Diocese of Wakefield hopes to Learn Lessons from Priest Idol

The Diocese of Wakefield is hoping that its churches will reap the same fruits of success as the congregation at the centre of last year's controversial Channel 4 series "Priest Idol", with a new DVD and resources.

Priest Idol, broadcast last autumn, followed the year-long struggle of Fr James McCaskill as he battled to save St Mary Magdalene Church, at the heart of the former mining village of Lundwood, Barnsley, from closure.

With the help of marketing company Propoganda and a special Turnaround Team, Fr James and his tiny congregation of around 12 people encouraged people to return to church - and with remarkable success. Today St Mary's has between 70 and 100 worshippers on Sunday mornings.

The show has now been released on DVD, accompanied by special study notes downloadable from the net, and the Diocese of Wakefield is hoping that the series can help churches across the diocese to experience the same turnaround success in their congregations.

"Lots of people throughout the diocese and all over the country have been asking 'what's the secret of Lundwood's success?" said Archdeacon Jonathan Greener, who featured alongside Fr James in the programme.

"We decided to produce the DVDs and notes in the hope that other churches can benefit from our experience."

The Priest Idol package is designed to be used as six half-hour sessions of watching a programme, followed by discussion guided by the notes. The set of two DVDs can be ordered from Rita Peacock, Church House, Wakefield - call 01924 371802, price £16, which includes P & P.

The study notes can be downloaded from www.priestidol.com.