Alienating the residents:
From here:
Protesters seek meeting with Anglican bishop over sale of Guelph property
GUELPH — Passionate but peaceful protesters gathered outside St. George’s Anglican Church in downtown Guelph on Sunday morning to send a message to the church’s bishop.
As parishioners filed into the Woolwich Street church, roughly 25 members of two south end community groups handed out literature and marched on the sidewalk with signs critical of Bishop Michael Bird of the Anglican Diocese of Niagara.
While the protesters made it clear they have no issue with St. George’s Church itself, they felt it was another way to try to pressure Bishop Bird to meet with them and discuss the sale of property on Kortright Road that is the home of the former St. Matthias Anglican Church.
The Bishop was not at Sunday’s service.
And while the behaviour was cordial and polite, the signs and words of the protesters were a little more barbed.
“I think the bishop should meet with the people. Jesus met with everybody, sinners and non-sinners, so why would the bishop not meet with the people,” said Bruce Taylor of Citizens for Community.
The property in question, on the northeast corner of the intersection of Kortright and Edinburgh roads, has been sold to HIP Developments, which has gone to the Ontario Municipal Board to try to get the property rezoned from institutional to specialized residential.
HIP Developments plans to build a six-storey, 81-unit residential complex.
Opponents feel it is the wrong use for the 0.81-hectare site and want to preserve the land and property for community use.
“The church should practise what they preach,” said Filippa Mirotta, who has lived near the property for 30 years.
She and others felt the church was intent only on maximizing its financial return on the property rather than the social implications.
“The church has a moral responsibility,” Mirotta said. “The church is not in the business of making money.”
Linda Davis of the McElderry Community and Friends group said they have asked three times for a meeting and were turned down each time.
“We want to meet with him face to face and he continues to shun us and treat us with disrespect,” Davis said. “It’s a very sad situation.”
The keys to the building are on the very same ring as the other two keys to the other two places.
+ The Revelation of Jesus Christ, ch. 1
The apostate Michael Bird is simply showing the contempt the current leadership – if I could call it that – of the ACoC has for the Gospel. They will do anything to destroy the faith of genuine orthodox Christians and are more than happy to make money in the process.