A CRUCIAL meeting has been held to highlight the level of repairs needed to save a much-loved village church and its importance to residents.

St John the Baptist Church, in Pebmarsh, has been fighting the threat of closure for the past month, after the safety and condition of parts of its infrastructure and surrounding grounds were called into question.

The thousands of pounds needed to fix the building’s leaking roof and North Nave ceiling, as well as fund the consistent maintenance and attention it requires is proving difficult to generate.

The Grade I listed church has received no financial help from the Church of England’s Chelmsford Diocese and it is expected to finance the restoration work needed to preserve the future of the building by itself.

Louise Bradley-Flack, of the Friends of Pebmarsh Church, said: ‘‘The cost of maintaining and repairing the building and its church yard has become too much for the small regular congregation and they receive no financial help from the Church of England, and therefore it could permanently close and potentially be sold off for conversion.’’

Since being given the ultimatum, following the Church of England’s five-yearly inspection report, a desperate plea for help, advice and funds has been sent out to every household in the community by the Friends of Pebmarsh Church – a charity dedicated to preventing the closure of St John the Baptist.

A meeting on Wednesday night saw more than 50 people come together to discuss the situation and brainstorm ways raise more than £52,000 for a new roof.

Friends chairman Jonathan Nott and retiring churchwarden Belinda Fellows gave presentations.

Louise added: ‘‘Churches are an important part of the landscape and they are part of what England is to many of us.

‘‘Once a church closes its doors it’s lost for good.

“The Friends of Pebmarsh Church are here to purely raise funds for the building and maintenance costs to ensure it’s here for generations to come.”