The Church in Wales is offering protestors at All Saints Church, Maerdy, the chance to buy the building for just £1,000.
The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said, “We are able to sell the church at this price provided it is kept as a place of worship, as specified in the title deeds of the land.
“I am giving the protestors in Maerdy exactly what they are asking for – a chance to save All Saints Church from closure. They are confident they can raise enough money to restore and maintain it and now they will only have to find an extra £1,000 to buy it. It’s a great opportunity for them as the community would then own the building and the land and its future would be in their hands.”
The £1,000 would simply cover the Church’s costs in administrating the sale.
Last week members of the Parochial Church Council of the benefice of Rhondda Fach Uchaf (Maerdy, Ferndale and Tylorstown) chose not to overturn their decision to close All Saints Church as they believed it was putting too much of a financial burden on the whole parish.
The Archbishop believes this offer is a fair compromise between the wishes of the PCC and those of the protestors.
