The church costs £1,000 per month to keep open, says the Church in Wales, on top of needed repairs Parishioners at a church in Rhondda Cynon Taf are staging a sit-in in protest at its closure.
The final service was held at All Saints in Maerdy on Sunday.
The protesters said they plan to stay for for three days and nights to try to persuade the authorities to grant a year’s grace.
The Church in Wales said All Saints, which opened in 1885, needs £250,000 of repairs and must be sold, with services moved to a community centre.
RCT councillor Gerwyn Evans, an All Saints parishioner who is taking part in the protest, said he thought the building was “too good to lose”.
The protesters had a rota for about half a dozen people to be at the church day and night to hold prayer vigils, he said.
‘Not the only option’
“I think they should have explored every avenue to keep the church open and I don’t think they have.”
Gerywn Evans Councillor
They would also ring the church bell every hour until 2100 BST each evening to show that the community wanted to keep the church, said Mr Evans.
“We feel that we haven’t had the ability to put our views across. There’s a wide group of people in Maerdy who say they want the church.
“We believe it has still got a future in Maerdy. The church was full this morning.
“I just feel that closure was not the only option. I think they should have explored every avenue to keep the church open and I don’t think they have.”
A public meeting last week in support of keeping the church open attracted up to 100 people.
‘Matter of practicality’
“It wasn’t a decision that was taken lightly – it had been discussed many times over the years by the congregation but no alternative to closure was found in tim”
Archbishop Barry Morgan
Barbara Daniel, People’s Warden of the Benefice of Rhondda Fach Isaf, said the congregation was not consulted about moving services to the community centre.
She said: “I know the community centre is a fine building and everything, but it’s not a church.
“We don’t mind going in to the community centre if they will allow us to do work on the church.”
“It’s such a beautiful church. It’s a real shame it has come to this.”
The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, has previously said the closure has been long-discussed and no alternative has been found.
He said: “It wasn’t a decision that was taken lightly – it had been discussed many times over the years by the congregation but no alternative to closure was found in time.
“it is simply a matter of practicality and pooling our resources together to ensure that a worshipping community can continue in Maerdy.
“I think, therefore, it was the right decision to make.”
The Church in Wales said the building would be put up for sale once the closure was complete.
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