A WEST Somerset church with just a dozen regular worshippers could be handed back to its community. The future of St Luke's in Roadwater has hung in the balance for more than a year, with repairs needed to its roof and walls, long-standing damp problems and a perilous financial position making life uncertain for its tiny congregation. Last year a campaign to raise £40,000 was launched after a public meeting attended by more than 90 people from the village and benefice overwhelmingly supported a move to keep the church open. But problems arose when church leaders attempted to discover who actually owned the building. The Rev Judy Henning, priest in charge of the benefice, which includes Old Cleeve, Leighland and Treborough, said St Luke's was believed to have been built by a local vicar in the 19th century and had started life as a school. It had quite quickly become a church but it was not actually owned by the Diocese of Bath and Wells. "We couldn't actually start taking money from anyone towards helping to keep the church open until we resolved the ownership." Mrs Henning said investigations had been lengthy and complicated but the ownership was still unknown. The Charity Commission, one of the bodies which the Parochial Church Council (PCC) has been consulting on the issue, eventually put forward two options for the future use of St Luke's. They recommended it could either be taken over by the diocese or that it could be used for any charitable purpose for the benefit of people in Roadwater, with a preference for education in keeping with what it was felt was the primary wish of the original donors. Mrs Henning said the PCC and interim trustees had, after much discussion and prayer, proposed to accept the latter option. The diocese had now agreed this could go forward and those involved were now awaiting further information from the Charity Commission who will need to appoint between three and five new trustees. Mrs Henning said it had also been agreed that the congregation of St Luke's could share another building in Roadwater and an invitation for joint services in the Methodist Chapel had been received. "This would be on a trial basis but at the moment we are still using St Luke's for fortnightly services," she said. "I would hope that what has been proposed will mean the building can be retained for the community."