Historic church structurally unsound, but property’s purpose set in stone, bishop says

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This article was published 27/05/2024 (859 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The fate of a historic but structurally unsound 140-year-old downtown church is in question, but the property’s future won’t be.

So says Bishop of Rupert’s Land Geoff Woodcroft, who recently granted permission to Holy Trinity Anglican Church’s congregation to explore the possibility of selling the property.

The current cost of repairing the structure at 256 Smith St. — which is designated a Historic Site of Canada and a protected historical property by the city — is in the neighbourhood of $7 million.

“I quite clearly have said it’s conditional on any buyer, partner, investor or developer to first, preserve and maintain the historic structure, second, to make space available for Holy Trinity to hold worship services, and third, to secure space and opportunity for the church to continue its important mission work,” Woodcroft told the Free Press, adding there are ongoing conversations to make those things a reality.

“I want every effort to be made to ensure it continues to provide space for a worshipping body and to continue to do its mission work in the downtown.”

The conditions of any sale include enabling parishioners to meet for Sunday services and also for the church to offer its weekly neighbourhood lunch program — which serves more than 10,000 meals a year — providing a regular social connection in addition to food for the hungry.

A 1989 geographical survey determined the building, which was built without a foundation, has significant structural deficiencies.

Woodcroft said he understands the serious nature of the problem, but is adamant the diocese will not accept bids to redevelop the site for a new condo tower, for example.

The bishop would not say whether the building would be saved from demolition.

“The minute the article came out (last week in the Free Press), my inbox was flooded with emails from developers inquiring about buying the building,” he said.

The bishop is looking at the situation from a theological perspective.

“What does God want for the body of Christ in downtown Winnipeg?” he said. “I’m pretty sure it’s not another skyscraper so we can sell it and make money off to balance our budget.”

He said he believes the diocese should think about ways it can continue to serve “people, nature and creation” downtown, perhaps in partnership with other area churches or businesses.

Quoting Jesus in the Gospel of John, he said “we want everyone in the downtown to have life and have it abundantly, whether that’s through worship, music, meals. That’s our call.”

And while he appreciates the beauty and historical significance of the building — considered a fine example of 19th-century Gothic Revival style — it would be a shame if it is only seen as a matter of losing a historic landmark, he said.

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“It’s not just a building, but a way that God is using the body of Christ to serve people in the city, about God’s vision of abundance for the world,” he said.

One model for Holy Trinity could be what happened at St. Matthews Anglican Church — now the WestEnd Commons — which was transformed into housing while keeping space for worship, he said.

“But first we want to allow the church and others to dream about what Holy Trinity could be,” he said.

According to Anglican church policy, all parishes own their own buildings and property, but need permission from the bishop to sell. All proceeds from the sale of churches goes to the diocese.

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John Longhurst
Faith columnist & reporter

John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News.

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