As Kierkegaard noted:
A passionate tumultuous age will overthrow everything, pull everything down; but a revolutionary age, that is at the same time reflective and passionless, transforms that expression of strength into a feat of dialectics: it leaves everything standing but cunningly empties it of significance. Instead of culminating in a rebellion it reduces the inward reality of all relationships to a reflective tension which leaves everything standing but makes the whole of life ambiguous: so that everything continues to exist factually whilst by a dialectical deceit, privatissime, it supplies a secret interpretation — that it does not exist.
A perfect description of today’s mainline churches who pay careful attention to their symbols, liturgies and traditions but have meticulously emptied them of meaning.
Thus we have drive-through ashes, ashes to go and ashes to joke about.
Was our family Church
You know
Cubs
Sunday School (Arts & Crafts no Bibles open)
Baptism
Marriage
Marriage 1957
Baptism 1960 or so
But the United Church -has changed
Canadian Memorial had a split in the 80s
It couldn’t afford to lose members but it did
1/2 of congregation leaves followed by selling 1/2 of property is the Church Hall
It lost about 1/2 went to nearby Fairview Presbyterian Church (1927) is doing well
(It left Chalmer’s Presbyterian (1912) in 1927 went under the original name was on 6th & Hemlock was a St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church plant later became part of St Andrew’s-Wesley United)
St Andrew’s-Wesley United’s Church Hall is no more is Apartments now
Chalmer’s Presbyterian joined the United Church in 1928
Chalmer’s United is no more congregation was about 30 bought by Holy Trinity Anglican
Canadian Memorial moved there in 1928 from 6th Ave Methodist was joined by 14th Ave Methodist
Irish Methodist Pastor Rev Fallis took them up there
The old building was bought by what is now Broadway Pentecostal Church on E Broadway & Sophia is also doing well
So, -time will tell
Likewise, Vancouver School of Theology has downsized as well has moved to a new, smaller location
Liberal Churches & Theology Schools are downsizing because they’re shrinking in numbers
Hello John Pryant: About Chalmers-United building, which was sold to the Anglicans, Holy Trinity. Holy Trinity is now a congregation of about 30 persons on a sunday, We have not paid our diocesan assessment , which is about 30,000 dollars a year, for several years. The building is a large, multi-purpose one.(two community groups were using space on a regular basis) The congregation has agreed to sell half the property to a company which will build a highrise, about 13 storeys. So, this part of the Christian Church continues its decline into marginal existence. The construction company is waiting for city hall to approve permits at the present time. Our vision was as an Evangelical Anglican congregation, deciding to remain within the diocese (which has a radical Liberal theology). That vision lasted from 2002 to about 2015, when finances forced us, with the Diocese’s approval, to sell property.
Thanks for info but my surname is Payzant is a respelt Old French name was
Pais = Farm & ant = worker means Farm Worker is again Old French from the North
I’m glad you told me about this was once talking to Ian Falconer from Holy Trinity also told me this info you just gave is -only known by a small group- at Holy Trinity when we talked some time ago.
We both know Mrs Turner there too
I’m from St John’s Vancouver we lost our building but congregation is doing well; furthermore, We already had St John’s Richmond as our Church Plant & now have St Peter’s Fireside at UBC Robson Square & Sojourners an Evening Congregation at University Chapel which was the old University Hill United Church.
I’d visited Holy Trinity not too long ago saw the small #s had lunch with Ian & Priscilla
Our Choir #s is the same as your congregation -is a worry
Our #s
7:30am 40-50
9am 200+
11am ” ”
6pm ” ”
Total is around 800 or so
We lost our building but kept congregation
You kept your building but lost congregation
Thanks for your reply, Mr. John Payzant !!!
I know both Ian and Priscilla.
I think your comments are right on.
Reference to “Liberal” has no real meaning. The correct term for the liberals is “apostasy” as they have changed their allegiance from the GOD of the Scriptures to that detestable ‘god of political expediency’. Our Lord will indeed protect HIS church but that protection does not apply to apostates. Tragically the actions of the apostates is resulting in having the average person believing in a “god” but not knowing or recognizing the true GOD – the GOD of the Scriptures.
At one time, there was a time when the United Church of Canada had -the best Sunday School program- of all the Churches; furthermore, It was once our National Church & the largest Protestant Denomination in Canada as well.
In the 1950s the United Church would build 1 Church a week; however, Now, things have changed, the tide has turned, the United Church -closes 1 Church a week- is driving itself into extinction.
Many former United Church persons now attend Bible based Churches