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):
By 2016, the diocese has estimated that not only will all that money have evaporated, but there will be a $62,591 deficit:
It looks to me as if the diocese is on the road to extinction.
When you have an apostate bishop who has turned his back on the Gospel you cannot expect any blessing from the Lord. As with many so-called bishops within the ACoC, Michael Bird worships “political correctness” – a deceptive term in itself – and as with the other apostate bishops he should be removed from office.
Frank. You equate financial prosperity to having God’s blessing. What do you do with passages like Luke 6:20 where Jesus says “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God?”
I cannot comment on the “apostate” acts of the Bishop but I do think that it is dangerous to equate financial prosperity with God’s blessing. God may bless some with a lot of money but this does not mean that the poor are also not blessed by him.
I think that for Mr. Bird there is a priority on “fitting in” with society. Perhaps he has not realized that such “fitting in” includes a near obsession with money. So it comes across as ironic that his Diocese is now seeing financial problems.
Compare that to what I have recently seen.
A few months ago I started attending the local Church of the Nazarene, and have in conversations learned this. Eight years ago when a new Pastor arrived there that Parish had: an average Sunday attendance of ten, an old furnace on the verge of breaking down, and a roof about to fall apart. Today the average Sunday attendance is in the 40’s, there is a new roof, and the old furnace has been replaced (not repaired but replaced) with a new heating and air conditioning system. This Church is firmly Biblical and does not ever stray from God’s Holy Bible. Money is still very tight, and I expect that this shall always be so, as this Church generously supports Missions and Evangelism.
Poor in spirit. Being materially poor is not a virtue. Many poor are obstinately closed to God, while many who are rich are open to Him.
I was referencing Luke which does not include “in spirit.” Either way, I don’t think that anybody is disagreeing with your point. Both poor (materially) and rich can be blessed by God.
A fleeced flock with no good shepherds.
Stolen property never prospers. It looks as if their punishment is in train. The huge windfall has encouraged them to spend and spend; and of course it is hard to shake spendthrift habits. So I imagine they will liquidate themselves.
It just saddens me that so many sincere believers in Niagara are being duped by its leadership. Discipleship should always trump loyalty.
So if the Anglican “management team” is living off the sale of property, they have no motivation to draw more people to salvation. They need people out of the churches (and quickly!) so that they can sell the buildings. They did the math long ago and realized that the real estate, liquidated, brings in a better income than the annual offerings. Hence their actions to make the church unattractive to believers.
The sooner an apostate church is liquidated, the better.