Debate over church building ignites anti-Christian prejudice
LANTZVILLE, BC - An ongoing discussion in this Vancouver Island village over the future use of a heritage church building has prompted some residents who oppose letting a Reformed church continue meeting there to indulge their anti-Christian biases.
“Anyone who's actually noticing will know that the congregation is a very gracious group, looking outward," says Steve Wilkinson, pastor of Woodgrove Christian Community Church. “And yet from the letters that were written to the local paper, you would gather that we're kind of a U.S.-style, right-wing, angry, negative kind of group."
Woodgrove sub-leases the former United (and later Anglican) church building from the Seaside Community Society, which leased it from the District of Lantzville nearly 20 years ago. The lease expires at the end of 2012. When that happens, the Lantzville Historical Society is anxious to see the 74-year-old building become a local museum.
“I think this is almost our last chance," says society vice-president Brian Blood. “We are becoming so much suburban Nanaimo that if we don't assert our identity, we're done for."
The district council responded to the request in November by calling for public input, including any other ideas that residents might have about the building.
“What's the best use of it isn't necessarily what it's being used for currently or what's being proposed by the historical society," says Mayor Colin Haime. “So until we get a chance to get that input from people, I wouldn't rule anything out."
Wilkinson insists he has no problem engaging the community in a civil debate on the building's future use. What troubles him is it appears some people are trying to influence the outcome by painting his congregation as “almost a cult-like organization."
“That amounts, in fact, to prejudice," says Wilkinson, who last month led a short-term mission trip to Mexico. “They don't know us. These people have not been in any conversation with anyone about these things."
“It makes me very uncomfortable," Blood says. “I personally do not want to be in the middle of any kind of perceived quarrel between us and a church group - or any group, for that matter. It doesn't serve anybody's purpose."
But that does not affect Blood's contention that the society has “a foot in the door" when it comes to the building. He says they played a key role in raising the funds needed to buy it from the Anglicans in 1992. They then gave it to the district, on their understanding at least, that at the right time, it would become a museum. Blood believes that time is now.
“This building was sold to the community, and the community now has to see that it has a broad community use," he says.
But Haime, for one, is not yet convinced. “All great and wonderful to say that it should be more of a public-use building in terms of a museum, but can they actually do it?" he asks. “We've requested that they put together some form of a business plan."
Wilkinson is confident the church can counter with solid “pragmatic" arguments as to why they should be allowed to stay in the building. But he also admits that God just might have other plans for them.
“The Lord was good. It was a great arrangement for a long time, certainly very affordable for a church that's not wealthy at all," he says. “But if the choice is have the building but make the community mad, or be open to where He might have us move next, we have no choice. It's no good to do ministry in a place where people resent you."
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