Appeal to save sailors' church

A landmark church in a Suffolk dockyard has been put up for sale.

A congregation of up to 200 used to worship at The Bethel, Lowestoft, but since the decline of the town's fishing industry churchgoers have dwindled.

The Sailors' Society, owners of the 19th Century building, have put it on the market to raise funds to be used to support fishermen in other ways.

Pastor Morris Baldry told the BBC he urged charities to buy The Bethel and lease it back to worshippers.

The Bethel was built as a place of Christian worship on Battery Green Road.

The Sailors' Society said The Bethel was established in the early 1800s under a deed of trust, to be used as a place for "Divine Worship by Sailors, local Fishermen and the Maritime Classes" to enable seafarers to worship when they visited or lived locally and worked out of Lowestoft.

The Bethel had been leased to a church group but falling congregations mean it is no longer serving its original purpose.

Robert Adams, general secretary of the Sailors' Society said: "The trustees understand the wonderful heritage surrounding the Bethel and its historic importance to Lowestoft.

"The sale of the site is most regrettable, but understandably very necessary if we are to progress our charitable work and stay in step with the rapidly changing nature of seafaring today."

Despite the decline in worshippers, Mr Baldry said it was still important for the town.

"When I walk up the street, when I've got my badge on, people will stop and say 'oh, yeah, for The Bethel, we knew The Bethel, we went there to Sunday school and we did this...', he said.

"The Bethel - its like Lowestoft in a stick of rock."

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