Tag Archives: Diocese of Niagara

Bishop Michael Bird responds to Primates’ Communiqué

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What it lacks in surprises it makes up for in clichés:

Bishop Michael Bird has expressed his “profound disappointment” ‎with news arising from the recent Primates Meeting that The Episcopal Church will be suspended for a period of three years from formal leadership roles within the Anglican Communion. “We stand together with our sister and brother Anglicans in The Episcopal Church,” said the Bishop, and “give thanks for their faithful witness to the loving purposes of God.”

The Bishop is holding in his prayers all those whose dignity is impacted by the Communiqué from the Primates, especially those who identify as LGBTQ2. While we recognize the pain experienced by many as a result of the decisions taken at the Primates Meeting, Bishop Michael echoes Archbishop Curry’s words that our vocation may be to help the Communion “grow in a direction where we can realize and live the love that God has for us all.”

Bishop Michael also deeply appreciates our own Primate’s gracious leadership and his invitation to continue to pray for the primates as well as for ourselves that we might be faithful to our calling to “be the face of Jesus in this world.” The Anglican Church of Canada has issued an initial statement by our Primate and a more fulsome statement is expected on Monday.

As part of his own ongoing commitment to the Anglican Communion, Bishop Michael participates in an annual Consultation of Anglican Bishops in Dialogue. Given the developments at the Primates Meeting, Bishop Michael feels that this gathering continues to be “so important in the life of the Anglican Communion.” Since 2010, the rotating group of African and North American bishops have met annually at locales around the world. Their gatherings facilitate learning about each other’s contexts and finding pathways for healing and reconciliation. The next consultation is scheduled for May 2016 in Ghana.

Bishop Michael also reiterates his hope and expectation that all Anglicans in Niagara will prayerfully engage with recent report of the Commission on the Marriage Canon entitled “This Holy Estate” in the lead up to our General Synod this July.

The Diocese of Niagara is in decline

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The Anglican Church of Canada is squeamishly shy about publicising how many people attend its churches. No complete statistics for membership and average Sunday attendance have been published since 2001, although the ACoC did claim a membership of 545,957 in 2007.

The Diocese of Niagara’s paper, however, has published some statistics for 2013 and 2014:

DoN NumbersYou can see that the average Sunday attendance fell 7.2 percent in one year. We cannot know, of course, whether this rate of decline will increase or decrease as the years pass but, if it remains the same, in 60 years there will be 91 people left in the diocese or, since there are 89 parishes, around one person per parish – presumably the priest.

On a less gloomy note, the number of green parishes increased by three, demonstrating, I suppose, that the diocese overestimated the drawing power of its Gaia god.

Diocese of Niagara accused of caring only about money – again!

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The Diocese of Niagara, still smarting from being denounced as greedy, has decided to give Guelph residents upset with the sale of St. Matthias two months to come up with a plan more to their liking:

The Anglican Diocese of Niagara is giving community groups a two-month window to come up with a revised development proposal for the patch of land at 171 Kortright Rd. W.

The Diocese made the announcement in a news release on Wednesday.

Diocesan spokesman, Rev. Bill Mous, said that “the diocese cared deeply about Guelph”, a pious condescension which has not convinced at least one citizen, who announced in a letter to a local Guelph newspaper that the diocese “cares only about money”, that Mous’s words “ring hollow”, that the community “does not feel cared for“ and that the diocese has “cast a dark shadow on the reputation of the Anglican Church everywhere” – not an easy thing to do considering the completion.

Read it all here and –  Merry Christmas, Diocese of Niagara and staff:

Anglican Diocese only cares about money

Two contract extensions in spite of the fact that the City councillors unanimously said no to the rezoning application. Two extensions in spite of the feelings of the neighbours who want the church to remain a church and in spite of the hopes and prayers of local congregations who are longing for usable worship space. Preserve a church as a church? Why do that when you can reap an extra million dollars by selling to a developer who specializes in high-density construction?

The words of Bill Mous, spokesperson for the Diocese, ring hollow to anyone who has a stake in the neighbourhood surrounding the church property. The Diocese “cares deeply for Guelph”? This community does not feel cared for. It seems the Diocese cares deeply about turning a huge profit by rezoning institutional land to R-4 specialized. And the Diocese cares deeply about running the community out of money so that citizens lose their right to object at the board.

It’s a sad comment on Anglican officials who lack a social conscience and try to bafflegab their way out of any responsibility for the upcoming demolition of a church that other congregations would be thankful to be able to purchase at fair-market value for institutional land. Diocese decisions have cast a dark shadow on the reputation of the Anglican Church everywhere and the Synod clearly worships the almighty dollar rather than the Almighty.

An open letter to Bishop Michael Bird

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A resident of Guelph appeals once more to the bishop of Niagara not to sell St. Matthias to property developers.

In spite of claiming to make justice one of the centrepieces of its ministry, the diocese doesn’t seem to have convinced those who live in Guelph: it would appear that “the word on the streets of Guelph is ‘greed’”.

From here:

This column is presented as an open letter to Michael Bird, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara.

On behalf of the Citizens for Community and all the residents of Guelph, I would appeal to you not to renew the Anglican Church’s conditional purchase agreement with HIP Developments for 171 Kortright Rd. W. Yes, you have the legal right to sell the St. Matthias church property – and to the highest bidder. That’s all you have though. You don’t have the moral right. The land is community space – for the people of Guelph.

You represent the Anglican Church. People expect higher moral standards of churches, not lower. If you sell the property, zoned “institutional” for a much higher “residential” or “high density residential” amount, in the middle of a single home family neighbourhood, the Anglican Church will be held responsible. You will have failed morally.

You can do better. The Anglican Diocese bought the land in 1981 for $110,000. It was zoned “institutional” and for a reason. Communities need lands zoned “institutional” for different faiths, hospices, nursery schools, service clubs, seniors’ centres, not-for-profit housing, and a host of other organizations. To buy land zoned for “institutional,” and then turn around and sell it for “residential” or “high density residential,” at a much higher profit, and to not accept fair market offers from other churches, is immoral. The word on the streets of Guelph is greed. People also aren’t interested in money reinvested in Guelph that is more than the value of the property as “institutional.” That would be tainted money. It would be totally unjust for Anglican ministries to be financed at the expense of the McElderry neighbourhood and their families.

In the future, other organizations will need community space. People need a place to meet and to be community. The church stands for community. Other churches offered fair market value for the St. Matthias property. Why did you not accept their offers or negotiate with them? Why not now accept new offers from the same churches or other community organizations? The Anglican Church benefited from this land zoned “institutional” for over thirty years! Why would you not give another church or community organization the same opportunity? The United and Presbyterian churches both sold their churches to other churches or institutions.

I would encourage you to come from Hamilton to Guelph and to listen to the people. I assure you the majority would respond: “Well, you can do whatever, but it definitely sounds like greed.” You also have caused the neighbours to raise and spend thousands of dollars and work countless hours to fight for their neighbourhood. If you succeed at the OMB with your initial decision to sell to HIP Developments, will you reimburse the local community for their expenses? I would hope so.

What do you stand for? I believe (for) community and spirituality. How is what you’re doing consistent with: “Do unto others (other churches) as you would have them do unto you.” Other churches made fair market value offers. Reopen the sale process and do the right thing. No one will fault you for getting it wrong at the first. They will if you get it wrong in the end. Churches are human and as history proves don’t always get it right. We know that only too well in Canada. We all get it wrong from time to time. Stop the renewal agreement with HIP, and do the right thing. The McElderry neighbourhood and the reputation of the Anglican Church in Guelph, a church that continues to serve Guelph well, are far more important than surplus money. Don’t go down in history as the bishop who sold our community land out from underneath us. Go down in history as the bishop, like many bishops, archbishops and other religious leaders, who realized that getting it right in the end is what it’s all about.

Guelph is counting on you getting it right. Choose people over profit. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr: “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” If you are our friend, let us know by your actions. The time is always right to do what is right. Contact HIP Developments and make a “Good for the People of Guelph” and “Good for the Anglican Church” decision.

New Anglican church in Guelph

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The Diocese of Niagara has managed to alienate a significant segment of Guelph’s inhabitants by selling its buildings to property developers rather than other churches. It isn’t often that the Diocese of Niagara stirs up enough passion to convince anyone to parade around with a sign that has “Anglican” on it. In this case, though, “Anglican” is accompanied by another word: “greed”.

After a couple of church closures by the diocese, the Anglican Network in Canada is starting a new church: it’s Anglican and Christian.

From here:

At this season of renewal, Guelph is also experiencing a renewed expression of Anglicanism. Under the leadership of the Reverend Zena Attwood, “St Jude, Guelph” wants to be a spiritual home for seekers and Christians who value ordered worship combined with serious Biblical and theological scholarship.

St Jude belongs to the Anglican Network in Canada, an alternative Anglican jurisdiction that Ms Attwood says embodies the best of Anglicanism’s catholic, reformed, evangelical, and charismatic traditions. She explains that the impetus to form the St Jude community predates the demise of two of Guelph’s four Anglican congregations, but she hopes that St Jude may help to stanch the hemorrhaging of Guelph’s Anglican community.

Diocese of Niagara to have Justice Camp in Cuba

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The Anglican equivalent of Saudi Arabia heading a UN human rights panel is locating a Justice Camp in one of the least just countries in the world outside of North Korea: Cuba. Perhaps the incentive was a promise of free cigars.

From here (page 10):

The first-ever international Justice Camp will bring together a diverse group of Anglicans in Cuba from May 1-6, 2016, to explore the concept of the common good with an eye towards furthering God’s justice and loving purposes.

Bishop Michael Bird spent over $1 million suing ANiC parishes

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I had not seen the cost to the Diocese of Niagara of its litigation until this article about Bird appeared in the Anglican Journal. I imagine the diocese views it as money well spent since the sale and demolishing of St. Hilda’s church and rectory alone netted them $2.6 million; and who cares about 1 Corinthians 6:1 when what really counts is at stake?

“Just prior to my becoming bishop, three parishes voted to walk away from the diocese of Niagara,” Bird said in an interview with the Anglican Journal. “There was a subsequent fourth one some months after…that.” What he needed to do, he said, was to draw “a good group of people around the episcopal office.”

Protracted and sometimes rancorous legal battles over the ownership of properties followed. The costs of these battles—which Bird said ran upwards of $1 million—were compounded by the recession of 2008, which drove the diocese into serious financial difficulties.

The Diocese of Niagara continues to endear itself to the community

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The Diocese of Niagara Living the Vision in Guelph.

From here:

Last Saturday’s feature on the Ethiopian congregation in Breslau was heartwarming.

Not only did the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church consider fellow Christians seeking worship space as worthy purchasers, they actually donated the church that they no longer use to a congregation without a place to call home.

What generosity of spirit, what kindness and forethought, what admirable consideration for the entire community.

Such selfless motivation is sorely lacking in the saga of the former St. Matthias Church property in Guelph, which is owned by the Anglican Diocese of Niagara. In this case, the diocese outright refused a $1.2-million purchase offer from a local congregation for the redundant Anglican Church at Kortright and Edinburgh roads. Rather, they continue to favour a bidder who proposes to demolish the church and replace it with high-density housing.

Anglican claims of putting ministry ahead of money ring hollow when you see the opportunities the Lutherans (and some other denominations) create for other faith groups.

Why is it so difficult for the Anglican diocese to see through the shallow advice they are being given? Why advocate mercenary practices that preclude serious offers from other congregations because they cannot compete with developers?

This is exactly what is happening here in spite of community objections, in spite of Guelph city council questioning the entire process, in spite of a developer using the Ontario Municipal Board process to get its own way.

What a sad commentary on the state of affairs in the Anglican Church.

Optimism descends upon the Diocese of Niagara

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Not, needless to say, because they are bringing more people to Christ but because they have more money.

From here:

The past decade has not been an easy one for the diocese of Niagara. Beset by financial woes, theological divisions over the place of gays and lesbians in the church and a series of lawsuits from parishes that left the diocese to join the breakaway Anglican Network in Canada, diocesan leadership has faced challenging times.

But these days, its leaders are cautiously optimistic about the diocese’s future. For one, a settlement with the Anglican Network reached in 2012 has ended crippling lawsuits and left parish buildings from three breakaway churches in the hands of the diocese.

To clarify one point: “a series of lawsuits from parishes that left the diocese” should read “a series of lawsuits initiated by the diocese against parishes that left the diocese”.

Diocese of Niagara lets secular group use one of its buildings rent free

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The diocese allows HARRRP to use St. Peter’s church in Hamilton rent free. At first glance, this appears to be generous. Less so at second glance.

St. Peter’s once housed a thriving congregation, a congregation that, because of theological differences with the diocese, aligned itself with ANiC. To avoid costly court battles, in November 2010 the congregation surrendered the building to the Diocese of Niagara at which point the diocese, rather than allow a Christian congregation to use the building for worship, donated the use of it to HARRRP, a secular organisation.

Being careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them, the diocese, to advertise its generosity, has a smugly self-congratulatory article on display here:

HARRRP’s St. Peter’s location first opened its doors in November 2010. The building had been sitting empty since its congregation broke with the Anglican Church of Canada when the diocese of Niagara offered HARRRP the rent-free use of the building as a community centre. The diocese has remained involved, with the Rev. Peter Wall, dean of Niagara, the Rev. Bill Mous, director of justice, community and global ministries for the diocese of Niagara, and bishop of Niagara Michael Bird currently sitting on HARRRP’s board of directors.

Read more about the settlement with ANiC here:

Hamilton, Ontario, November 1st, 2010 – St. Peter’s Church in Hamilton, Ontario has been returned to the Anglican Diocese of Niagara by the members of the Anglican Network in Canada after a two year dispute over the rightful control over this property.

Negotiations had been underway for a number of weeks and an amicable agreement was reached at the end of last week that will transfer the assets and property back to the Diocese