From here:
Reflecting upon yesterday’s Supreme Court of Canada’s decision, Bishop Michael Bird, states: “The decision clears the way for us to proceed to a trial involving the disputed ownership of three parishes in the Diocese of Niagara. This matter has been deliberated upon at every level of our Canadian legal system and this most recent decision must surely remove any question as to our ownership of these properties. Like our counterparts in British Columbia, the issue of same-sex relationships is well behind us and we are fully engaged in the work of mission and re-visioning our church as it engages with and serves the people of this generation. The diocese has been very patient over these years but now we hope that this property dispute can be resolved quickly.”
The Diocese of Niagara has instructed its legal counsel to move forward expeditiously to bring this matter to trial.
Enjoy the orange carpet, Mike.
When you read Bishop Don Harvey’s response and David Short’s response and then compare them to this – well, what am I saying – there is no comparison. The former two are full of grace and this -not so much!
Is the bishop suggesting that “this is all behind us” based on the fact that these congregations chose to depart from the ACC? So, if they had stayed, it wouldn’t be “all behind us”? Or has the bishop just, once again, marginalized all those who don’t agree with same-sex “relationships” but are still in the ACC? Something about tolerance, diversity, big tent, just got squashed again, at least verbally.
So how long will that “congregation” of a dozen or so people be able to keep that building going? We can barely pay for ours and we’ve supposedly got hundreds of families on the rolls.
I expect the developers are making up the “for sale” signs already. Yep “choice lots” in yuppie Oakville. It ought to go a long way to pay off the legal bills.
Gawk
-selling off God’s monuments to pay for the ACoC’s apostacy.
Peace
From what I understand, the land St. Hilda’s sits on is zoned for a place of worship so, unless it is rezoned, a developer can’t build on it.
Assuming they actually do end up with the building, that would leave the diocese with the options of trying to start up a new congregation, trying to get it rezoned, selling it to another religious institution or turning it into a community centre as they have done to St. Peter’s in Hamilton.
I can imagine it becoming a “Community Centre”. The outreach of the old congregation has set a precedent. And if things go like up in Hepworth Ont where the defunct Anglican Church was sold to the town and became a “Community Centre” with the result of the building ending up being used by a tradition Anglican bunch who rent it. The town maintains it. A lovely way to go.