The reason given by Bishop Colin Johnson is that the building is “no longer under Anglican authority”. When unfettered by Anglican authority who knows what antics priests might get up to? If things got really out of hand one of them might inadvertently preach the gospel.
If Colin Johnson really wants to keep people out, he should take a tip from the Diocese of Niagara’s Bishop Michael Bird and block the entrance with concrete. Like this:
From here:
The Anglican Diocese of Toronto has forbidden its ministers and even laypersons from conducting services in a quaint non-denominational church in the historic hamlet of Irondale in the Haliburton Highlands.
The building used to belong to the diocese. After a two-year legal challenge, the Bark Lake Aboriginal Tribe this past summer purchased the church from the Anglican diocese for $70,000. The frame church, built by pioneer Charles Pusey in 1887, was sold to the diocese in 1901 for $50.
When the building reopened a month ago as the Irondale Community Church, the first service was Anglican, the second Lutheran. But when retired Anglican minister Arnold Hancock wanted to conduct the Thanksgiving Day weekend service, Archbishop Colin Johnson of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto sent out a cease-and-desist order far and wide.
The folks in Irondale, about 100 kilometres north of Peterborough, are now preparing for a fight. Even devout Anglicans are accusing the church of being unchristian.
“This has set everybody back,” George Simmons, whose family’s involvement in the church goes back generations, told the Toronto Star.
“I think the majority of Anglicans would be disgraced that they wouldn’t allow an Anglican minister (to conduct a service) for people who have attended that church for 50 years,” he said.
“He covered the whole area here. He notified every Anglican layperson and minister that they weren’t allowed to lead a service in the church,” Simmons added.
Johnson could not be reached directly by the Toronto Star but the Diocese of Toronto issued a statement.
“Due to dwindling numbers, the former Anglican church of St. John’s, Irondale, was closed and deconsecrated in 2010 and sold to private citizens for community use in 2012,” stated Stuart Mann, its director of communications. “The purchasers continue to hold services in the church, which is entirely appropriate. However, Anglican clergy are not permitted to conduct services at St. John’s as it is no longer under Anglican authority. Anglican clergy are only permitted to function in Anglican ministries.”
h/t AEC blog
Non story. You guys are scraping the bottom of the barrel. Oh, and by the way, it’s Archbishop Johnson.
Are you implying that while scraping the bottom of the barrel I came across Archbishop Johnson?
Lol.
It certainly seems like a story to me. Care to explain why you think this is a non-story?
Heaven forbid that Anglicans might be moved by the spirit to worship in praise without the permission of ecclesiastic fascists.
Eph – tell those who loved and maintained this building and still had the opportunity to worship there until the Bishop in all his pettiness decided otherwise that this is a non-issue.
Hey, remember its “arch”bishop. That’s important to Eph.
Loved and maintained? I can’t imagine the church was closed because is was thriving.
In order for any church to remain viable its congregants have to provide the financial and human resources necessary to support it. If these basic requirements are not in place, churches close. It’s that simple.
On the issue of allowing services… I suspect is has more to do with insurance than pettiness. As most of you are well aware, most service groups need to guarantee that they have insurance before they can rent any space for usage. The same is probably the case here. If the congregants can’t provide the insurance, the diocese will not allow a worship service in its name.
Cause just think of it… what if a service were held and the party in question did hold a service and little Mrs. Jones slipped on ice outside the front door and broke her hip. Who would be accused of negligence?
Of course it would be the big bad old Anglican church whose worshippers “forgot” to get insurance.
It was sold as a result of a court order, which tells us nothing about the size of the congregation before the sale, and if it was an insurance issue, why not say so when asked what harm it could do to allow services, rather than maintain a stony silence (see the full article)?
Eph
“relying on facts not in evidence” (insurance) is the last resort of a argument with no substance.
Face it, ACoC bishops view their members as serfs to be ordered around and punished when disobedient.
The Parish of Minden-Kinmount has three other churches you can attend for Anglican worship.
For heaven’s sake, the congregation could barely muster a handful of worshippers for Sunday services in the past few years, now “out of the blue” Anglicans are showing up in droves to worship there.
This is a contrived story by a retired priest who has his knickers in a knot.
If the point is worhsip, there are three other Anglican churches in the area that would be delighted for you to attend and use your gifts in support of their ministry. Why not concentrate on strengthening the existing congregations instead of spreading resources ever thinner?
A quick google maps search yielded the following. The closest Anglincan Churches for the people of Ironside are:
St.Paul’s Minden 37.7 km 37 min.
St. George’s Hlimburton 35.3 km 41 min.
Parish of Minden Kinmount 48.8 km 47 min.
Christ Anglican Bobcaygeon 49.0 km 48 min.
St. Michael’s Wollaston 82.2 km. 1 hr 25 min
St. Matthew’s Buckhorn 50.6 km 1 hr 4 min.
I can only imaginge what these drives will be like come winter.
For me the sad thing is that there is a group of people who desire to worship God as members of the Anglican Church, there is a Priest willing to provide ministry to these people, and there is a location in there community where this can all happen. It most certainly looks like these people in Ironside have the money to pay all the costs that need to be covered.
The silence from the Diocese and no explanation for why these why these people are being denied ministry is baffling.
“The Parish of Minden-Kinmount has three other churches you can attend for Anglican worship.”
So what?
Should you have an argument why Anglicans, who can worship anywhere, must not worship in this particular area of the earth, kindly produce it.
Otherwise, frankly, you look like a troll.
…and a small minded and petty reaction from the bishop.
Herein lies the boneheaded policy. Mr. Johnson (cleverly disguised as a minister for Christ) has forgotten Matthew 18:20.
It would appear that some Anglicans would periodically like to use the facility. Bishop Malcolm held many services in facilities that were not consecrated. Did that make us less Christian? Dean Robin Walker does (did) services in parks.
Nice to see the man reach out to those in need and pull the door shut.
Any ANiC clergy available? If so case closed!
Yes, he’s retired. Nothing preventing him from joining us!
What a bunch of bone-headed comments.
Quite frankly the ACC believes in “catholic” worship. Speaking to a bunch of rampant congregationalists I can understand that you hold contrary opinions.
But believe it or not… and I think you choose not to… there once was a congregation in Irondale. It dwindled in size, probably saw its collection plate decline as well, and then the material fabric of the place deteriorated. They couldn’t pay their bills, the church closed, the rest is history.
Now, out of the blue, droves of Anglicans show up for Sunday worship. Come on! Get real.
Please tell me you have better things to talk about?
Next issue.
BTW AMPm
St. James, Kinmount is 19 minutes away. That is chump change for you ANiC’s who drive eons to get to a place of worship.
Build up the congregation in Kinmount without spreading the resources thin.
Makes sense to me.
Hello Eph,
Not to nit-pick, but according to google maps the distance is 18.6 km and driving is 21 along county road 503. As I said earlier, I wonder what the driving conditions will be like in the winter.
Frankly I think you comment of “Build up the congregation in Kinmount without spreading the resources thin” indicates an attitude that the Parishioners are there for the church, instead of the church being there for the Parishioners. If this attitude were to be employed in Bruce County than practically every Congregation along the Bruce Peninsula would be closed and the people told to drive all the way to Wiarton (a drive of more than 70 km and over an hour long).
The attitude of “the Parish could not survive financially on its own, therefore it is closed and the people now have to drive to another community to participate in Anglican Worship” is just simply wrong. I cannot, and will not, beleive that Jesus Christ would ever turn away a group of people who were seeking to Worship God. If anything I see God doing things to make if possible for these people to continue Worshipping Him. A retired Priest is available, and so also is a location.
Eph
Congratulations on your virtuoso performance. You have masterfully portrayed the ignorance, contempt and arrogance that the ACoC has heaped on conservative Anglicans. I’m sure your bishop is very proud of you.
This site http://www.toronto.anglican.ca/about-the-diocese/being-anglican/life-events/weddings/ indicates that the Archbishop allows Anglican priests to agree to conduct Anglican weddings outdoors and in “other venues.” I just went to one two weeks ago at St. Lawrence Hall.
Surely it is no worse to conduct a service in a community church building?
The real issue here is that the diocese does not want to succour any breakaway Anglicans.
Eph 3:20: is it possible that St. John’s Irondale dwindled because of the liberal theology being preached there (for which the Diocese of Toronto is notorious) rather than lack of interest? If so then an ANiC church might thrive in its place, and the diocese might be highly motivated to prevent that from happening.