The five members of a historic English church that was on the brink of closure because they could not afford to cover a £750,000 repair bill are now hopeful they can keep their doors open after discovering a trove of gold coins beneath the church’s altar.
The sandstone structure of St. Wilfrid's Church in Melling, near Lancaster, England, with its stone slate roof, has stood since the 15th century, according to England’s Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission. Some remains from the building suggest the church could date back to the 1300s or earlier.
The church’s pastor, the Rev. Jane Lee, 54, told The Times that the congregation was getting ready to mark Good Friday 2026 as their last celebration of the Christian holiday in the historic building when they discovered the stash of gold coins.
“As we took the altar frontal off, the wedding kneeler was underneath, and I noticed a plastic bag sticking under it,” Lee told the publication. “When we took it out, there was a box in it with a note.”
There were a total of nine coins made by the Royal Mint in 1999 featuring an image of Britannia.
While each coin had a face value of $134 (£100), Lee said the church sold the coins for just under $40,000 (£30,000).
“We got just short of £30,000 when we sold them,” Lee said. “We were both absolutely flabbergasted. We couldn’t believe it. We both burst into tears. You know, it was just like a miracle.”
Lee said the coins had come with a note written on Salvation Army paper dated July 16, 2022, at 11 a.m.
“Hi there, I’d like to donate these nine gold Britannias to Melling church,” said the note signed by “James, servant of the living God.”
The English pastor said that while she doesn’t know the church’s mystery benefactor, two other churches in Lancashire had reported finding similar gifts in 2022, and she had no idea her church had received one either.
Lee said while parishioners have been generous in their giving, after they were hit with the bill for their roof and other parts of the building last year, they made the tough decision to end the church’s centuries-long operation.
“We have a very small congregation, though they are very generous,” Lee said. “But [last year] they said, ‘Jane, we can’t go on any longer.’ They were worried about being able to pay the insurance.”
Lee told the BBC that when they found the gold coins earlier this year, she and a lay minister were preparing for morning prayers, and her first reaction was tears because the money was "so desperately needed."
"We couldn't believe it. It was like a miracle because it's so desperately needed for the church,” she said. "We were struggling to keep our doors open.”
Proceeds from the sale can now be used as “seed” funding to apply for grants and raise more money for the repair of the church.
"For me, it's significant because we've got more community backing now to the church, whereas four years ago we would have probably just spent it on the day-to-day running of it,” Lee said of the funds. “Now it's there for a seed to get all the repairs done that need to be done."
