Many churches identify a need to adapt their church building to enhance worship. This can be a controversial issue.
However, the DAC will look favourably on proposals which:
- are well researched and documented
- show respect for the building
- present clear evidence of appropriate consultation with the local church community and, where appropriate, National Heritage and amenity societies such as The Victorian Society or the Society for the Preservation of historic Buildings.
The DAC recognises the difficulties parishes face, particularly in historic buildings which are justifiably of interest to communities beyond the parish congregation. Parishes can often benefit from wider diocesan experience of successful re-orderings and a DAC sub-committee can be arranged to visit parishes and discuss their proposals at an early stage. Please contact the DAC office in in the first instance. Further detailed advice is available from the Churchcare website. This includes a consideration of:
- the need for a careful, holistic approach in tune with the church building
- the liturgical positioning of altars, fonts, lecterns and pulpits and their relative balance within the context of the church building
- the positioning of musicians
Another important point to consider when looking at the church building is all aspects of accessibility. Please see the Church of England's guidance on Equal Access to Church Buildings .