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Bishop of Ballarat Garry Weatherill has confirmed the possible closure of St Matthew’s Anglican Church in Wendouree and the sale of its assets has been discussed with parish leaders, parish council and parishioners.
The confirmation comes after St Matthew’s parish leaders launched a campaign urging parishioners, friends and supporters to help stop the “potential sale” of the church.
Bishop Weatherill told news.com.au the issue had been raised in three stages, first with the priest, churchwardens and parish treasurer, then with parish council, and later at an open meeting with parishioners and their supporters.
“Those discussions have been about the closure of the Parish and the sale of its assets,” Bishop Weatherill said.
He said the need to sell diocesan assets had become necessary because the diocese’s financial resources had been exhausted by abuse claims and payments made to survivors through the Commonwealth Redress Scheme.
“The sale of assets is the only way that we can support survivors of abuse and poor behaviour in the Diocese in the past,” Bishop Weatherill said.
“Most claims have been made concerning behaviours that happened over 40 years ago and sometimes more than 50 years ago.”
Bishop Weatherill said the diocese was committed to supporting survivors of abuse and “wrongful behaviours”.
In a letter to parishioners, St Matthew’s parish leaders said they fully supported the Redress Scheme and acknowledged institutional abuse in the diocese, but did not agree with their church being sold.
“St Matthew’s is more than just bricks and mortar,” the letter said.
“We are a strong, viable, spiritual and faith-based community.”
The parish said it held three church-based services each week, maintained an online presence, ran a service at Kelaston Residential Care Centre and operated an op shop and free Wednesday afternoon teas for the Wendouree community.
Parish leaders warned closing the church would be “devastating” for elderly parishioners, including people who had been baptised, confirmed and married there and wished to be buried from the church.
“Closing St Matthew’s will mean that many of our church family will be isolated and will no longer have a sense of community engagement,” the letter said.
“It will be detrimental to their physical, mental and spiritual health. Many are unlikely to attend another church.”
The parish asked the Bishop in Council to consider other fundraising options, review surplus assets and ask all parishes across the diocese to contribute so “no further Parish has to close and be sacrificed to raise funds on behalf of the whole Diocese”.
St Matthew’s says it has been worshipping in Wendouree since the 1890s, celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2018.
The church is on the corner of Forest and Howitt streets, opposite Ballarat Grammar, beside a childcare centre and near shops, medical facilities and public transport.
Bishop Weatherill confirmed the Bishop in Council received a petition and several submissions from parishioners and others at its June 16 meeting.
He said the petition and letters were circulated to members of Bishop in Council several days before the meeting.
He also confirmed outside parties had expressed interest in acquiring the site, but said any decision about a sale would be based on “commercial best interests”.
Jeremy Brasington, whose father was formerly a priest at the parish, said he had been told by current parishioners there were fears the whole site could be sold and the parish dissolved.
“It appears from what I have read and been told that the parish and its current parishioners are effectively being asked to be sacrificial victims for events in which they had no direct involvement,” Mr Brasington said.
He said the possible loss of St Matthew’s would “leave a hole in the community”, pointing to the church’s long history in Wendouree and its continued role through services such as the op shop.
The City of Ballarat said it had received no planning applications relating to the site and confirmed it was not currently included in the Heritage Overlay.
The Diocese of Ballarat has previously said it has paid about $6m to abuse survivors over the past decade, sold several properties and closed the Sebastopol parish as it deals with historic abuse liabilities.
The issue is sensitive because the financial pressure facing the diocese stems from compensation owed to victim-survivors of historic abuse.
Survivor advocates have stressed institutions must put victim-survivors before assets, while parishioners say present-day congregations are now facing the loss of local churches over abuse committed in the past.
St Matthew’s Anglican Church was contacted for comment.