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Transcript/ScriptBRITAIN CHURCHES
HEADLINE: As Closings Continue, Britain’s Church Buildings find New Purpose
TEASER: With more than 2,000 churches closed over the last decade, buildings survive with alternative, nonreligious uses
PUBLISHED AT: 11/30/2023 at 3:15pm
BYLINE: Umberto Aguiar
DATELINE: LONDON
VIDEOGRAPHER: Umberto Aguiar
VIDEO EDITOR: Umberto Aguiar
SCRIPT EDITORS: LR, Steve Hirsch
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA ORIGINAL, APTN
PLATFORMS: WEB AND TV
TRT: 3:11
VID APPROVED BY: MAS
TYPE: TV PKG
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO)) [[More than 2,000 of Britain’s churches of several denominations have closed in the last decade. The buildings have in many cases been demolished, but as Umberto Aguiar reports from London, some are finding new life and used for purposes other than religion. Marcus Harton narrates.]]
((NARRATOR))
The Church of St Bartholomew the Great is the oldest parish church in London and is celebrating its 900th year.
But churches like this one are becoming rare in Britain. Two thousand churches of several denominations have closed here in the last decade.
Despite a bounceback after the COVID-19 pandemic, church attendance remains in decline in Britain, with research showing a fourth of Anglican churches are no longer holding weekly services. Only 6% of British adults identify themselves as practicing Christians.
[[RADIO VERSION: Father Marcus Walker is rector at the Church of St. Bartholomew the Great.]]
((Father Marcus Walker, Rector Church of St. Bartholomew the Great - MALE IN ENGLISH - VOA ORIGINAL))
“There are many reasons why churches are closing down. Part of that is the collapse in faith that has occurred across Western Europe and now the United States.”
((NARRATOR))
((Mandatory courtesy: John Pladdys))
Many closed church buildings are converted to other uses. This church
((end courtesy))
...in the main financial district of London is now a garden.
((NARRATOR))
Autumn leaves fall where there used to be stained glass with religious artwork and an open sky is visible where there used to be a roof.
The bells of the church are now at a winery in California. A recording echoes their sound in the past.
((NATS, CHURCH BELLS RINGING))
((Father Marcus Walker, Rector, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great - MALE IN ENGLISH - VOA ORIGINAL))
“When a church stops being used for its primary purpose for the worship of God it’s a tragedy. And with that comes a loss for a community of the shared space where memory is held.”
((NARRATOR))
In central London’s Mayfair neighborhood, the Mercato Metropolitano, an upscale food market, now occupies the building which was once informally known as the American church because Americans prayed there during World War II and is near what was then the U.S. Embassy.
[[RADIO VERSION: Andrea Rasca is the Mercato Metropolitano’s CEO.]]
((Andrea Rasca, Mercato Metropolitano CEO - MALE IN ENGLISH))
“There are lots of churches closing. We should find a new use for this kind of churches, and this is what we are trying to create here.”
((NARRATOR))
Rasca says the Mercato empowers refugees, women entrepreneurs - people from all over the world - who come to share their cultures in London.
[[RADIO VERSION: Rasca speaks of the battle to give the building a new and meaningful use.]]
((Andrea Rasca, Mercato Metropolitano CEO - MALE IN ENGLISH))
“We managed to convince the landlord to keep this space for cooking classes, for music classes to kids of the local area or for elder people who want to have a place where to play cards.”
((NARRATOR))
As church attendance declines in some of Britain’s denominations, others are seeing a modest rise, as is the case of some Catholic churches such as this one at Our Lady of Victories, destroyed during the war, and rebuilt in 1958, often filled for Sunday Mass.
((For Umberto Aguiar in London, Marcus Harton, VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
For Umberto Aguiar in London
Embargo DateNovember 30, 2023 16:54 EST
Byline
Marcus Harton, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
