Members of Historic English Church Expect to Close Until Finding Unexpected Treasure Under the Altar
The five remaining members of St. Wilfrid’s Church in Melling, a small village north of Lancaster, England, expected Good Friday to be their final service.
The church that had stood for 700 years — with worship on the site starting 850 years ago dating back to the Normans — was set to close because of £750,000, or about $1 million, of needed repairs to the roof and other parts of the building.
But that’s when the church’s vicar, Jane Lee, found something under the altar.
“As we took the altar frontal off, the wedding kneeler was underneath, and I noticed a plastic bag sticking under it,” the female minister told The Times.
For a church on the brink of closure, this must have felt like a miracle!
St Wilfrid’s Church in Melling, Lancashire, was facing closure after its congregation was unable to raise the £750,000 needed for urgent repairs. Then, while preparing for morning prayers, the vicar made… pic.twitter.com/sDl5ZOLUjp
— SaveOurChurchesUK (@SaveukChurches) July 7, 2026
“When we took it out, there was a box in it with a note.”
The bag had nine coins dating from 1999, each with a face value of £100, which is about $134, according to a report from The Christian Post.
But they were sold for £30,000, which is about $40,000.
“We got just short of £30,000 when we sold them,” Lee added.
“We were both absolutely flabbergasted. We couldn’t believe it. We both burst into tears. You know, it was just like a miracle.”
The coins came along with a note on Salvation Army paper dated to July 16, 2022.
“Hi there, I’d like to donate these nine gold Britannias to Melling church,” the note said.
It was signed by “James, servant of the living God.”
Lee said that the proceeds can serve as seed money to apply for grants and raise more money for repairs.
“For me, it’s significant because we’ve got more community backing now to the church, whereas four years ago we would have probably just spent it on the day-to-day running of it,” Lee said of the funds.
“Now it’s there for a seed to get all the repairs done that need to be done.”
There were reportedly other churches in the area which had received similar mystery gifts in 2022.
But in the providence of God, St. Wilfrid’s may have found theirs at exactly the right time.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
