Church in Wales Supports European Heritage Days

|TOP|The Church in Wales has come out in full support of European Heritage Days by encouraging all of its member churches across the whole of Wales to participate in one or more of the days which celebrate the country’s architecture and heritage.

Churches across Wales are expected to join in the events as church congregations are encouraged to open the doors of their buildings on 9th September – part of a wider campaign to see churches open their doors to visitors and pilgrims.

More and more congregations have become too fearful to leave their doors open because of they feel it to be too great a security threat.

Evidence has suggested, however, that the real risk of leaving the church doors open is actually relatively small, particularly in comparison to the positive impact that opening church doors can have on a parish.

Ecclesiastical Insurance Group – insurers to the churches – has actually come out to encourage churches to be open on the day, advising them that thieves are as likely to be deterred by the prospect of people coming in and out of the church buildings as by a locked door.|AD|

Alex Glanville Head of Property Services for the Church in Wales said: “The open doors European Heritage Days initiative is a great venture which has now been going for several years. I am very keen, as are the Archbishop and Bishops of the Church in Wales, to encourage as many churches as possible to participate in this venture.

“I hope that having opened their doors on one or more of the weekends which make up the European Heritage Days they will then be encouraged to open their doors for longer periods of time to enable visitors and pilgrims to come into what are often very beautiful old buildings.

“I am also well aware of the mission and ministry possibilities, which opening church buildings represents, and I’m keen that our church buildings truly become signposts of the gospel.”

Commenting today John Winton, Director of Churches Tourism Network Wales said, “I am delighted that the Church in Wales is embracing this venture so enthusiastically and glad also that several churches already appear on the heritagedays.net website.

Already there are some very striking churches on the website such as St Gwyfan Church in the sea near Aberffraw.

“I hope that by September the 9th even more churches will have signed up for this great venture and it is encouraging that we have already heard of churches from all parts of Wales who are participating.

European Heritage Days are an initiative of the Council of Europe supported by the European Union and are intended as a celebration of architecture and heritage in Wales.