Tasmanian Anglican Bishop confirms asset sales won't all go to victims of sex abuse

By Georgie Burgess
ABC News
April 24, 2018

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-23/church-sex-abuse-victims-wont-get-all-money-from-anglican-sales/9688012

St James Anglican Church in Waratah was sold to a private buyer after being deconsecrated in 2013.

Dr Condie says the viability of the church is a consideration in the sales.

Southern Highlands Mayor Tony Bisdee stands outside the Melton Mowbray Church that his ancestors build in the 1930s.

Central Highlands Mayor Loueen Triffitt At the St Michael's All Angels Anglican Church in Bothwell.

Reverend Sue Willis says the Wynyard diocese "will feel pain".

Tasmanian Anglican Reverend Jamie Bester says buildings aren't essential for a church community.

The Anglican Church will keep three quarters of the proceeds from its property sales, in an effort to "keep the people of God doing their ministry" in Tasmanian communities.

The church has plans to sell about 80 churches across the state, as well as halls, land and residential properties.

All up, the 120 properties earmarked for sale make up half the church's assets in the state.

Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, the Right Reverend Richard Condie, said the move was to fund redress for survivors of child sexual abuse, which he estimates will cost $8 million.

But only one quarter of the proceeds of the sales will go to redress, with three quarters going back into parishes.

"We want to be able to fund redress, that's the number one thing we're trying to do here, [while] at the same time keep the people of God doing their ministry in local places," he said.

Dr Condie conceded the sale plans were also about the future direction of the church.

"Certainly, viability of the Anglican Church is one of the things we've been thinking about," he said.

"We are wanting to see greater vitality in our churches around the state."

He said parishes around the state would "share the burden" of paying for redress.

"Every parish will be affected," he said.

The sales, if approved by the Anglican Synod, will occur over the next three to four years.

Dr Condie said it was his preference for community groups to purchase the various churches in order to preserve history.

"Hopefully there will be time for people to gather that together so we don't lose that heritage," he said.

Southern Midlands Mayor Tony Bisdee said the church's plans were an "affront to the Anglican community".

Cr Bisdee said there had been no consultation with his community.

"It's extremely disappointing that these churches have mainly been built and maintained by the community, and the land on which they were built was in a lot of cases gifted by the local land owners," he said.

"Here we have the church seeking an extremely large amount of money from land that was gifted to them.

"My greatest issues is the cemeteries and burial grounds which will fall into private ownership."

Central Highlands Mayor Loueen Triffitt said the church in Bothwell was very important to the community.

The church was built in 1891.

"It has been so special for many many generations of families," she said.

"We are very upset and angered that we have not been consulted.

"This takes a lot from the community, it is the pride and joy of Bothwell."

Reverend Sue Willis has been the part-time rector of the Wynyard parish for about one year.

"They've not been able to pay a full-time minister here unfortunately," she said.

She is based at St Stephen's, which is one church that now has a cloud over its future.

"The diocese is not a wealthy diocese and we're going to have to feel some pain," she said.

"There's going to have to be hard decisions to be made about some active churches.

"I'm sure there are people who are feeling uncertain at this time."

Reverend Jamie Bester recently set up a new Anglican church in the Southern Beaches region.

But there is no physical church building — instead it uses community assets.

"There weren't other church groups doing active Sunday worship so we wanted to create a family service," he said.

He said the idea was a church that "goes out into the community".

"So far its been great, we've had a lot of support in the community," he said.

"We've had a lot of people who haven't been to church in a while coming back."

The church rents buildings in the area, which he said gave back to the community.

He said the lack of a permanent building did not detract from the church's spirituality.

"I think it enhances us," he said.