Diocese of CNY Places St. Andrew's Vestal For Sale

From Stand Firm-comments

Episcopal Church officials have decided not to start a new congregation in the buildings of a former Episcopalian parish in Vestal. Instead, the church building, community center and split-level house where the rector and family had lived -- all in residential neighborhoods -- are listed for sale.

The former St. Andrew's -- which vacated its buildings after leaving the Episcopal denomination last year and uniting with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America -- is one of at least seven churches for sale in Broome and Tioga counties.

In addition, buyers and sellers are engaged in negotiations to finalize deals on three other vacant church buildings. Soon, two or three additional churches are likely to post "for sale" signs as local Catholic parishes merge and look for buyers for their shuttered buildings.

Newspaper article

Tony Seel's+ Blog: DCNY Veil of Secrecy
March 19, 2008

To lend credence to the "veil of secrecy" tagline that I use for this blog, I was told today by a local reporter who inquired about the three buildings of the former St. Andrew's Episcopal Church that the diocese has put up for sale the following: when he asked for information about the buildings he was told that by an agent of the realtor (Realty USA) that she could only speak with him after receiving permission from the diocese.

This same reporter has called the diocesan offices to speak with either the bishop or Canon Lewis, but these diocesan officials will not speak with him. Our Senior Warden met the same stonewall when our parish was supposedly in negotiations with the diocese. Unreturned phone calls were the norm. Hence, the veil of secrecy is real, contrary to what DCNY officials say to the contrary.