The PCC was joined at its meeting last Tuesday 26th May by Katherine Hedderley (Archdeacon of Charing Cross) and Helen Batten (from the London Diocesan Fund), who explained the LDF’s reasons for wanting to sell the existing Vicarage (St. John’s Wood House) once it is vacated, and to identify and buy a substitute property nearby.
It is fair to say that the PCC was not persuaded by these reasons. For its part, the PCC set out its own reasons why the vicarage should be retained, for the good of the mission and ministry of the parish. We have asked the Diocese for more details of their financial calculations (eg of how they have arrived at their estimate of the cost of repair and future upkeep). Once we have that, we will brief the whole parish later in June of where we are in the process.
Unfortunately, changes in church law over the last twenty years have tilted the legal balance strongly in favour of the diocese – but the churchwardens and PCC are unanimous in wanting to put as much pressure as possible on the Diocese not to proceed with the sale.
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