I came across a youtube curiosity this evening. It is a video of one of the Potemkin congregations that have occupied St. Hilda’s Anglican Church in Oakville over the last couple of years. These particular squatters and their kakistocrat, Martha Tatarnic were imported from St. Jude’s, Oakville. The video was taken in December 2008 shortly before Martha left for Orillia to share a church with some Lutherans. All the interlopers have also returned to their own parish now, along with their dreadful piano. I note the influence of Leni Riefenstahl in the camera work.
Anglican Samizdat
I really wonder why those people would allow themselves to be used in that fashion.
Kate,
I suspect that their loyalty is rooted in their parish church and not to the faith once given. This leaves them susceptible to manipulation by misguided pastors and unscrupulous bishops.
Peace,
Jim
I was concerned about the photographer taking pictures of the children. Did he/she get parental permission to take the pics and then have them shared with the world on youtube? More exploitation!!
Jennifer (#3), I could accuse the video of several things (poor filming and boring are at the top of the list), but I think it is a bit of a stretch to accuse the photographer (or the ACoC for that matter) of exploiting children. If this is exploitation, then only a very small percentage of the 100s of millions of Youtube videos would not fall into this category. I’m more concerned about the exploitation that I suspect occurs in many ACoC parish Sunday School rooms on a weekly basis in terms of the doctrine being taught. Actually, I missed the joke and don’t get the significance of the video (other than that the number of people participating was relatively small).
Warren,
There is probably no joke to miss – other than the piano, perhaps.
The significance of the video is mostly in the fact that it exists at all; I had not seen it until recently even though it must have been on youtube for a while and it was taken at a time when the dio. of Niagara was vehemently claiming that they had a growing congregation at St. Hilda’s. Thus, it appears to be a rather clumsy attempt by the dio. to show to the world that they really did have a congregation – the people were all imported from a neighbouring church, though.