Rescuing Britain’s Christian Heritage: Durham Cathedral Bookshop

Today, we launch a formal petition to the Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral in a bid to rescue this once outstanding bookshop from the hands of those who have ravaged it, namely Phil and Mark Brewer and their St Stephen the Great Trust.

The Brewers took control of this bookshop, of the entire SPCK Bookshop chain, with fine sounding words, but actions always speak louder than words: Durham Cathedral Bookshop — described by one eminent scholar at an international conference as “the best theological bookshop in the world” — is now but a shadow of its former self. The manager, Carole Burrows — who once organised An Evening Conversation on Jesus and Paul, a conversation between Professor James D G Dunn and the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd N T Wright, as one of many excellent initiatives that helped to keep the shop at the forefront of theological debate — was driven out. Current staff are demoralised.

The time has come to say: enough is enough! The time has come for the Dean and Chapter to take decisive action to rescue the shop from further decimation. Durham Cathedral is a World Heritage Site and an iconic northern shrine, a popular tourist destination and a centre of Britain’s spiritual life — yet it is now marred by association and ill-equipped to serve those who come to it seeking spiritual refreshment and theological enlightenment.

I hereby call upon the Dean and Chapter of Durham Cathedral to step in, as Jesus once stepped in at the Temple in Jerusalem, and to drive out these men who are bringing this unique part of Britain’s Christian Heritage into disrepute. I urge you, please: take back control of your bookshop, of our bookshop.

And I call upon all others who feel similarly outraged — here in the UK, in the USA and throughout the world, and especially upon the residents of Houston, Texas, whose home town’s otherwise good name is similarly marred by this association — to sign this petition and to spread the word to encourage as many others as possible to do the same.

Thank you.

– Phil Groom.

Sign The Petition: Rescuing Durham Cathedral Bookshop

Houston, we have a problem…

Correspondence with Houston Operation, United States Courts, Southern District of Texas, forwarded by Clem Jackson, Christian Marketplace magazine. Email addresses have been split to help keep the spammers at bay. Contact info for both Christian Marketplace and the Texas Courts is available on their respective websites. 

From: Darlene Hansen
On Behalf Of Houston Operation @ txs.uscourts.gov
Sent: 11 August 2008 15:27
To: Clem Jackson
Subject: Re: St Stephen the Great – Chapter 7 case

The docket does not show any hearing on August 4th, and the motion to dismiss has not been ruled on as a today.

Sincerely,

Clerk’s Office
United States Courts, Southern District of Texas
515 Rusk, Ste., 5300
Houston, TX 77002
713-250-5500
Toll Free 866-358-6201

In reply to:

From: Clem Jackson, 08/11/2008 06:20 AM
Please respond by 08/14/2008
To: bankruptcy ecf helpdesk @ txs.uscourts.gov
Subject: St Stephen the Great – Chapter 7 case

Dear Sirs,

I understand that a hearing regarding the Bankruptcy claim filed by J Mark Brewer in relation to a company called St Stephen the Great LLC, and the bookshops it runs in the UK, was due for hearing on 4th August.

Could you please advise whether or not this hearing took place and what the outcome of the case was.

I am aware that Randy W Williams submitted a Motion to Dismiss this case and would like to know what the outcome was.

Christian Marketplace magazine is the trade paper for the Christian retail trade in the UK and Europe and as such this case is of great interest to my readers.

Your assistance in this enquiry is greatly appreciated.

Clem Jackson

Editor,
Christian Marketplace Magazine
Broadway House
The Broadway
CROWBOROUGH
East Sussex
TN6 1HQ

Thanks to Clem for forwarding this — Phil.