The Anglican Church of Canada may close up to 14 churches in British Columbia because of declining attendance.
Bishop James Cowan of the Anglican Diocese of B.C. says its community numbers are dwindling because churchgoers are aging and no new members are taking their place.
“We are a church saying a crisis could come if we don’t act. It is painful.”
Isn’t St Mary in Metchosin one of those the diocese claimed back from its congregation?
http://www.timescolonist.com/business/Anglican+Diocese+team+recommends+closing+several+churches+around+Victoria+Vancouver+Island+transformation/2486370/story.html
Were they truthful with the Court, as they must have known these closures were on the cards?
This is all I could find:
http://www.anglicanessentials.ca/wordpress/index.php/2008/07/11/anglican-network-in-canada-news-release-3/
RE: “churchgoers are aging and no new members are taking their place.”
What a shock.
Wonder why?
Look to New Hampshire for the answer. After 7 years VGR has worked wonders there…uh, wait. Maybe not.
There is a very encouraging aspect to this news article: sandwiched in between the usual “I’m an atheist and the church is full of hypocrites and every war in history was started by christians” posts, are three from anglicans attesting to the growth of the orthodox Anglican (i.e. non-ACoC) congregations. One refers to a church in a gym “bursting at the seams”.
I don’t know why the liberals in ACoC and TEC have gone down their present path, i.e. “take no prisoners and sue to get back every piece of real estate”. But they are cutting their own throat in the process, so I want them to continue doing it! Every building they recover loads them with more overheads, which they have no income to pay.
Its painful for the faithful, but in the long run they can buy the church buildings back from the liquidators of ACoC and TEC, and in the meantime they are proving that their churches are strong without the buildings.
Why don’t they get Michael Ingham to help them?
Oh, yeah, I forgot.