Churchgoers told to drink more

A CHURCH that holds services in a city nightclub could lose its home – because the “congregation” doesn’t drink enough.

The lack of thirsty punters attending the Solace church meetings in Cardiff’s Clwb Ifor Bach on Sunday evenings, is costing the nightspot hundreds of pounds each week.

Rev James Karran, 26, of Ararat Baptist Church, Whitchurch, Cardiff, said: “The reality is we don’t make the Welsh Club any money. It costs them about £600 to open up the place for us and we’re only paying them £50 to hire it. It’s not enough and they’re not making the money back from drink sales.

“Solace is going really well otherwise so we’d like to encourage people to come along to see what we’re about and the bar is open so don’t to be shy to go and drink – but not too much obviously.”

Solace was set up last month by James, along with the Church Army’s Wendy Sanderson, to make church more accessible and fun for young people and of course there’s the bar.

James thinks that the regulars aren’t drinking as much as they normally might on an evening in the pub because they’re in a church mindset.

He said: “People aren’t there to get wasted. The club has been very helpful to us but they’re used to being open until 2am with people getting hammered.