Anglicans: A Brew in the Pew

Out of sheer desperation, perhaps, Anglican priests will try almost everything to pump new life into their rundown urban parishes. In his eight years as rector of St. Mary's in London's grimy Woolwich district, the Rev. Nick Stacey, 40, has wheeled a beauty queen around town in a cart to publicize a church benefit, opened a coffee bar and canteen for teenagers, and instituted bingo games for their elders. More seriously, his 14-man staff has started a housing service for indigents, a suicide emergency center, and a host of other useful counseling services. But even in the tolerant Church of England, there were quite a number of raised eyebrows when Father Stacey last week opened a licensed bar in the basement of his 233-year-old church.

Well-stocked with everything from bitter to brandy, St. Mary's pub initially drew a full house of miniskirted birds and their dates, who demurely sipped pints of beer as they listened to music by a folk-rock group. At 11, when Stacey's bar closed, the youngsters left quietly, happily—and sober. Explaining his odd addition to St. Mary's services, Stacey argued that most of the area's youth clubs have been closed down because of vandalism, and the regularly licensed pubs near the church are "revolting." "All we are trying to do," he says, "is get the kids over 18 off the streets and into the church. I'm sure the Arch bishop of Canterbury will not close us down."