Letter: Power to the bishops

Power to the bishops

Sir: Are you suggesting that there should be no mechanism for dismissing churchwardens who fail in their office ("The bishops don''t need more power", leading article, 16 December)?

One of my churchwardens embezzled a large sum of money last year. Under charity law, his conviction disqualified him from sitting on the Parochial Church Council. But not from being a churchwarden. There was no means by which he could be required to resign. Nor was there any way he could be suspended from office, pending his appearance in court.

Churchwardens are elected by the laity as a whole (not by the Parochial Church Council). But if they let their electors down, somebody needs to protect the laity's interests.

The Rev SIMON TATTON-BROWN

Westhoughton, Greater Manchester