Save our Parsonages
Sales of old rectories and vicarages have continued unabated, with the result that the historic parsonage still in church use is an endangered species.
'Save our Parsonages' is a new support group to safeguard some of the Church of England's most precious assets and to give voice to the rising tide of feeling amongst both laity and clergy that it is time to re-evaluate the role of the historic parsonage in community life.
The efforts made by parishes all over the country to maintain their churches are rarely matched by the will to support parsonages since these are considered to be outside parishioners' control. Yet these houses are often of considerable merit and are resonant with their local history; their loss invariably impoverishes a parish. Some are as much a part of ecclesiastical heritage as the churches.
Official policy generally maintains that the rectory or vicarage should serve simply as the parson's home, but in practice it is almost always more a focal point for parish life, with a greater part of the church ministry taking place there than in the church itself.
As a meeting place for small groups the parsonage has never been superseded by the parish hall, even where this exists, and in many cases it is used for larger gatherings such as garden fetes, money-raising events and youth-clubs. Whole parish communities feel at home there. The spacious rooms of older parsonages are ideal for parish activities; in the new generation of smaller houses these can cause severe disruption to the private life of a parson's family. Large parsonage gardens are equally precious to the community. When not required for the sole use of the incumbents, parishioners who are themselves short of garden space are often happy to share in cultivating them. Those in built up areas have added green corridors and havens for wildlife. The economic argument in favour of retaining historic parsonages within the church's ownership is overwhelming. Short term gains from sales can never make up for the long-term depletion of the church's architectural stock. These high quality buildings offer flexibility - they often lend themselves to judicious division into a home for the priest and self-contained accommodation for parish activities or for letting. Used intelligently and kept in good repair they need not be expensive to maintain. They have not been treated as liabilities. The idea that many parsonages are myth today's - many clergy particularly prefer to live among the younger generation, welcome the chance to live in a traditional rectory or vicarage. Not every clergy family is a nuclear one and it is important that the church continues to provide the diversity of housing to suit the needs of a richly varied ministry. For many, the spacious setting of an old house is the best environment for fostering the informal and trusting relationship between priest and people.
The historic new group 'Save our Parsonages' that have been preparing a register and is supporting the efforts of clergy and parishioners where they are threatened. Above all they hope to promote a new and positive approach to these jewels in the church's treasury.
If you would like to support their efforts they will be delighted to hear from you. They are looking for volunteers to help them with their survey of the remaining historic parsonages and would like to hear of past parish campaigns to retain vicarages.