NO doubt among the nation's churchgoers there are many who prefer their worship to remain within the conventional confines of a consecrated building and a long-established liturgy.

"Modernising" clergy may risk considerable disapproval among their flocks if they tinker too much with what is hallowed ritual.

Witness the row that recently rocked one of our region's Church of England parishes, St Anne's at Fence, when an evangelical minister removed Victorian choir stalls from his church to accommodate dance, music groups and drama.

It was a step that split the congregation, with some departing in disgust. The rift was only healed when traditionalists took their complaints to a consistory court and won the reinstallation of the stalls and old-time religion.

It is a daring person who departs from the the customary path -- whether wishing to make religion more relevant and attractive to younger generations or for purely pragmatic reasons.

So Rossendale pastor Neil Hepworth deserves acknowledgment for his truly conspicuous departure -- of staging services in a pub!

True, the move is but a stopgap step in his bold mission to build a new Baptist church in the village of Weir to replace one that was demolished years ago. But though there is much that is makeshift about Mr Hepworth holding Sunday services in the Weir Hotel for his 12-strong congregation, he also believes that their unusual location may encourage others to join his flock, particularly if they are not used to going to church and likely to feel more comfortable in a pub.

Clearly then, Mr Hepworth -- who has given up much to enter the ministry -- is already rich in the Christian tenets of faith and hope and, charitably, even the old-fashioned among us would wish well his extraordinary efforts to pull in new punters where pints are pulled.