Shanklin Methodist Church, which has served the local community since 1864, will close its doors by the end of August this year.
Despite efforts by the small, but dedicated, congregation to keep it running, financial pressures have made continued operation impossible.
Financial challenges prove unsustainable
With an average of only 20 attendees each week, meeting financial commitments has been a constant struggle.
The church’s contribution to the circuit costs, known as the assessment, exceeds £1,000 a month. Additional costs, including heating, lighting and insurance, have compounded the financial burden.
On top of this, urgent repairs are needed to the roof, and a new boiler is required. All these expenses would need to be met by the local church, which has fallen short for some time.
A difficult decision for the congregation
A member of the congregation, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke to OnTheWight about the decision.
“The circuit will not support it staying open without the full assessment being paid, and so at a meeting on Thursday 13th February at the church, the members of the church reluctantly agreed to allow the church to be closed.
“This is a time of great sadness for the members, all of whom are elderly and many have been attending the church for most of their lives. They do not look forward to having to travel elsewhere.
“Church members were asked by the circuit not to discuss the situation with anyone outside the church to apparently avoid rumours. However, many feel that the facts need to be aired.”
Response from the Methodist Circuit
OnTheWight approached the Isle of Wight Methodist Circuit for comment.
A spokesperson responded, stating,
“Members of Shanklin Methodist voted to cease worshipping at the church at a meeting that took place on Thursday 13th February. This vote will now be put to the Circuit Meeting, who will consider how best to go forward with the process. No time frame has yet been agreed.
“Operating and maintaining a church is incredibly hard work and increasingly expensive as costs rise. This vote was made by the members themselves, and we thank them for their commitment over many years.”
Congregation feels there was no real choice
While the church members did vote to cease worshipping at Shanklin Methodist, they felt they had little choice in the matter.
A member of the congregation responded, saying,
“The response from the circuit is a lovely lesson in spin. We were told quite clearly that we could not continue if we could not pay the assessment, and that was clearly not going to happen.
“We were told that we could have up until August because technically the circuit meeting decides what happens, although in fact, they have already done so. Then, of course, after that, the synod makes the final decision.
“In theory, if they wanted to, the synod or the circuit could keep the church open. In reality, this is just rubber stamping, as we were told quite clearly that we could not continue unless we could cover our obligations in terms of sending our assessment each month.
“It is true we voted on the motion put forward by the representative from the circuit to close the church, and made the decision, but realistically there was no alternative to voting to close. It had been made plain to us, as I have already said, that we could not continue without paying our full assessment.
“I believe the circuit response is highly misleading. To me, this seems like the circuit getting ready to blame the Shanklin church members for the decision to close and not them, whereas the church members would love to keep the church open, but it was made clear to us that it just was not a viable option.”
