After more than a year of disputes over the ownership of St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Madeira Park, Rev. Barclay Mayo and his congregation have decided to move out of the building. Along with several other conservative B.C. parishes, they left the Anglican Church of Canada in 2004 after the Diocese of New Westminster approved the blessing of homosexual couples. The Pender Harbour congregation joined the Anglican church of Rwanda and changed the name of their church to Christ the Redeemer. Despite repeated requests from Bishop Michael Ingham for them to leave, Mayo and his flock vowed to stay in the church building until evicted by a court order.
However, last week Mayo said the potential cost of fighting the diocese in court had changed his mind.
"We had a long heart to heart with our lawyer about financing. The battle would cost us tons of money we don't have, money that would be better spent on mission and ministry," said Mayo. "It's hard. People are grieving."
Christ the Redeemer has agreed to move out by May 31. Starting in June, Mayo will hold Sunday services at the Pender Harbour School of Music in Madeira Park.
At St. Simon's Church in North Vancouver, where there is a similar dispute over church property, Rev. Ed. Hird and his congregation have also agreed to move out.
Rev. Mark Lemon of St. Hilda's Anglican Church in Sechelt is the interim priest for St. Andrew's. He will likely begin holding church services there after the Christ the Redeemer congregation moves out.
Neale Adams, spokesman for the Diocese of New Westminster, said the diocese is working out a plan for reviving the parishes of St. Simon's and St. Andrew's.
"The bishop has definitely said there will be ministry in those parishes," said Adams. "The parishes are not going to be closed, and the buildings are not going to be sold."
As to whether Christ the Redeemer will eventually build a new church, Mayo said, "We'll just have to wait and see what the Lord has in mind."
Bill Course, verger of Christ the Redeemer, said the congregation will also continue worshipping in small groups at people's homes, "which is the way Christianity started out, in Christ's day."
"The church is not the building," Course said.
