The Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and the Mother of Him who hung thereon, Crediton
The beauty, love and serenity of the Church of the Holy Cross, Crediton is obvious to all those who enter, whether as passing strangers, locals who come to special services, regular members of the congregation and possibly even to browsers of this website!
The Friends of Crediton Church were instituted in May 1937 at the instigation of the Twelve Governors of the Heriditaments and Goods of the Church of Crediton. The Governors are the successors of the original twelve who were created by the Charter of 1547, grated by Edward V1 in return for a payment of £200. This Charter granted the Church and the Churchyard to all those who dwell within the boundaries of the ancient parish of Crediton. The Governors are Trustees on behalf of all such inhabitants and were given land to provide endowments for the maintenance of the building and the churchyard. Over the years the land has been converted into invested capital which provides a regular income, but never enough to meet present day demands; hence the foundation of the Friends. The Constitution provides for a Council consisting of representatives of the Governors, the PCC, the Town Council and the Clergy. This is the holding body, and the day-to-day work is done by an Executive Committee elected at the Annual General Meeting.
To become a Friend the minimum subscription is £1. (in 1937 it was 1 shilling!); there are a number of ways of contributing which enable the Committee to budget and make realistic recommendations to the members. Life membership is to be had for a single donation of £100. Other donations are always welcome and several members have remembered the Friends in their wills. All money is invested in approved Trustee funds and in general only the interest is spent annually.
Until 1970, much of the Friends' money was spent on assisting with fabric repairs; a typical contribution was to make the South Transept door and turret waterproof. At that date the Restoration Committee was formed: this took over some of the repairs of buildings although the Friends still contributed to releading many of the roofs and the repairs to water pipes and gutters. Projects funded by the Friends in past decades include the building of wooden screens in the Friends' Chapel and the entrance to the Lady Chapel from the south choir aisle, the provision of a loop system for the deaf, of new hymn books for choir and congregation, and in the churchyard new mowers and strimmers.
In 1987 there were special celebrations for the Friends' Jubilee, but every year, on the Sunday nearest to Holy Cross Day, there is a Festival Evensong and Social Gathering afterwards. During the year there are several coffee mornings whose purpose is of course to raise money but more importantly to meet together and feel that we are of one purpose.
Crediton Church has been inherited by the whole town. Amongst the Friends are well-wishers from all denominations or none, from businesses and other organisations: some from further afield have recognised the church as part of national heritage and even international. It is important to continue the work to provide a fit place for the worship of God and to carry on his work which has existed for so many centuries in this place.
Attached to this section is a membership slip. If you would like to join the Friends, please complete it in and return it to the Friends' Treasurer, Mike Beskeen. If you have any queries at all about the Friends, please telephone him on (01363) 774017
Page last updated 01/06/04