Posted on 05/21/2007 6:46:46 PM PDT by siunevada
After a lengthy Sunday service, having toilets within the church building can be a real godsend. But a vicar's attempts to offer his congregation that very convenience has left him at risk of losing his job.
The Reverend Tom Ambrose, 60, is being dragged before a rarely-convened ecclesiastical church tribunal in a dispute over where to site the loo.
Parishioners at St Mary and St Michael Church in Trumpington, Cambridge, say their relationship with him has irretrievably broken down.
The storm clouds had been gathering since Mr Ambrose arrived in the parish eight years ago. He wanted to modernise the church to make it more inclusive, but many worshippers disagreed with his plans, which included moving the harvest supper from a Friday night to an earlier time on Saturday night to benefit families and older people.
Removing four pews - 16 seats - to create space for people to chat and have coffee after services also met with fierce resistance.
Permission was granted for the £49,000 toilets four years ago but delays resulting from the dispute have seen the cost rise to £91,000, largely due to an increase in labour costs.
Local businessman John de Bruyne said he had been "frozen out" of the parish after announcing his support for the vicar. "The lavatories proved an innovation too far," he said. "Tom insisted a modern church with an ageing congregation needed lavatories and went to heritage experts for advice.
"Parish meetings became heated over where the loos should go. Never have I witnessed such vitriolic abuse and shouting from the old guard directed at their new vicar."
St Mary and St Michael has been used as a place of worship since the 13th century. Its architecture dates back to 1200.
There are around 200 homes in the parish and about 100 regular members of the church, which seats 300.
The tribunal, to be held in York in July, will be the first of its type for 15 years, according to the Church of England. The panel will be made up of a legal expert and four General Synod members, two clergy and two laymen.
They can recommend anything from a simple admonishment of the vicar to removal from office. The diocesan bishop makes the final decision and is not bound by the tribunal's recommendation.
The parochial church council and parishioners have refused to comment on the dispute until after the hearing.
But a source said: "The dispute is over changes to things that had worked well for decades and renovations to what is an historic building."
Experts said the vicar's legal costs, which will be paid by the Diocese of Ely, could come to £150,000. The cost of the tribunal and appeals is likely to push the total to £500,000.
Mr Ambrose, married with two children, said: "This is not doing the Church of England any good - to see Christians behaving like this. I wasn't doing anything particularly radical, I haven't tried to overturn any traditions but I made a few changes which I believed would improve the parish and make it more inclusive."
On the lighter side of things the good Rev. could become Catholic. He could be ordained and work in a much more modern parish. After all, all of OUR REALLY OLD English parishes were stolen by his present employer. ;)
Couldn’t they build a separate restroom facility connected by a handicapped-accessible covered walkway? Works at camp!
Wow, and folks complained that Air Force toilets were expensive!
The Mystery Worshipper has visited there.
Mystery Worshipper: Ruth & Naomi.
The church: St Mary & Michael, Trumpington, Cambridge, England.
Denomination: Church of England.
The building: Nice old church with a side chapel for the reserved sacrament and lots of Gothic arches. Colourful chancel ceiling.
The neighbourhood: This is a country village just outside Cambridge – the loss of the hustle and bustle of the city is quite noticeable.
The cast: Rev. Tom Ambrose, the vicar, was the celebrant. There was also a crucifer, a thurifer and a deacon.
What was the name of the service?
> The Presentation of Christ in the Temple.
How full was the building?
Fairly empty, but the fact that the congregation were sat together in the middle and at the front of the nave meant it didn't seem it.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Yes, and gave us books and a candle each.
Was your pew comfortable?
The pews were comfortable. Ruth doesn't like pews with doors, as this makes moving in and out awkward. Naomi thought that while the kneelers were comfortable, there wasn't quite space to kneel comfortably.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
Quiet, though the absence of any music meant that whispers and preparations were very audible.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
"Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est" (this was sung).
What books did the congregation use during the service?
Hymns Ancient & Modern New Standard. A booklet with the liturgy of the eucharist, supplemented by a sheet for Candlemas.
What musical instruments were played?
Voices only.
Did anything distract you?
The choir were a bit of a distraction, being in direct line of sight behind the nave altar, and because they seemed unaware of the prominence of their position. We thought they would have been better left at the west end, from where the introit had been sung. The sound coming from somewhere unseen adds a great unearthliness.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
High Anglican. Smells but no bells. Servers were vested in albs. The eucharistic prayer was chanted in its entirety, not something either of us have heard done before.
Exactly how long was the sermon?
No sermon.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The moment between the eucharistic prayer and the Lord's prayer. The consecration having been completed, the incense hung in the air and there was a true sense of peace.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
Nothing really, but there were one or two blemishes on an otherwise excellent service. After the post-communion prayer, the vicar instructed us, in a quite a chatty way, about what was to be done with the candles, which broke the atmosphere. It also seemed a shame to have no confession.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
Difficult to look lost in such a small congregation. We were greeted by both the vicar and deacon.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
None.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8 – Ruth cycles past about seven other Anglican churches, plus various college chapels and churches of other denominations to get to this church – the distance is a bit of a disadvantage. One gets the impression that this is not their usual style of worship, and it would be interesting to see a "normal" Sunday morning eucharist.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Yes. The Latin mass setting (Palestrina Missa Brevis) reminded Naomi of being in a succession of Christians from the earliest days, and the sanctus made Ruth think of the angels singing in many different languages.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
There was a procession, with candles, to the font at the end of the service. The thurifer was preparing the thurible before it, but couldn't get it to smoke at all, and had to swing it furiously in an attempt to get it to work, before giving it up as a lost cause.
Yeah, that also caught my eye. They’re talking about pretty large amounts of money. And the tribunal costs make the plumbers look like a bargain.
Ah, the planning commission. Those fun people who won’t let you build any useful structures ... rather like my own Homeowners’ Association, only worse because they’re with the government.
Although our local government also wouldn’t let us build a cabin in the back yard for the boys to live in, even of the HOA did.
“Although our local government also wouldn’t let us build a cabin in the back yard for the boys to live in, even of the HOA did.”
You couldn’t call it a “shed” and get away with it?;P
The HOA will let us have a shed (within guidelines) but the county welfare dept. wouldn’t let the boys live there.
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