WHEN councillor Jean Battle protests about a nominal amount of town money going to Christ Church, Accrington (LET, March 12), she must not be aware that the church has already set aside half its building to give to the community as a family centre, not to mention upwards of £40,000 of its own money.

More than this: We even tried to sell off the family treasures -- our stained glass windows -- so that we could give even more to our needy community. One of the windows tells the story of the Good Samaritan, the one who was prepared to use his own riches to help one who was in need.

Our community's needs are obvious and Councillor Battle will agree, having devoted much of her life trying to eradicate them.

We have 417 children waiting for places for the planned holiday clubs, nurseries and after-school clubs. We've got many elderly in great need of a meeting place and a luncheon club. We're surrounded by youngsters complaining they've nothing to do and nowhere to go.

This pattern of church-giving-to-community is being repeated in town after town -- Blackburn, Nelson, Preston, etc.

Today, our churches realise with new force what one of our founding fathers once stressed -- we are the only society that exists for the sake of its non-members. Our calling is serve the whole community in love, not just ourselves.

I hope this new perspective enables my councillor friend to see that Hyndburn's small grant to Christ Church is indeed a gift to the whole community.

REV KEVIN LOGAN, Vicar, Christ Church, Accrington.