Tag Archives: Diocese of Niagara

Diocese of Niagara fills church for all the wrong reasons

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As I mentioned here, St. Matthias in Guelph was sold to property developers for about $2M.

From here:

It is somewhat rare today that the church can gather an overflow crowd but the Anglican Diocese of Niagara has succeeded in doing that — unfortunately for all the wrong reasons.

The crowd that gathered were neighbours of Saint Matthias Anglican Church (at the corner of Edinburgh and Kortright roads) concerned that the Anglican Diocese is planning to sell the church and land to a developer who will build 81 units of rental housing geared to students.

[…..]

We have heard that there were other serious offers to purchase the property by other churches. But these too have been rebuffed. And so the conclusion that many would draw is that the diocese wants top dollar. And worse, that the denomination cares little for the neighbours that the church community has lived beside for the past 30 years. It would seem to be another example of a self-serving church.

The diocese is attempting to revitalise what’s left of the homeless St. Matthias by having some seminars on the Seven Grandfathers of the Anishinaabe people. That should work.

For those who remain unconvinced of the relevance of St. Matthias to today’s world, there is the St. Matthias blog where we discover that “living our questions is where the answers lie” and “There is Truth and it is deep within and around us all the time.” I am so moved, I think I am going to cry; so much so that I can almost overlook the fact that the writer seems to be oblivious to the difference between “lie” and “lye” – a generous application of which could, admittedly, greatly improve the diocese:

Does the truth lye in the living each moment of each day without fear of failure, fear of the other, fear of rejection, fear of all sorts of things that consume our thoughts, emotions, spirits and hearts.

Diocese of Niagara wants to address Ontario’s Dignity Deficit

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You could be forgiven for thinking that that means throwing out Kathleen Wynne and her Liberal Government. But no: the diocese wants what every left thinking Anglican wants: a bogus utopia in which wealth is redistributed through increased taxation. Except for the diocese itself, of course, which deserves to maintain its tax exempt status because it campaigns so tirelessly for – well, wealth redistribution for everyone else.

From here:

In a recent submission to the Minister of Finance’s 2015 Pre-Budget Consulation, [sic] the Diocese articulated its conviction that a socially just society is one in which all citizens have enough to flourish. While Ontario’s fiscal deficit is a pressing issue, so is its dignity deficit according to the Reverend Bill Mous, Director of Justice, Community and Global Ministries.

The diocese reckons that the charitable work done by St. Matthew’s House in Hamilton is “inadequate”. Perhaps if the diocese donated more of its tax free income to St. Matthew’s House it would be less inadequate.

The Diocese of Niagara still busy deconsecrating and demolishing

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The Diocese of Niagara deconsecrated St. Paul’s in Thorold in June of 2014. Plans to demolish it were thwarted by members of the community who wish to preserve it as an historic building. Representatives from the diocese, holding back the tears, let the community buy it for a nominal fee.

St. Paul'sRead it all here:

On Monday, the Anglican Church of Canada announced that the Synod of the Diocese of Niagara — the governing body of the diocese — has voted to enter into an agreement to sell historic former St. Paul’s Anglican Church and the adjoining cemetery to the new Friends of St. Paul Port Robinson group, which McDonald heads, for a nominal fee.

The announcement means the stately white building no longer faces the wrecking ball and could stand for future generations to enjoy.

McDonald,  who can see the church from her front yard, was convinced by a friend to join a couple of other Port Robinson residents in an impromptu visit to Thorold city council last  September.

The stunned residents had just learned the 170-year-old church, which had been deconsecrated last June, was slated for demolition.

The Diocese of Niagara sells another church

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The ever shrinking Diocese of Niagara is busy selling properties to keep itself afloat. One of the latest is St. Matthias in Guelph.

Having no building, St. Matthias is a Community on the Move – not necessarily a move towards the Gospel, though. It is non-doctrinal, so if you decide to attend, it’s best not to believe anything in particular. All are welcome, especially those who define themselves through their sexual orientation – as long they don’t believe in anything much other than their sexual orientation.

The residents of the surrounding area are not particularly happy with the six story apartment building that will replace the church. They have even written to the bishop, imploring him to reconsider. I’m sure the $2M that is at stake will not be a factor in the final decision.

From here:

A group of Guelph residents is appealing to the Anglican bishop for the region to reconsider selling a south-side church property for redevelopment into a six-storey, 81-unit mid-rise apartment complex for post-secondary students.

“Wouldn’t that be nice,” vocal opponent Stephen Runge said Monday, noting the proposal by Waterloo-based HIP Developments Inc. requires a conversion zoning bylaw amendment. That’s currently under review by municipal staff, ultimately for recommendation to city council.

Runge is with a neighbourhood organization called The McElderry Group objecting to the proposal, which he said wouldn’t fit well with a neighbourhood of family residences near retail and parkland components close to Kortright and Edinburgh roads, nor meet the provincial goal of infilling.

“It doesn’t help the neighbourhood,” Runge said, adding it’s also such an infilling “intensification corridor.” The province’s Places To Grow goal is to slow urban sprawl with developments within cities.

There’s an opportunity for the Anglican diocese to reconsider the project it has embarked on with Hip since the church closed its doors two years ago, the Guelph group emphasized. It’s asking the diocese not to renew the deal’s terms of sale when they expire in June.

In an open weekend email to Bishop Michael Bird, the group expressed deep disappointment at the decision by the synod of the diocese to negotiate a sale agreement with HIP for 171 Kortright Rd. W., citing viable alternatives that include two offers, though less lucrative, from other local church communities. Runge said the group hasn’t received a response yet, but expects to.

What the Diocese of Niagara wishes for the people of Hamilton

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Better sewers – and a few other things. Notably absent is a desire for the people of the city which is home to the diocesan cathedral to come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour; that must be less important than waste disposal.

From here:

  1. That our elected mayor and councillors provide wisdom, insight, and prophetic vision in governing our city.

  2. That Hamilton become, and is known as, the Canadian city which cares and reaches out most effectively to the poor and to those who live on the margins.

  3. That we provide resources to continue to improve our infrastructure – roads, transit, antiquated systems (water, sewers, etc.).  If this means slightly more in property taxes, it is worth it!!!

Anglican reaction to U.S and Cuba diplomatic ties

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From here:

Upon hearing the news that the U.S. and Cuba would re-establish diplomatic ties, Bishop Michael Bird of the diocese of Niagara said in a statement that the diocese “rejoices at the transformational opportunities that this announcement holds for the Cuban people and the ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Cuba.” The diocese of Niagara and the Episcopal diocese of Cuba maintain a companion relationship.

When asked how changes in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba might affect the position of the ECC, Archdeacon Michael Thompson, general secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada, stressed that there is still much that is unknown.

Does anyone believe that the thawing of relations between the U.S. and Cuba will result in transformational opportunities? Will Cuba cease to be a totalitarian state where political dissent is brutally suppressed, or will there be relief for the grinding poverty in which most Cubans live, including those working at luxury resorts that cater to vacationing Canadians – and soon Americans?

Cuba is insisting that the U.S. “respect Cuba’s communist rule“, a demand that will not perturb Western Anglican bishops one iota:

Cuban President Raul Castro on Saturday demanded that the United States respect Cuba’s communist rule as the two countries work toward normalizing diplomatic ties.

The main transformation may be that Obama will be able to obtain Cuban cigars legally.

The Diocese of Niagara’s financial haemorrhage

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The Diocese of Niagara had a surplus of around $1.7M in 2013 thanks, in part, to selling St. Hilda’s church building and rectory for around $2.6M (other property sales brought this to around $3.3M):

actual2By 2016, the diocese has estimated that not only will all that money have evaporated, but there will be a $62,591 deficit:

budget

It looks to me as if the diocese is on the road to extinction.

Diocese of Huron focussing on what really matters

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Dog poop.

From here:

I am writing this letter to express the concern we, at St. James Anglican Church feel about the abuse of our facilities by dog owners. In particular, dog owners seem to presume that the gardens and parkland on the south side of St. James are public property, owned by the City of Stratford. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The lands on the south side of St. James stretching down to Huron Street are the property of The Anglican Church of Canada, Diocese of Huron. A large portion of the property is a Registered Cemetery that is very much in use.

In fact, we will have four internments there during the month of June.

At the direction of the Wardens of St. James, a large garbage can is placed out on the south side lawn of the Church for those that may have paper refuse, coffee cups or pop cans. We do this to encourage people to be responsible citizens while visiting our property. This garbage can is not for the collection of hundreds of pounds of dog droppings.

We acknowledge and thank dog owners for cleaning up after their dogs. However, it is their responsibility to carry their dog’s droppings back to their home for disposal.

On behalf of the Clergy, Staff, Wardens and Parishioners of St. James Anglican Church, please accept my sincere thanks for your cooperation.

I’m still trying to train my dog to poop on the immaculate lawn of the Diocese of Niagara’s St. Jude’s; he’s very particular about where he deposits his offering, though, so I’ve had little success.

More free advertising from the Anglican Journal

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Thanks AJ:

As a part of a mutually agreed upon court settlement of a defamation of character lawsuit, blogger David Jenkins has apologized to Bishop Michael Bird of the diocese of Niagara “for any suffering he has experienced as a result of blog postings” on his blog, Anglican Samizdat.

The settlement also stipulated that Jenkins would pay “a majority of the legal costs involved, remove the Bishop from his posts, and agree not to publish any similar posts about the Bishop in the future,” according to a release issued by the diocese of Niagara. In a related post on Anglican Samizdat, Jenkins noted that he had agreed to pay $18,000 toward legal costs, which Bird’s lawyer had stated were $24,000.

Jenkins’s statement of defence had denied that his postings were libellous or defamatory. It asserted that Jenkins was exercising his freedom of religion and expression and that his comments were intended to be humourous and satirical.
-STAFF