UK Ruling: Historic Church to Remain House of Worship

CBN News ^ | 12-29-2009 | Dale Hurd

[johnnyd0422]

LONDON, England - A London planning commission recently ruled that a London developer cannot turn St. Marks Church into a women's wellness center.

In the 1800s, the Anglican Church, located in the Mayfair district on London's West End, echoed the sermons of some of Britain's great preachers. It was also the church where Supreme Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower and his staff worshipped during World War II.

...

Commonwealth Church became a vital part of Mayfair, meeting the needs of the poor and elderly.

But last year Commonwealth was evicted from St. Marks by the Church of England so that the building could be sold to raise cash.

A fence was put up shortly after Commonwealth was evicted. It was intended to keep out the homeless - the very people Commonwealth was trying to serve.

...

Kirk Mitchell, who said he is not a Christian, headed the effort.

"The developer who wanted to buy St. Marks had already turned one historic London church, Holy Trinity, into a so-called "events center" where a recent art exhibition featured Christ in an electric chair, a gorilla on the cross and a levitating head of John the Baptist," Mitchell told CBN News.

"And a few months ago," he continued. "After St. Marks had had a fence around it to keep out the poor, it was opened up to the rich for this fashion show."

...

[esquirette]

Muslims love the vacuum.

[padre35]

Sad really, the Church of Enlgand has little spark left in it and will sooner or later merely be a pittance of what it once was, the same COE that CS Lewis in attendance being evicted for the creation of a woman’s aerobics gym or “Wellness” center is ironic.

Shouldn’t Christ offer wellness in a church?

[GreyFriar]

appalling, but reflective of the decline of the faith and faithful. I wonder if the moslems will put in a bid for it, if it is not restricted?

[SoftwareEngineer]

Here was the most ironic sentence:

“Kirk Mitchell, who said he is not a Christian, headed the effort”

Even a non christian recognizes how important this is to the Christian faith

This is like my Sikh friends who always wish our co-workers “Merry Christmas”. I once asked them why they say that instead of the PC “Happy Holidays”

My Sikh friend replied that he believed in God and while he and the Christians may disagree with the description of God he would rather have God acknowledged every time he greeted someone than acknowledge time off (vacation)

So men of faith, whether you are Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh or Hindu, please stand up for God in our lives. All of the above 5 faiths are broadly peace loving and can co-exist with each other. We must together fight the forces of militant atheists and militant islam

[HarleyD]

But the Mayfair community rallied behind them, creating a public campaign to fight the sale of St. Marks. Kirk Mitchell, who said he is not a Christian, headed the effort.

It's really is sad when a non-Christian has to head an effort to save a church.

[urroner]

I went to Boston for the first time last summer and did many of the touristy things, including visiting the Old North Church.

I was very surprised and delighted when I was informed that there was still a practicing congregation in the church.

[zot]

Thanks for the ping. The decay of Christianity in England is accelerating but it has been declining for a long time. St. Marks was abandoned in the 1970s.

[onedoug]

islamayfair