Bay Village church loses building, plans weekend move

Friday, November 11, 2011
By Bruce Geiselman, Sun News

BAY VILLAGE – The congregation of St. Barnabas Anglican Church will hold services in their 61-year-old building for the final time Nov. 13 after losing a legal battle with the Episcopal Church over ownership of the property.

About 250 parishioners will leave the colonial-style church at about 10:30 a.m., following an abbreviated worship service, to walk nearly one-mile to the Bay High School auditorium, which will serve as their sanctuary beginning Nov. 20. Once there, they will hold a reception to introduce the congregation to their new home. The auditorium may serve as the church’s primary place of worship for the next three to five years as the congregation looks into constructing a new church building.

The church’s offices and some weekday services will be housed temporarily at Bay Presbyterian Church, located at Lake and Columbia roads.

St. Barnabas was founded as an Episcopal church, but the congregation voted about four years ago to separate from the Episcopal Church over disputes regarding interpretation of the Bible and certain basic tenets, including details of Jesus’ resurrection. the rest

“We couldn’t even agree on who God is,” said the Rev. Gene Sherman, who leads the local congregation.