in 2020, out of the Church Buildings Council. The former agriculture minister Sir Tony Baldry (pictured) is leading the group which has met three times and will advise parishes on adopting the model. Alhough not used for regular services, Festival Churches remain consecrated and can be used as venues for occasions and community events. With a flexible service pattern the buildings can be better attuned to seasonal and community needs. Sir Tony said: “A closed church seems something of a contradiction in terms. no one benefits from a closed church. Closing a church building may relieve the PCC of the responsibility of maintenance of that building, but the liability immediately passes to the diocesan board of finance, which passes to the Church Commissioners.

“The Commissioners find it extremely difficult finding other uses for closed rural churches, which are often Grade I or Grade II listed, and there is a limited capacity for the Churches Conservation Trust to take on responsibility for many more parish churches.

“Festival churches are a way to keep as many churches as possible as places of worship, and sacred spaces, raising enough money each year for basic maintenance and upkeep, and seeking to involve the wider community in helping to maintain what would very often be the oldest building in their community, and one that is of significant historic and heritage value.”

Having stepped down as chair of the Church Buildings Council, Sir Tony added that recent changes in canon law will allow more Festival Churches to be created without complex legal hurdles and without a firm time limit.

Festival Churches host services at Christmas and Easter, in addition to Remembrance and Agricultural Festivals. Community events such as fairs and beer festivals also bring in the wider community. The Association’s guidance highlights churches in this model are still open, functioning and not ‘mothballed’ by another name. The Church Buildings Review in the Anglican ‘reform and renewal’ program led to support for the idea being set up by Lambeth Palace. Guidance adds that ‘festival Churches are intended to be fully open and sustainable, but especially socially open, presenting a view of churches as social hubs and centres of communities. Church of England churches belong to everyone in the parish, not just the worshipping congregation.

For more details on joining the Association of Festival Churches, visit afchurches.org. The Arthur Rank Centre provides a comprehensive guide on using rural church buildings at arthurrankcentre.org.uk/church-life.