I am aware that over the last few weeks there have been a couple of letters in reference to the closure of  St John's Church, Coleford.  This is in response to those, but in particular to the most recent anonymous  letter published on September 20 re the suggestion of improper use of financial gifts. 

The decision to close St John's was not an easy one, but a rigorous and lengthy process was followed,  including public consultation, which looked into a wide variety of options of how to use the building in  different ways in order to keep it open. This was well reported in the local press but if anyone missed the coverage and would like further information, they  would be welcome to contact me directly. 

With regard to the £700 gift mentioned by the writer of the anonymous letter: when the PCC made the  decision, with great regret, to close St John's, the donor in question was contacted and given the  opportunity to have the gift returned, since this was the one gift that had been given for a specific  project that did not transpire.  

The donor, however, did not want the gift returned, but for Coleford  Church to use it for future plans instead.

Both the PCC and the Diocese are always careful and proper in matters of financial stewardship, as any charitable organisation must be, and ensures that any gifts are  spent wisely to deliver the mission and ministry of the Church in the local community.

With regard to a new church building in Coleford: given that the restoration and redevelopment of St  John's is prohibitively expensive, it is our hope that we might be able to achieve a new church building  and community resource in the town.  

A new building, which would also have considerably lower  running costs, is in fact, a more realistic option.  One of the reasons is that grants for heritage restoration  of a grade II building are more difficult to obtain than they have been in the past.  

As yet we do not  know what the future holds for a new building but our priorities for the future are that the ministry of  the church continues to be delivered and that any future building will be financially sustainable for the  community.

– Rev Sarah Bick, Coleford.