There are cases where an expanding church will plant or graft on to one where the congregation has dwindled. But often they are just in the wrong place - or there can be hostility from the C of E towards a church from another demonisation using their asset. One of the biggest reasons though is that these beautiful old churches simply cost far more to maintain than a modern building or warehouse - and that's just not a liability many new churches would want to maintain.
Like you, I mourn for the likely loss of so many of these buildings, from an architectural perspective. I'm less sanguine than you that it would be reasonable (or that the public would accept) paying for the upkeep, unless there was much more community use, especially with local budgets under so much pressure.
Still, we may be pleasantly surprised. Waugh expected the English country house to go extinct in his lifetime, but nearly a century on they are still going strong.
Use them or lose them. The same goes for our dear pubs, market stalls, and traditional artesanal businesses.
I have noticed a resurgence in Christianity- I think we are right at the beginning of it. If I’m right it might come just in the nick of time.
There are cases where an expanding church will plant or graft on to one where the congregation has dwindled. But often they are just in the wrong place - or there can be hostility from the C of E towards a church from another demonisation using their asset. One of the biggest reasons though is that these beautiful old churches simply cost far more to maintain than a modern building or warehouse - and that's just not a liability many new churches would want to maintain.
Like you, I mourn for the likely loss of so many of these buildings, from an architectural perspective. I'm less sanguine than you that it would be reasonable (or that the public would accept) paying for the upkeep, unless there was much more community use, especially with local budgets under so much pressure.
Still, we may be pleasantly surprised. Waugh expected the English country house to go extinct in his lifetime, but nearly a century on they are still going strong.