A View of Holy Trinity Church

by Annabelle Blackaby

As I was sitting in church this morning, with the sunlight shining through the stained-glass windows, I wondered how many Hurst Green residents have seen the inside of this building. The unusual walls painted in the style of William Morris, the newly decorated chancel, and the stainedglass windows, make it well worth a visit. The South facing window is dedicated to an Ellen Carter by her daughter Dorothy Orme Selby. I have not had a chance to find out more about who these people were but maybe it is worth a bit of research? Not only that but there is a tangible sense of peace and tranquillity, so lacking in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

From the outside it is nothing special, built in 1884,Victorian red brick with a single bell in a two-tier belfry over the west end which is best viewed from the top end of Vicarage Way. The main entrance to the church is through the lychgate situated on the left side of the London Road just north of Foundry Close. Many people who I have spoken to weren’t even aware that there was a parish church in Hurst Green.

Starting at Easter this year we are planning to have the church open every day from 9am to 4pm.You can wander in and take a moment to reflect or walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. God is everywhere of course, but sometimes we need to stop and connect with Him.

The churchyard is used by many people every day who walk through, and in recent years we have been able to fence some areas off to accommodate a few sheep. The rest of the work to keep the grass and hedges tidy is done by a few willing people from the church and village community. The Parish Council give us a small grant each year, but this barely covers the cost of petrol for the equipment and any tree surgery needed. So, if you feel able, why not come and volunteer to help out, there will always be a job from pruning to weeding, strimming and mowing and keeping the graves neat.

About three years ago we introduced an ‘Adopt a grave’ scheme. Basically, inviting people to choose one of the older graves which have been neglected over many years and tidy it up, maybe clean the stone and plant some flowers. Initially, it was a great success and the transformation from overgrown plots, unreadable names and generally sad looking graves was tremendous. It would be great if this could be continued so if you are interested, contact Rev Annette or John Hawkins.

There is a common belief that the upkeep and care of the church and churchyard is paid for and undertaken by the Anglican Church or the Diocese. This is a false impression. Only the handful of churchgoers who give their money regularly are responsible for everything, no financial help except the grant of £1000 per year from the Parish Council.

So, the bottom line is, if we the residents of Hurst Green want to keep Holy Trinity Church going as a viable asset to the village, there is a need to step up and support it! Sadly, the congregation is an aging one and the danger is that the church will die without intervention from the younger generation. Of course, we don’t actually need a church building to meet as Christians, and the Christian faith will never die, we can use other venues such as the school and village hall which many church groups do. But I think there is still value in having a building set apart for worship, fellowship, prayer and praise, not to mention weddings and funerals.

Nine years ago, Holy Trinity was on the brink of closure. It was rescued by a few faithful people with a vision to share their love of Jesus and re-establish regular Sunday services. There have been some highs and lows during that time and now we are reaching out to you to keep this special place open to all.