Sharing a church in peace: Letter

Sir: Jonathan Glancey's feature on St Stephen's Church, is a little disappointing (6 May). The headline of "Holy war" and "A church in schism" is dramatic but not accurate. What is happening at St Stephen's is quite the opposite.

The Church remains fully within the Church of England and continues to offer the same traditional, but glorious worship for which St Stephen's has long been renowned.

The 35 who have left to become Roman Catholics have been given permission, on a trial basis, to hold two services a week in the church and are also supporting us financially and practically.

Visitors to our main service on Sundays at 11am will find that the loss of a number of friends to Rome has not diminished our desire to offer worship to God with all the beauty and reverence that Christian tradition allows.

The Roman Catholic community, I know, has the same intention. The reality at St Stephen's is not "Holy war" but rather Christians seeking to share and work together in spite of the real divisions that do exist between denominations.

Roger Preece

Church Warden

St Stephen's Vestry

London SW7