A Pender Harbour congregation that left the Anglican Church of Canada over the issue of same-sex blessings is now fighting to retain possession of its church building.
The Madeira Park church, formerly known as St. Andrew's, was built in 1979. This spring, Rev. Barclay Mayo and the two church wardens officially broke ties with the Diocese of New Westminster because the bishop, Michael Ingham, approved the blessing of same-sex couples.
St. Andrew's, along with several other conservative Anglican congregations in B.C., instead joined the Anglican church of Rwanda, which shares their view that the Bible forbids homosexuality. The congregation, which numbers about 50, re-named the church Christ the Redeemer and continued to use both the church building and next-door Brooks House.
Now Bishop Ingham has asked Mayo and Rev. Ed Hird, pastor of another break-away congregation at St. Simon's in North Vancouver, to move their flocks.
"They're telling us, in a very nice sort of way, that we are to leave," said Mayo. "We, through our lawyers, have said, 'no, we're not leaving'."
Mayo considers the "eviction notice" as punishment from Ingham. "He is saying, 'you don't want my leadership, so I'm going to take your stuff'," said Mayo.
In a statement on the diocese website, Ingham said the dissidents in Pender Harbour and North Vancouver should "find new places to worship so their parish buildings may be used by Anglicans who wish to remain in the diocese."
But Mayo said there are no Anglicans in Pender Harbour who are willing to follow Ingham.
"The reality is, 100 per cent of this congregation chose to move away from the diocese," said Mayo. "These are the same people who bought, paid for and maintain the building and the resources in it. All we want to do is be left alone to do our ministry with the resources we own."
The question of who owns the buildings is likely to be decided in court. Mayo said the Diocese of New Westminster holds title to the property in trust for the parish. He plans to argue in court that trust has been broken and under the principle of "beneficial ownership" the church buildings should belong to Christ the Redeemer.
