Strong: burn pews and save churches
Richard Brooks, Arts Editor
From The Sunday Times
April 15, 2007

THE architectural historian and committed Anglican Sir Roy Strong has proposed a drastic solution to the problem of tiny congregations in country churches: burn the pews and share the buildings with community centres and farmers’ markets.

“It’s unreal for many of these churches to continue,” said Strong, who is high bailiff of Westminster Abbey. “They have these so-called untouchable brown wooden pews. But why not rip them out and burn them?”

His call comes as the Anglican authorities ease procedures for buildings to be given other uses — post offices are to open in two village churches next month.

Strong, a former director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, puts forward his arguments in a book to be published by Jonathan Cape in September. the rest