Off today to the centenary of my former parish, St Christopher's, Blenheim South (Marlborough). It's a tricky centenary to explain!
It's not the centenary of the beginning of ministry in the locality (1906), or of the Parish of Blenheim South (formed in 1989), or of the current church building (built 1984).
It is the centenary of the opening of the Redwoodtown Sunday School building, which later was named St Christopher's, and still later was burned down, then replaced by the current modern church. For many years the ministry on this site was part of the ministry of the Parish of Blenheim, which at one stage had four church buildings in four different parts of Blenheim, Marlborough.
Sunday School teaching, the foundation of this particular church, began near to the current site in 1906. I personally know of no other church whose beginnings so distinctively lie in children's work!
So, how about a bit of commentary now that the Supreme Court of South Carolina has completely destroyed the position of the Diocese of South Carolina? It appears that the parishes own their property, not the Diocese, or the National Church. Another wind blowing against the "Lawrencian Oak." Please.
ReplyDeleteHi Lifting the Rock
ReplyDeleteMy (fast) reading of the situation is that, in some cases, parishes may be adjudged to own their own property.
The Lawrencian Oak is being buffeted!
In general terms, Anglicanism, not being a 'congregationalist' church, prefers state and church law to support diocesan ownership of church property (at least) ... in different places national ownership may be a factor, but a lot tends to ride on dates of formation ... parish, diocese, national church ... and variations in trust law from era to era and place to place. That the Diocese of South Carolina may have lost or 'lost' one parish would not necessarily means that its 'position [was] completely destroyed', any more than any other diocese.