Like most other dioceses, the Diocese of Niagara is fervently declaring that “the church isn’t the building, it’s the people”. Mainly because everyone is shut out of church buildings and the clergy are terrified that their congregations will never return. More importantly, neither will their money.
Hence, we have Rev Martha Tartanic writing articles like this, to convince us that the diocese cares nothing for buildings; all it cares about is people. Really.
The church is most definitely not closed! The church isn’t our building, and it’s not dependent on our ability to gather in our building. Our church is us. Wherever we are, and no matter what measures are put in place, our identity as church continues. We may just need to find other ways of showing up for each other and connecting as a community to God’s love.
Those of us who were part of the Diocese of Niagara in 2008 when ANiC was formed know that this is hypocritical nonsense. When the diocese liberated St. Hilda’s church building from the people who paid for it, all they cared about was the building; the people were an embarrassing inconvenience who had to be ejected so the place could be bulldozed and the land sold for $2million.
Before that could happen, the diocese had to convince the courts that they had a use for the building. In order to do that, it parachuted in a bogus congregation from neighbouring churches led by, among others, Rev Martha Tartanic.
So we have lies, hypocrisy and, now in 2020, more lies. It’s the buildings that are important to the ACoC, not the people.
The same edition of the diocesan paper has this:
Where my church was. It still stands empty:
Yes. It’s only a building when someone decides it is and it’s not a “church” any more. What was done to St. Hilda’s was a disgrace. Don’t worry, many more “buildings” will be unable to survive the pandemic and the exodus since same-sex marriage etc. Then you’ll see these so-called ministers trying to figure out how to get paid without even having a congregation. They can now work from home!
The apostate leadership in the ACoC cares nothing about the Gospel and has and will continue to legally steal properties solely for their own benefit as they know the civil court will back them up. The so-called bishops – correctly called apostates continue in this endeavour but will soon find out the true Christians will leave this apostate group and find the true GOSPEL within the ANIC.