by Matthew Clements
Matador, 2018.
If you are a Churchwarden, or are having your arm twisted to become one, this book is for you. The author writes that it is aimed “at detailing some of the practical responsibilities of the job and giving a flavour of what it involves, based on my own experience”. (page xii). As such, it fills a gap in the market where his real life examples make it an easy read.
The book covers a much wider scope than you might think of when it comes to being a churchwarden. This is because in church if no-one can be found to do something it often falls to the churchwarden to do it. In these many jobs, Clements can be tough. In the chapter “People and Communications” he writes about church noticeboards:
“Getting rid of out-of-date notices promptly is essential, and it is rare that anyone other than a Churchwarden will do this. […] The real bugbear for me is the unauthorised notices which just appear – a concert is held in church and a few days later you notice a pile of flyers for a concert to be held somewhere else, left by the hirers; or it might be an advertising flyer for a commercial product. I’m sorry, but these notices go straight into the recycling bin [..] if you don’t exercise some control then there will be so many that most people would never look at them at all.” (p.106-7)
He can also be kind. He encourages you to find out who does the unnoticed jobs:
“Try thinking of the odd little jobs around the place – someone has to do them […] and then try to find the answer […] whether it is that you didn’t know people had been doing something for years […] Do we ever thank them?” (page 101).
On the responsibility of ensuring the building is properly maintained, he begins with the chapter “Principles of Old Buildings” where, in nine short pages he gives an excellent explanation of how to avoid damp in the church and why lime rather than cement mortar must be used. In the chapter “Maintenance work”, he then gives a handy summary of what the Churchwarden should look for:
“check for yourself: where is the building damp? Are the hoppers clear or does rainwater flow down the building? Is there missing pointing on the exterior walls? Has cement been used on the pointing? Are any stones in the walls losing their face or receding into the wall? Does the roof leak? Are the drains working? Are the electrical system and al portable appliances regularly checked? Is the boiler checked? Do the toilets work properly? Are there many broken or cracked window panes? Do bats inhabit the church? Are there any obvious safety issues? Has an asbestos survey ever been carried out? Is the church secure?” (p.167)
This is a daunting list, to which he seeks to reassure the reader:
“The trick with maintenance is to keep on top of it. If you let the routine things pile up, it then becomes a huge chore to find the energy to do any of it, whereas if you do a little bit often then suddenly one day you realise that there is nothing that needs doing for a couple of weeks.” (p.168).
I have been a churchwarden for a couple of years and have not got to promised stage of getting to the end of my list. But even when I do, it seems that the most respite I can hope for is two weeks off! The book title promises to show me “how to thrive”, where as ‘how to cope’ would feel more accurate..
A few of the anecdotes feel a bit self-indulgent as he gets a moan off his chest. Here is his description of PCC (Parochial Church Council) meetings, which many readers who are PCC members will sadly recognise:
“For some people, the PCC meeting appears to be the highlight of their week, and so they want to enjoy it and make the most of it. For me, it is a business meeting with a spiritual basis, but when there is an agenda of eighteen items and we have only reached Item 5 after an hour, I start to lose the will to live […] an item not on the agenda is allowed to be raised, taking up twenty-five valuable minutes, and then a poor decision is made because we want to get on. This sort of thing is rarely to anyone’s benefit, and emphasises how important it is to have a clear agenda coupled with good chairing of a meeting. The agenda must be realistic for the time allowed; if a substantive item not on the agenda is raised at the meeting then the answer is that it will be put on the agenda next time, and the person who raised it should be asked to circulate a brief about it before that meeting, or it should be discussed by the Standing Committee” (p.181-2).
An excellent analysis of the problem and the solution, but how does the churchwarden achieve that solution when the churchwarden is not the Chair?
Nevertheless, this entertaining book is important reading for every churchwarden.
Adrian Vincent, November 2018.