Posted on behalf of Bill Jefferies, Treasurer of St. Mary’s Church
My Dear Friends,
May I share with you one effect of the closure of the Church for Services on the finances of the local Parish Church.
Each month we contribute our share of the Common Fund to the Cathedral to give them the wherewithal to keep up the payment of the Clergy stipends. They pay Martin which we, as a Parish, could not.
A fairly large proportion of our planned givers have set up standing orders (which are still being paid regularly) to provide this income we need to contribute towards Clergy stipends but those who prefer to use blue envelopes, yellow gift aid envelopes or the collection plate can no longer do likewise as there is no easy access to the Church.
May I ask you to consider one of the following ways to continue your regular giving?
- (The Treasurer’s preferred option!) Set up a standing order to regularise your giving, be it weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually. Please use the web site contact form to be given our bank details. This is the cheapest method and avoids all handling problems during the Covid-19 outbreak.
- Write a cheque made out to St Mary’s PCC Cheriton Bishop and post or deliver it to the letter box in my porch at 6, Stonelands, Crockernwell, EX6 6NB. (First class post is now 76p).
- I had planned to suggest putting coins or cash into the wall safe in the Church opposite the main door, but that is no longer accessible. I suppose you could put coins and/or cash into an envelope and drop that into my letter box in Crockernwell. I don’t have the facilities to accept contactless payments now preferred by shops.
Please act now on my request as without this month’s contribution from those using the schemes, we’ll end up hard pressed to continue to pay our way as we have done over the last few years.
Yours sincerely
Bill Jeffery, Treasurer.