Church betrayals

SIR – Madeline Grant’s account (Comment, May 8) of the betrayal of our Anglican musical heritage by those who should be promoting it illustrates the depressing parallels between the condition of the Church of England and that of our nation.

In the Church, as in the state, we see shrinking trust in leaders. We see administrators dismissing the local parish unit, where the Church’s main work is done. We see Church members seething because their hands-on experience is ignored by those in charge. We see hard-working priests, and their vital sacramental pastoral ministry, treated as problems by managerial officials. And, as in the country, it is almost impossible to see future leaders who might help us turn the ship around. No doubt they are there, but they are unlikely to be favoured by the mindset presently dominating the Church.

Does all this sound only too familiar? Rev Dr Barry Orford

London NW3

SIR – For 10 years I was the headmistress of Croughton, a voluntary-controlled village school that had Church representatives in the governing body (Letters, May 9).

It could be argued that, as the school is the only one in the village, it shouldn’t be a faith school. However, each year we had more than twice the number of applications as places available. Staff at the local American airbase would fight to send their children to us rather than the secular school. Parents frequently told us that the ambience was noticeable as soon as they walked through the front door.

While many secular schools undoubtedly also encourage kindness and respect, our entire ethos was based on our Christian values, and these clearly shone through. No one ever objected. Eve Wilson

Hill Head, Hampshire