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doctrinal objection to the same service being repeated several times

on the same day
(C4)
which could provide a means for a small church to

cater for a large congregation. The biggest single expense seems to

be heating and lighting. So poorly presented are parish accounts a

precise figure for the Diocese as a whole is difficult to calculate,

but from the 1976 accounts, the Diocesan Secretary made a 'guesstimate'

of £100,000 (with a further £80,000 on maintenance) for his own study
(B14)
.

If this be so then there is a prima facie managerial case (we must for

the moment ignore the emotive aspect, important though that is, else

we shall obscure the financial theme) for encouraging parishes who at

certain times have low congregations to combine those congregations

and use only one building rather than two or three. This would produce

an improved net cash flow and is another point we may find useful in

constructing our allocation system.

         Usage for purposes other than worship (an obvious line of thought

if increased usage is desired) is nothing new
(P2)
but it does come up

against problems such as psychological reluctance
(C7)
; that any request

for payment to enter a church, e.g. for a concert, cannot be enforced
(C4)
;

and that if carried too far may lose the church its privilege of being

rate exempt
(C4)
. Where that point would come is uncertain, although

there are cases within the Diocese of rated commercial premises being

used for worship
(T1)
, and therefore, presumably, available for the

Church to use for secular revenue-producing purposes at other times,

no-one has worked out the break-even between the extremes. Although

even where it is possible we are still faced with the question of

commercial viability, a 'Theatre Roundabout' held in the Cathedral

only "broke even"
(C4)
and a suggestion of an exhibition of church plate

- much of which at the moment is stored in bank vaults because no-one

can think of anything better - looks like being judged a non-starter
(C4)


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