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November 21st, 2005

Priest Idol (Programme 2)

Tonight was programme 2 of the 3 part ‘Priest Idol‘ series on Channel 4. As you’ll remember from last week’s post the programme is all about reviving a dying church in Yorkshire by means of a new priest, a marketing company and… oh this and that, I forget. Just to say too, while I think of it, Richard is posting about Priest Idol too – he’s also written a piece on Spero news entitled ‘Priest Idol is hip, but will it bring in flock?‘

Tonight’s programme started with some fairly low key strategies which sadly didn’t seem to achieve a great deal – namely the blessing of people’s houses and a churchyard cleanup day. But unfortunately the truth remains that the only times people really seem to come to the church are for baptisms, weddings and funerals.

The marketing guys come a Sunday morning service and decide it isn’t very interesting. They go to a local ‘cafe church’ setup which is more lively and does seem to ‘connect’ better with the people.

The archdeacon decides a new set of vestments might be the answer.

Eventually the marketing company reveal their strategy. The ‘brand’ which will be used for the church in Lundwood is ‘Church Lite’. Slogans include “Church Lite – its better for you” and “Half the preaching of other leading churches”.

But not everyone is in favour. When ex-vicar of Lundwood Father David finds out he’s less than keen:

I think its inappropriate, really.

The real battle at this stage though seems to be the PCC. The ‘Church Lite’ brand doesn’t go down too well, and some of the PCC members don’t like the new ideas for a meditation space at the back of church.

We use that table for tea on a Sunday.

But eventually it is decided that they will go with the marketing strategy with a grand launch. But will anyone turn up? Find out next week.

I should really be writing for ‘TV Quick’ or someone.

So, what did everyone else who was able to see it think? If you’ve written about it in your blog do leave a link in the comments, though be aware that all comments containing links have to wait to be moderated.

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12 Responses to “Priest Idol (Programme 2)”


  1. Maddie says:

    I find the ex-vicar so frustrating, I just want to slap his rather smug face – in Christian love obviously. Why is it that some people are so absolutely certain they know exactly what God wants?

    The PCC were everything one dreads in a PCC,

    “I don’t want them to move the font”
    “why not?”
    “it’s just my thing”

    Excuse me? Basically you don’t want anyone to change anything, you don’t have a reason, but change is, by it’s very nature, wrong.

    Aaaaaaaaaaggggggggghhhhhhhh Church!

    November 21st, 2005 at 9:31 pm
  2. Matthew says:

    Its a good ideal to bring things into 21st century, i agree with maddie, that guy, pft what an ass, if the church is filled with vicars like that, no wonder the numbers are dwindling! Get upto date, get into marketing, and make a difference, anyway for anyone who missed any of the eps… here’s their repeat times…

    1st December (@ 3:20am)
    2nd December (@ 3:50am)
    4th December (@ 3:40am)

    Channel 4 (of course!)

    Matthew

    November 22nd, 2005 at 3:26 am
  3. Hazel says:

    Jesus Christ our Lord was a revolutionary radical of his time – the new vicar is blessed with the courage to try plan B, since plan A was clearly not working for many people in Lundwood.

    God speed.

    November 22nd, 2005 at 9:24 am
  4. si smith says:

    didn’t see the whole programme [shakespeare on bbc1 got our vote...] but i thought that it was telling when nolene, the church warden, responded to the marketing pitch by saying ‘we have to think of the folk who are already attending…’

    there’s your problem in a nutshell. do you go for a new crowd, or cater for the ones who’ve loyally stuck in there for years? and if you try to do both, how do you keep everyone on board?

    November 22nd, 2005 at 9:41 am
  5. David Stephenson says:

    It’s depressing and enthralling to watch a not very extrovert priest gird his American loins and do battle with a whole load of south Yorkshire working class louts, young and old, whose parents failed so dismally to teach them to be properly Christian.
    It’s not the pit closing that did this – it’s the moral cowardice endemic in British society, the failure of generations to stand up for what’s right.
    And it’s starting to happen here where I now live – Poland.

    November 22nd, 2005 at 1:28 pm
  6. Nicola says:

    Couldn’t agree more, David. Well, I spend a lot of my time dreaming of emigrating to a country (any country) where life is simpler, values better, morals higher, kindness greater (I could wax on) than the UK. How depressing to think that the ‘me-me-me virus’ is spreading. I guess I will have to cross Poland off my list of possible destinations… Meanwhile, I’m ensuring my daughter gets dragged up right, even if we do live in Yorkshire!

    November 22nd, 2005 at 3:36 pm
  7. Dave says:

    Thanks for the comments everyone.

    David. Strong words. I find ‘a whole load of south Yorkshire working class louts, young and old’ to be bordering on the offensive I have to say. And was there ever a time when everyone was brought up to be ‘properly Christian’?

    Si. I have the same here on the blog. I’m thinking about changing the little diagram up at the top there. I’ve got a Faculty but I’m worried about upsetting the regulars.

    November 22nd, 2005 at 4:07 pm
  8. graham says:

    I thought that campaign idea was excellent. I was even duped into thinking I’d go to a church like that! And that’s the rub – they are duping people.

    From everything else I can see about the church I’m afraid that I’m sceptical about their ability to do what it says on the tin.

    Obviously, the production company are wanting to spin the programme a certain way, but it anyone else disconcerted by the apparent lack of spirituality? (I don’t mean in the vicar himself, he seems like a decent chap.)

    November 22nd, 2005 at 4:34 pm
  9. blonde says:

    I was going to ask if anyone had taped it (housegroup is monday nights, and the course we’re doing at the mo uses the video so I couldn’t!) so thank you SO much to Matthew for pointing out the repeat times, I’ll tape them (don’t intend to be up that time of the morning!) and catch up with you all a couple of weeks late.

    and what Si said.
    how many anglicans does it take to change a light bulb?
    Change?! We don’t do Change here!!

    sad but true.

    November 22nd, 2005 at 7:44 pm
  10. David says:

    I liked last night’s programme – it was so good to see the Church trying something new and sort-of succeeding. The problem is getting anybody interested in anything that isn’t specifically fun-oriented. Duty, obligation and spiritual pleasure don’t go together easily in the English mindset, and have to be re-taught. Not easy in an overwhelmingly anti-Christian environment.

    Oh, and sorry (not!) about being offensive – but the sight of people treating an inoffensive priest in an insulting way is not very pretty. It is loutish behaviour like that that is being meted out on a regular basis to teachers in the area too. Things like that are shocking when you see them again after having become used to a different society (in my case Poland) where respect is expected.

    November 29th, 2005 at 9:57 am
  11. Dave says:

    David – thanks for the comment. My ‘offensive’ remark was because I read your previous comment as tarring the entire society with the same brush, which having re-read it I suspect you were not doing. Apologies.

    November 29th, 2005 at 11:40 am
  12. death poet says:

    Americans are NOT wanted in Barnsley, he will be driven out and the program will fail. We have been ignored for centuries within this town, they fail to tell you this. The program has not helped anyone within Barnsley. GET OUT, STAY OUT.

    December 2nd, 2005 at 4:42 am