A DESPERATE vicar has taken an 'act of faith' to save his collapsing church roof by calling in the workmen – even though he still needs to raise £14,000 to pay for it.
Despite failing to raise the necessary £50,000 in order to restore the roof of the historic St. Thomas Church in Brentwood, The Reverend Colin Hewitt has given builders the go-ahead to begin work in January.
Loose tiles and numerous holes have left the South Roof exposed to bad weather and it is feared that rain could damage the newly restored Victorian organ which cost £144,000 to repair last year.
Mr Hewitt explained how a series of blows to the church, in St Thomas's Road, have left them needing to raise further cash.
He said: "We suffered so many setbacks and blips with funding that I just decided to have faith and book the project although we can't yet pay for it.
"The tiles are crumbling from the roof and water leaks into the building when it rains. I'm worried what will happen if we don't manage to get it finished by next winter.
"We had lead stolen from our roof which cost £10,000 to replace, and then a health and safety check forced us to spend thousands more on building a railing across our balcony just in time for Remembrance Day," Mr Hewitt added.
His colleague, The Reverend Dr Guy Sumpter added: "We in Brentwood are privileged to be able to worship God in this fine church which is a legacy inherited from our Victorian forebears and which successive generations have always kept in fine condition.
"As the current custodians, it is incumbent upon us that we all play our part to ensure that it remains in fine condition for now and for those who come after us."
Steven Howarth, who runs the stewardship committee at the church, spends much of his time encouraging the congregation to donate both their time, and talents, to contribute to the vast upkeep costs of the building.
He estimates that the simple day-to-day running of the Church costs almost £500 each week, without even considering the restoration projects.
"We use handouts, community displays and just word-of-mouth to show people that everyone can help us in some way."
The annual Christmas bazaar on Saturday raised £4,300 toward this daily maintenance and featured 30 stalls selling toys, cards, cakes, and, of course, Father Christmas.
"It takes a lot of people a lot of time to put together the event and we really want people to come along and show they care and appreciate the work the Church do," Mr Howarth said.
If you would like to donate to the church, call 01227 225700 or 01277 22616.
