Facing impending bankruptcy, St. Bartholomew's Anglican Church in Gibsons is looking for creative ways to survive in the 21st century.
Members of St. Bart's appeared before the Gibsons planning committee Tuesday morning to ask for help in finding a solution that will allow the church to keep its doors open to parishioners and the community as a whole.
"St. Bart's is facing bankruptcy within two years. That is a harsh thing to say. It took our parish quite a while to digest that. There were months and months of denial and lots of looking back and saying 'we're sorry things can't be the same as they used to be,'" said Patricia Hetherington, St. Bart's ministry assessment process facilitator. "So we are left to either flounder and fail or to fall back on our own creative resources."
Hetherington said a combination of an aging congregation, the deaths of many of its donors over the years and the end of funding from the Diocese of New Westminster means the church can no longer afford to maintain its space or continue offering church services or community outreach programs without a new source of revenue.
The church currently offers Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, exercise groups, school lunches, an annual community Christmas play, concerts and cultural events and a monthly dinner for the hungry and recently added a monthly food bank.
But, Hetherington said, St. Bart's has a plan and with a little help from council, local Anglicans will still have a place to worship, the religious and outreach services will remain open, and St. Bart's will have a newer and modern role in the community.
The church is asking for a change to its zoning that will allow it to rent out office space that is currently underused in the church basement. The 185 square metre basement has multiple rooms with movable walls and kitchen facilities, accessible separate entrances and four washrooms.
"Bart's Centre," "Bart's Community" or "Bartholomew Place" were some suggestions Hetherington had for names for the re-branded and multi-purpose building at which St. Bart's Church would be just one of several users.
"We would be integral in the community and reflecting in very real ways our movement from isolated and insular to really being vital in our community," she said.
Hetherington suggested the rest of the office space could be used by groups like the Sunshine Coast Arts Council, Capilano University or administrative offices for a variety of business.
The planning committee praised Hetherington and Rev. Peter van der Leelie for being one of the first churches among many that are experiencing similar problems to come forward with innovative ideas, but cautioned the church against unintended consequences - namely, the church risking its eligibility for permissive tax exemptions, which council has begun scrutinizing more closely.
The committee was highly receptive to the plan and asked staff to come back to a future meeting with a report on options for the church to proceed with their desired re-zoning.
If no solution is found, van der Leelie said, there is no telling what will happen to the church in the future. That decision must be made by the local bishop and diocese.
"I can tell you they have closed churches recently. The one in Pender Harbour was closed," he said. "We've realized that we have to do something, and we're not about to wait until the last minute. Now is the time."
