TW
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Dear Sir, I write with reference to Humphrey Carter's recent article regarding the “Anglican Church for the Future”, and the subsequent letter from Dr Jukes bemoaning the behaviour of the BBC crew at the Queen Mother's Birthday Service.

Both problems have arisen I fear through the attitude of the Church to its congregation, I am not just referring to the Anglican Church in Majorca, but to both the Roman Catholic and Anglican Church in the UK as well. If the hierarchy spent less time protecting the clergy ie. retaining the services of a paedophile priest, allowing sex-change and transvestite clergy and openly condoning all forms of homosexuality and adultery within the practicing clergy, whilst supporting the expulsion of long serving, loyal Christians from the diminishing congregations because they dare to question the path their Church has taken; perhaps it would command the respect, veneration and sense of value it once had in the community.

I have had my problems with the Church in Puerto Pollensa, and in fact, I and two of my friends are still “banned” from attending because we questioned the Administration of the incumbent whilst we were members of the Chaplaincy Council - that was over two years ago now. Since then my husband, also a serving member of the Chaplaincy Council at one time, died as an alcoholic vagrant. Local Doctors and many goods friends did all they could to help him when I could no longer cope, it proved to be in vain, but they tried giving of themselves and their time to help another human being however frail. Not once was the hand of the Church held out towards him - not once, even though the British Consul and the Guardia had notified both Chaplains of the situation.

If the Church is prepared only to take - and on this island there is a constant pleading for money for the Church coffers. Palma do a lot of good work, but in the Port the money is blatantly asked for to pay the Chaplin's mortgage - then it cannot expect to receive.

I am afraid it is very much a case of “reap as you shall sow” and it is no use harvesting more closely protected clergy if they have no congregations left to minister to. Look to the Baptists, Methodists, United Reformed and the wonderful Salvation Army to see how it should be done no posh frocks but bums on seats, because they care about the people not the fabric and materialism of the Church today, just as Jesus told them to.

Moya Tong
Puerto Pollensa