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Want a church for free?

Excluisve by Karen Britton
28/ 5/2008

AN ENTERPRISING Weston minister is appealing for people to take a whole church off her hands – for free.

The timber-built Calvary Church building, on Earlsway, is set to be demolished – but at £30,000 it is set to be hellishly expensive.

Which is why minister Christine Davies, 59, is seeking a more affordable way to get rid of the old Pentecostal church to make way for the new one.

Christine, chairman of the Primary Care Trust until last year, said: "If anyone wants the church building, they can have it.

"It’s free to anyone who has the means to come for it, take it down and take it away.

"I have been quoted £30,000 to get rid of the wooden building and lay the concrete base, and I know that most of that is just to take it down. This cost came as quite a shock."

The building has seen more than its fair share of joyful services and holy happenings and may well continue to bless the person or organisation who claims it.

Christine added: "We don’t bless things in the Pentecostal church, but you can certainly call Calvary a sacred building. It has been a blessing to us and would be a blessing to whoever ends up with it."

The Pentecostal church members have part raised the £450,000, and applied for grants and a mortgage for the new church building to host events for the estate community.

The planning process for the new site starts next month, the church will then get quotes for the build, which will begin in August to be finished by Christmas.

Christine added: "The building is the sort of thing that a farm or building site could make use of for storage or as a workshop.

"It’s good to recycle things and is better than taking it to the tip."

The proud new owner of the wooden church building will take home a hall that holds 150 people, a kitchen, two toilets, a felt roof, metal windows, the central heating system and two store rooms, that have all been made sacred by the religious goings-on inside.

If you are interested in having the Calvary Church building, and have the means to remove it, call the church office on 01625 615115.