attractive to young people, and more forceful on controversial issues.

The church, the biggest denomination on the Island, is also boosting attempts to recruit non-believers and planning more lively music in services.

The changes come after the Rt. Rev. William Down, Anglican Bishop of Bermuda, asked the church to take a long, hard look at itself and come up with suggestions.

The Bishop then drew up a master plan for change, which is now being put into action.

The Anglican church has more than 16,000 members -- about 28 percent of the population. The planning process took about two years. "I think it's going to concentrate people's minds on what the church is for,'' the Bishop said this week.

"The whole object of this overall plan is to make the church more effective and enable Christians to be more effective.

"The church is people and Christianity is caught, not taught. It's the infectious enthusiasm of people who believe in what their speaking about and whose lives are attractive to people.'' He said the first major job the church agreed to do was to create a more businesslike system of finances for the synod, the central body of the church which comprises about 40 church members, clergy and officials.

Each parish would now send in funds every year to give the synod its own income. The cash will be used in areas like public relations, training, youth work and in efforts to improve racial harmony, the Bishop said. The synod would also be using its new budget to set up a central resource centre.

Action in the plan was designed to be practical and achievable, he added. "I think we're going to have a much more comprehensive training of our lay people, training them to be effective Christians wherever they are.

"And we're certainly hoping to galvanise our youth work and appoint a youth co-ordinator.'' Regular Island-wide Anglican conferences would be called on important issues, "so everyone can speak their mind''.

"There are a lot of burning issues on the Island. You have only to look at letters to the editor.

"I hope that we shall become increasingly listened to. It's important on major issues that we should give a clear, firm lead, and that is what we intend to do.

"We want to make things happen, not just respond to things going on around us.'' An example of a firm lead was January's joint Angican-Roman Catholic statement that it was "inappropriate'' for private homosexual act between consenting adults to be criminal.

This was worded after consulting every Anglican priest in Bermuda, the Bishop said.

He added he wants worship to be "absolutely relevant'', and services to be attractive to people of all ages. Guitar player the Rev. Brian Melbourne and the congregation at St. John's had introduced a lot of "lively'' hymns.

Mr. Melbourne is also producing a Sunday TV praise show, due to be shown on June 6.

The Bishop praised a big all-parish outdoor service last June as an example of a new emphasis on outreach.

The Bishop of Bermuda, the Rt. Rev. William Down.