THE Bishop has given his unequivocal backing to the Church’s work in inner-city Portsmouth - and praised the stance of an under-fire parish priest.

Bishop Christopher and the Rev Alex Hughes in Charter Academy, where Alex is chair of governors

Bishop Christopher said he was delighted that worshippers at St Peter’s and St Luke’s Churches were serving children, young people, students, families and many others in the local community. He said the closure of the theatre facilities in the upper hall next to St Peter’s marked a new start for the congregation, who could focus their energy on serving the people of Somerstown rather than trying to preserve a building.

He reserved special praise for the Rev Alex Hughes, the vicar of both churches, who had led the congregations towards a new set of mission priorities – with serving the needy of Somerstown at the top of the list.
 
And he was delighted at the progress made at Charter Academy, the Church of England secondary school where Alex is chair of governors. Alex regularly leads assemblies at Charter, and supports the school in many other ways, helping hundreds of students to improve their life-chances, and their understanding of the Christian message. The bishop visited the academy to see Alex in action.
 
Since Alex’s arrival in 2008, worshippers have also:

• welcomed a street dance company who hold regular sessions in church to teach children and young people urban dance moves;
• held a series of fun social events aimed at local children, including a disco with a barbecue;
• launched regular social events including a students’ barbecue, a women’s social club, a men’s curry club, community teas, discos and barn dances, and a Jubilee party;
• supported opportunities for adult learning via the Workers’ Educational Association;
• and launched a joint project with Motiv8, the city’s youth inclusion project, to create a garden space by developing some wasteland at St Peter’s.
  

They also have exciting plans for a Messy Family Club for local families during the Easter holidays later this year.
 
Bishop Christopher said: “The Church is all about people rather than buildings, and all over our diocese we are running church schools, helping the homeless, patrolling at night as Street Pastors, organising youth groups and children’s activities, and much more. The people who do this are often volunteers, and they do it because their love of God and his world compels them to try to make a difference to our society.
 
“That’s exactly the case in Somerstown. I’m delighted that Alex and his two congregations have made so much progress in reaching out to people in that community. They are committed to that area, but have been honest that they can’t do that at the same time as subsidising theatre provision in an under-used, uneconomic hall. The parish doesn’t have the money to upgrade that hall to the standards required for the 21st century, but even if it did, I would prefer worshippers to spend it helping needy Somerstown residents.
 
“I note that the city council gave some help to the campaign to keep the upper hall open, but also didn’t feel able to commit any funds to it. I guess that, like the Church, they also have different priorities. We have already worked alongside the city council to suggest many alternative venues for theatre provision in the city. The fact that few of those venues were as cheap as St Peter’s perhaps shows how much the church has effectively subsidised theatre performances over the years.
 
“While I understand the passion of campaigners, I’m disappointed that their passion has spilled over into unjustified and inaccurate criticism of the local Church and of Alex in particular. Few professionals working in the inner-city of Portsmouth choose to live there themselves. Alex felt called by God to move there with his young family and to serve those living there. He is an exemplary parish priest who has my full support.
 
“His work at Charter Academy is an excellent example of the kind of extra work that clergy and volunteers take on throughout our diocese. They give generously of their time and energy to help make sure much of our society functions as it should.
 
“People will remember that when St Peter’s Church announced 18 months ago that the upper hall would close, the plan was to merge both congregations in a new building which we hoped to build on Winston Churchill Avenue, following an invitation from the city council to be part of the Somerstown regeneration building project. We are still exploring this option, alongside others. Whatever emerges, we are determined that the Church should have safe and sustainable buildings, which offer a good home for the worshipping congregation as well as opportunities to serve the local community.”
 
The Rev Alex Hughes, vicar of St Luke’s and St Peter’s Churches, said: “I am grateful that the bishop has reiterated his support. I know both he and the diocese have been behind us throughout. Our priorities remain the same – the Church of England in this area will remain committed to prayer, worship, building community and serving the needs of local people. Our parishes cover the city centre, Somerstown and north Southsea and we are committed to caring for the people who live and work in this area, sharing God’s love with them and helping to meet their needs.”