A Surrey church immortalised in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral may have to cut services if it cannot find more volunteers. St Michael's Church in Betchworth has stood so long it is referenced in the Doomsday book, but is facing a shortage of staff.
While the church has a rich history it is perhaps best known for its appearance in the 90’s classic Four Weddings and a Funeral. You don’t need to watch the film for long to see the church. Despite the first wedding supposedly taking place in Somerset, the church shown is actually St Michael's.
There had been suggestions on social media that the church would have to close in the coming weeks if a new church warden could not be found.
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Church wardens help with he running of the church. Those who want to take up the role need to be on the electoral roll of the church or resident in the parish, but anyone who wants to engage with the church would be welcome. You can find how to get in touch over the role, here.
A spokesperson for the church said: "Like many organisations, local churches rely on volunteers to help them run. One of the roles that is crucial is that of the churchwarden - who is responsible for the day-to-day functioning of a church. At the moment, St Michael's has no churchwarden and it's simply not possible to maintain the number of services (currently a fortnightly Holy Communion) it offers without one.
"There is no expectation that St Michael's would need to close - however, without a churchwarden worship services would be less frequent. We are hopeful that a suitable churchwarden may be found so that we can maintain worship in the church at its current level."
The church is white and apparently unusually large for its rural location. It is not the only location in Surrey featured in the hit rom-com as another wedding was filmed at Albury Park, near Guildford. Being so old the church has undergone several transformations, such as in the 13th Century and in the 1820s.
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