Ship-of-Fools, the online Christian magazine, is sending the religious equivalent of Mystery Shoppers to check on the quality of church services in London.

The Mystery Worshippers will visit churches across London Sunday 24 April and take note of sermon quality and length, pew comfort and the quality of after-service coffee. All visits are anonymous but the Mystery Shoppers will put a calling card, complete with picture of the Lone Ranger, in the collection plate.

The site is hoping to send out between 40 and 50 inspectors and is still looking for volunteers. If you want to help click here. (http://www.ship-of-fools.com/Mystery/index.html)

Ship-of-Fools came to the tender attentions of El Reg in May of last year when its virtual church, the Church-of-Fools, was hit by heretical hackers. Church wardens were forced to excommunicate some members of the virtual chapel for harrassing female members of the congregation and registering racist names for their avatars. More details here. (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/05/19/online_church_excommunicates/)

Mystery Worshippers have already sent in more than a thousand individual reports from churches across the world but this will be the first mass-Mystery Worship. Results will be published on the Ship of Fools website May 10.®

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