CHURCHGOERS in the village of Silian, near Lampeter, have been left shocked by the news that their church - a place of worship for over 1,500 years - has been forced into sudden closure.

The move comes after insurers warned in January that the church would have to close temporarily until urgent repairs could be carried out.

But five members who attended a crunch meeting last week say they were surprised to be asked to vote on whether the church should remain closed, with Canon Andy Herrick providing the casting vote in favour of closure.

Church treasurer Nikki Vousden said: “We were told that the building was only bricks and mortar when in actual fact it’s much more than that. The church is an historic part of the village which was actually named after it.

“This has crippled us financially, and left us in a position where we have little money to maintain the building and are in debt to the diocese.

“It is a heart-wrenching loss to the congregation and a terrible loss to Silian.

“It is clear that the Church in Wales has no intention of supporting small rural churches, and it’s sickening that they now stand to profit by selling off our building and washing their hands of a huge piece of our heritage.”

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