Letter: Proud of our rave in the nave

Sir: There is a lot of truth in Andrew Brown's article "Runcie and the long melancholy roar" (10 February) and a lot of fear in the criticisms of modern worship.

I am proud that I chaired the committee that introduced "Rave in the Nave" at Ely Cathedral at the beginning of this decade, but it is no threat to my four rural churches and their congregations. It is a successful annual event which draws young people (and some older ones) and aims to support their daily and weekly Christian worship.

However, few local churches can put on a professional and exciting youth service. In the main the staple diet of young and old will continue to be more or less traditional worship.

The cause for the sudden drop in attendance this year in the Anglican Church is something for which young people can reject all blame. Those under 23 have not voted for this government. Its deregulation and desecration of Sunday, and the policies that have undermined the family, mean that many of my church members no longer attend weekly.

Those in church have often had to make a massive effort to get there. If they are rewarded with an annual dose of worship which is relevant, different, exciting and challenging, they deserve it.

Rev STEPHEN LEEKE

Warboys, Cambridgeshire