Good afternoon all!
Our parish combines three churches into one "Mission Community". I go to one of the two churches that is not the "head church" as it were. As it stands we have no music on a Sunday as nobody is available to play the organ. That's fair enough, so I have researched an alternative CD solution and am willing to purchase and underwrite any shortfall in fundraising, so it doesn't cost the PCC anything. All the congregation are on board and want to chip in and we use a CD for the Gloria and other sections of the liturgy. Hymns however...
The problem I am envisaging is that everything has to be approved by the PCC, of which only one member comes to the Sunday service at our church. I am half expecting me to turn up with everything and for (most likely) a particular Church Warden to shout it down and, essentially, refuse a gift to a church that he does not attend. Alternatively that it will be kicked down the path until eventually forgotten about. It won't cost the PCC anything but I have been ordered to ask by the priest to "keep the peace". People in the congregation want to donate, but I will not take money until there is approval.
I will say that at the moment the situation has gone from barely tolerable to dire and, if the church refuses to provide musical support for hymns, I am seriously considering finding one that will.