Parishes and Diocese of New Westminster head for trial on May 25 over church property

Mediation unsuccessful
15 May 2009

After one and a half days of mediation with Chief Justice Donald Brenner acting as the mediator, the Diocese of New Westminster and four Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) parishes – St. John’s (Shaughnessy), St. Matthias and St. Luke, and Church of the Good Shepherd in Vancouver, and St. Matthews in Abbotsford – failed to reach an agreement. The dispute over church properties will now proceed to trial in the BC Supreme Court commencing May 25.

On January 6, 2009, the parties appeared before Chief Justice Brenner requesting an expedited trial process and permission was granted. To reduce the time for trial and pre-trial procedures, they agreed to exchange most of their evidence by affidavits and cross-examine a number of witnesses before the trial. The trial begins May 25 and is set for three weeks.

Earlier this year, the ANiC parishes served a “Notice to Mediate” on the Diocese of New Westminster. The mediation was scheduled for two full days (May 14 and 15) but by noon today, an impasse was reached.

“We are very disappointed a settlement could not be reached”, said Cheryl Chang, Chancellor of ANiC. “We were really hoping we could achieve a peaceful, mutually beneficial resolution of the matters in dispute.”

This dispute arises from the current divide in the global Anglican Communion over profound theological differences. The Anglican Church of Canada’s (ACoC) Primates’ Theological Commission, in its recent “Galilee Report” acknowledged the division among the ACoC’s own theologians, reflecting the division in the broader Anglican Church. The report said, “We are not of one mind among ourselves”. Similarly, the recent meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council – one of the “Instruments of Unity” in the global Anglican Communion – demonstrated the depth of the division. the rest-pdf

Canadian church dispute to go to court