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of the challenges involved.'
He added that a way forward was needed for the long term, so that those involved would be asking the same questions in five years' time.
'I don't want to be the one who closed St Mary's, but neither do I want to be the one who ducked the issue and left the decision to others,' Mr Cook told the Times.
'Old buildings take a lot of time, energy and money. The people of Sticklepath now have the opportunity to decide if they would like to keep the church as a place of worship or if its future lies as something else.
'I would like to stress that this is not a story about declining church attendance. I would guess the number of people coming to St Mary's has been pretty steady over the last decade.
'This is about the sensible and proper use of the limited resources of time, people and money that we have. The church has to be sure that its buildings are its servants, not its masters.
'We need to make sure that St Mary's is an asset not a problem. I am very confident that with good will on all sides that is more than possible.'
Simon Herbert, the treasurer for St Mary's, Belstone and St Mary's, Sticklepath, said he too was hoping a solution can be found: 'We would love it if it was able to continue and many people came to support St Mary's and make it a viable proposition. Hopefully, the recent publicity may see these people come forward and help to save the church.'
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Exeter added: 'Any petition to close a building comes from the parish and not the diocese. In the case of Sticklepath, the parochial church council of Belstone have written to the Bishop to ask him to close Sticklepath, which is a "daughter" church to Belstone.
'The process to close a building is a very lengthy one and, in this case, it is only just beginning. It will involve extensive consultation with all the community before any final decision is reached.'