London - The Church of England is considering installing cash dispensing machines in rural churches to help fill the gap left by bank closures, according to a report in yesterday's Sunday Telegraph.
The Right Rev Graham James, Bishop of Norwich, said he came up with the idea for installing automatic teller machines in naves and church halls after talking to bank executives about dwindling banking services. Lord St John of Fawsley, a former Conservative minister and chairman of the Royal Fine Art Commission Trust, said: "It is an appalling idea, madness. The interiors of churches are sacred places."