I DO feel that your report on the Archbishop's Commission was somewhat negative (September 3).

The use of words like "axe" and the headline of "Close Them" was I feel somewhat over-emotive.

The report launched yesterday was an attempt to make the Church in this area more ready to meet the challenges of the present day bearing in mind falling clergy numbers and the financial problems that are faced by the Church at this time.

It is not fair or right to ask the local church to fund the necessary repairs to decaying buildings. Asking congregations to do this inhibits the mission of the Church, which is to make the gospel relevant to all people in this time and place; not to be curators of musty and damp museums to times past.

As the vicar of one of the parishes affected by the recommendations in this report, I must say that I welcome the report in full and hope that those who want us to be curators of museums will carefully consider their response.

The gospel of Christ is a dynamic thing so his instrument in the world, the Church, must also reflect that and not become mired in times past.

The Reverend Tony Frampton Morgan,

St. Hilda's Vicarage.

Tang Hall Lane,

York.

...I WOULD like to take issue with one small, but misleading, sentence in your leading article on the pastoral reorganisation of the churches in York.

You write: "If congregations have declined to the point where any particular church is no longer sustainable, the role of such a church is brought sharply into question."

If the assumption behind this is that those churches pinpointed for redundancy are all failing churches with declining congregations, this is certainly not the case with St Chad's, Campleshon Road.

St Chad's has a growing congregation with exciting plans for the future.

Increasing numbers of young families are finding their way here; our musical life is attracting numbers of singers and instrumentalists, many young; we are starting important new work for young people in October with 12 leaders; two members of our congregation start training for the priesthood this month; our regular fellowship ranges from babes in arms to those long retired.

And we are fully paid up. There is much more, too, to give thanks for.

We are not declining by a long chalk. Our misfortune is that we seem to be in the wrong geographical position for the proposed new parish boundaries. That's quite different and, maybe, open to negotiation!

The Reverend Simon Stanley,

St Chad's Vicarage,

Campleshon Road,

York.

Updated: 10:45 Thursday, September 05, 2002