I READ with interest your recent article in the Faith News section (Saturday, November 5) which mentioned a planning application made by the members of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Bournemouth, which could enable the church to hold services at the Christian Science Reading Room in Southbourne.

As a member of the church, perhaps I could clarify that this arrangement is not intended to be a permanent solution for the church, but merely a provision that could meet our needs during our current transitional stage.

Church-goers of any denomination are occasionally asked how large their congregations are, and while attendance numbers can sometimes seem all-important to the success of the church, I am inspired by the fact that the Bible tells us that in the midst of two or three earnest hearts, there is found the living Christ (see Matt. 18:20).

In the hustle and bustle of modern society, and the failure of worldly means to bring real hope and satisfaction, I am grateful to know that there will always be a need for the spiritual sanctuary found in church.

Mary Baker Eddy, discoverer of Christian Science, wrote: ‘Higher enjoyments alone can satisfy the cravings of immortal man’.

PETER JACKSON

Montague Road, Bournemouth