Anglicans farewell churches in north Queensland as diocese restructures

When a church is returned to the secular world, a special service is delivered.

Bishop Keith Joseph says it feels like a funeral.

“It’s always sad when you secularise a building,” he said.

The Anglican Diocese of North Queensland is currently approved to sell 11 of its churches and rectories across an area spanning a third of the state.

A receiver was appointed in August last year, with assets being sold to help the diocese meet its obligations to victims of historic child sexual abuse.

A report by the receiver detailed victim claims as the largest area of expenditure for the diocese, with diminished congregation numbers and structural issues also contributing.

The receiver estimated the diocese’s obligations would reach about $11 million by 2028.

The bishop has presided over deconsecrating services in the past in small country towns, where churches no longer had active congregations.

But he said there was added grief in delivering the last service at St Mark’s in Townsville, where some had worshipped for decades.

“We’re at the stage where we’re closing down churches which are still in active use, which is even sadder,” he said.

“It’s not like a church which has naturally died, as it were. It’s a church which is still living but has to be closed.”

Betty Daly, 93, had been a congregant at St Mark’s for more than six decades.

She said the loss of her church was a sad necessity.

“Sad for lots of reasons, but this has to happen because of things in the past, and somebody’s got to pay for it,” she said.

More properties expected to be sold

The next group of properties to be sold will be put to the Supreme Court of Queensland for approval next month.

It is expected St Matthew’s, a 125-year-old war memorial church in Townsville, will be approved.

Melinda Holborn, whose relatives are interred at the church site, said the idea of relocating their remains was distressing.

“I would be really devastated, not just for me but for others,” she said.

“It’s not just about the people that come to church here, it’s about the wider community.

“We would just like some further investigation into alternative means of paying.”

Receiver Michael Brennan said the sales were part of a multi-stage renewal process.

“There are a number of things that we think the diocese can do to improve its operating process,” he said.

“We are bringing an entity that is 148 years old, and has been designed and has been operating as best as it can within that structure into a more contemporary space.”

Bishop says diocese faces little choice

Bishop Joseph said he understood why congregants were upset, but said the diocese faced little choice.

“There is grief, it is extraordinarily sad, but we are in a situation where things need to go; sadly, that includes beautiful, old historic buildings,” he said.

“The church did some evil things; we had some really evil bastards who were priests and even a bishop, and they did awful things they ought never have done.

“If the body of Christ is one, then we still remain liable for the sins of the past.”

Mark Reimers is the team leader of redress services at Lotus Support Services, a service that provides support to victims of institutional child abuse throughout the state.

He said it was important victim-survivors did not feel responsible for the church’s financial situation.

“I’d say the Anglican Church is probably to be commended for signing up to the redress scheme, because it’s a very important element of justice-making for victims of abuse,” Mr Reimers said.