A VICAR is praying for success after he officially launched a £1.5 million appeal to build a new church in Bury.

The Rev Stuart Millington appealed for people to pray and to dip into their pockets so that the All Saints Parish Church, off Walshaw Road, can be re-built on the site of St Francis House Church in Brandlesholme.

Despite the massive amount needed, Mr Millington is not worried.

"I believe that if God wants it to be built we shall get the money," said Mr Millington who became vicar at All Saints a year ago.

The open day on September 9 introduced the plans to the public. More than 100 people from the church and community attended along with Councillor Ray Watts , the Bishop of Bolton and the Archdeacon of Bolton. "The open day took place on the actual site where the new building will be," said Mr Millington. "The site was pegged out so that you could get a sense of what will be there.

"That brought it alive and it became more than an idea on paper. People were quite thrilled, imaginations were captured."

The new building will be a place of worship for the 120 members of the congregation and a facility to benefit the community.

Mr Millington said: "It will provide lots of activities to meet needs. It has been said that this church is in a poor part of Bury in terms of meeting areas and the new building hopes to bridge that gap.

"It will benefit the community as a whole even if they don't all come to worship."

Mr Millington said that some had regretted the church's relocation.

"I do sympathise with them. You do have an affection for the place you grew up worshipping in. But the church is the people and we need to be where people live."

He explained that the majority of the congregation lived closer to the new site and it would have taken a "colossal" amount of money to make the old All Saints Parish Church safe.

A big amount needs to be raised and the church is thinking big when it comes to fund raising, sending out its appeal to churches up and down the country, charities and even into cyberspace.

"We will be sending a leaflet to every household in the parish to introduce the new church as well as appealing for funds," explained Mr Millington. "We will also appeal for donations to other churches outside the diocese and we are going to appeal to all the churches in the country called All Saints. We want people to pray for us because that is very important."