Wales Church to Hold 'Dr Who' Service

A Cardiff church is set to host a 'Doctor Who' communion service aimed at rousing the interest of younger congregants.

St Paul's Church in Grangetown, Cardiff, will conduct the "cafe-style" service for people in their teens and early 20s, and will feature music and clips from the hit television show.

One of the organisers Fr Dean Atkins, said the church would use parallels with the way Doctor Who is portrayed, pointing out that the series held him up as "almost a Messiah figure".

Fr Atkins, youth officer with the Diocese of Llandaff, was quoted by the BBC as saying: "In the series there are lots of references to salvation and the doctor being almost immortal.

"We are using the figure of Doctor Who as a parable of Christ."

The language used in the series is also another helpful link in the church exploring the Christian faith, he said.

He added: "Christ is a kind of cosmic figure as well if you like, somebody who does not travel through time but all eternity is found in him.

"He is a kind of encapsulation of the beginning and the end, in fact he existed before time began and he will exist when time ends."

Parish priest Fr Ben Andrews told the BBC: "I love the series and it has such a great following that we couldn't resist doing something for young people on a Doctor Who theme.

"Lots of people think that young people are the future of the church.

"This kind of event will show they are part of the church of the present and have an important part to play in its future. We are building on the past but always looking forward."

The service takes place on 23 September at 1830 BST.