So when is the vote, and what is the scope of motion we are voting on?

The vote will take place as part of the AGM of both Parishes, to be held on Sunday 2 September at 11.30am at Holy Trinity and 12 noon at BayWest Anglican Church.
The motion will include details such as the timeframe for the formation of a new Parish, the transition of staff, the transferring of all assets and bequests, and the name of the new Parish. The registrar is at present drafting the motion, and it will be printed in both Parishes bulletins for two weeks preceding the AGM and vote.

If the majority vote ‘yes’, what happens the Sunday after the vote?

The Sunday after the vote, Sunday 9 September we will be holding a combined service with most HT and BW congregations regardless of the vote outcome. It will be at 10.30am at Hutchins Middle School auditorium, and there will be an 8.00am service at HT for those who would rather a more liturgical service. The Sunday after that, services will be as currently held at BW and HT.

The Parishes need the approval of both Diocesan Council and the Bishop before the current Parishes can be closed, and a newly merged Parish can commence. If there is a majority vote from both Parishes to merge, sometime in late September we can expect to receive approval to become a new Parish. On 4 November we will have a special general meeting to vote in a new Parish council, synod reps and nominators, and to pass a budget. We would begin as one new Parish from the 30 December, 2007.

Combined 10am services would be held on 7 October and 4 November, 2007.

What is the process of appointing a Rector?

This is an important and complex question. If and when BW and HT cease to be separate Parishes, stipended staff appointments of both Parishes, including the Rector cease to be. The Bishop would then appoint a locum to oversee the Parish and supervise the existing staff until such times as a Rector is appointed to the new Parish who can then confirm ongoing staff appointments. On 4 November at the Special General Meeting, Parish nominators will be elected. They will meet as soon as is practical, and will begin the process of seeking a Rector. When they have reached a decision, they will advise the Bishop of their preference, and he will either accept their recommendation and invite the candidate to be the Rector, or he will ask them to reconsider and bring forward another name. When agreement on a suitable candidate is reached, an appointment will be made by Bishop John.

What will happen to the existing staff?

All the existing staff will be accommodated for in the new parish. A possible configuration would be Emily and Deb responsible for admin, Jill and Deb for small groups and pastoral care, Mark for Soul Café, Tim for missions, David for 10am, Mark for children and families, Charles for 8am and Lawrenny Court, and Jacob for Chinese ministry. We would look to employ new interns for youth and music. David would be responsible for staff supervision, the university chaplaincy, progressing the building program and preaching. In time some of our existing staff may move on, and we might then look to employ specialist staff into the future as the need and opportunity arises.

What will happen to the core identity of my parish? Will it be lost?

The merger is about preserving and enhancing the core identity of both parishes, not destroying them. Both are edge of the city evangelical strongholds, both function as regional parishes drawing from across the city, both have a history of raising clergy and sending missionaries, both have non-Anglo-Saxon congregations, and both value outreach and children’s youth and family ministries, as well as catering for more traditional liturgical congregations.

The newly merged parish is about continuing all of the above traditions, yet doing them more effectively and efficiently together. Combining our staff will allow us to specialise, staff developing key areas of ministry. It will allow us to run fewer Sunday worship services so as to have more time and focus for mission and other ministries. It will allow us build modern all age friendly facilities that facilitate a range of ministries.

How will I remain a part of my local church family?

In bringing together two church families, not to mention nine congregations, into one church family in seven congregations will not be without its challenges. Already the two evening services have successfully combined, having lost no-one because of this process. People will be able to have existing friends as part of their small group if they wish, and can be pastorally cared for by staff they already know and trust. Jill, Deb and Mark will be focussed on building the sense of church family across the Sunday morning services. No one is suggesting this will be simple or will happen automatically, but it is something we are all very committed to making work.

What will be done to ensure people are pastorally cared for and not burnt as a result of this process?

We are very aware that this has been, and will continue to be, a sensitive issue and period for people. For that reason we are planning to reallocate some of Debbie Watkins time towards pastoral care of those from Holy Trinity. Special attention will also be given to integrating the two parishes, and to prevent and ‘us’ and ‘them’ feeling taking hold. The two evening services have been successfully combined, and there is no sense of ‘us’ and ‘them’ present there. This may involve sharing meals, day trips, a camp, mixed small groups etc. We will do our best to help all move through and beyond the challenges that face us.

What is the future of the Chinese Church?

Healthy and dynamic we pray. But let’s be a bit more specific. If the HT vote is ‘no’ then the Chinese ministry remains a part of the HT Parish, and HT is required to fund that ministry just as it is required to fund any other service or ministry it offers. Any talk of ‘cutting loose’ the Chinese ministry is simplistic and flawed. It is no easier to ‘cut loose’ the 8am or 10am service than it is the Chinese ministry. All parishioners, whether Chinese, Anglo-Saxon or other, are equally members of HT. All services are currently supported by giving, investment income and/or drawing down on capital.

If the vote in both parishes is ‘yes’ then Jacob and the Chinese church would continue as an integral part of the new parish. Given the fact that most of the Chinese congregation already live in Sandy Bay, it would make sense to move the ministry to that location. If there is any shortfall in income from the Chinese ministry in relation to what the ministry costs to run, this would be met by the new parish. There is however an old maxim in missions and church planting, that all ministries should aim to become self sustaining, self reproducing (in terms of both leadership and membership) and self financing.

Do any of the assets of BW or HT go to the Diocese as a whole?

No, all assets of the two merging Parishes become the property of the newly merged parish. Synod has placed a 25% levy payable when parishes sell capital assets, although as a rule assets that are sold to fund the purchasing of other assets are not subject to this levy. In other words, if we sell a house to fund ministry we can expect to pay the levy. If we sell a house to develop property or buy another house, the levy may not apply.

Why is the development of an existing property favoured, rather than buying a neutral ‘greenfield’ site?

Initially, there was an inclination to purchasing a neutral site on which to build the new parish centre. The property working team has explored this option and discovered the following:

Given current property sales in our target area, a suitable sized property (2,500m2) on the fringes of the CBD is likely to cost between $3 and $4 million. The cost to then build (or redevelop, or demolish and redevelop) a new parish centre is another $2 million. The total cost is therefore about $5-6 million, whereas the cost to redevelop existing sites costs between $1.5 and 2 million. Even when we factor in selling both our existing churches and halls, each valued at less than $1 million, it still costs about $2–$3.5 million more to buy a greenfield site than it does to redevelop on of our existing sites. If God provides a great site in an excellent location at an agreeable price the new parish would have to seriously consider it. But the steering committee (made up of the staff and most of the existing wardens of both parishes) agrees it would be poor stewardship to commit ourselves to spending millions more simply to move to a neutral site.

Why is the development of the Sandy Bay site preferred to the North Hobart site?

For several reasons. The Sandy Bay site is 38% larger (1815m2 versus 2500m2), more level and has some existing buildings that will be of use, making construction cheaper. The Sandy Bay site is closer to University, a strategic place for Chinese and International students’ ministry, as well as young adults who would be future leaders of the church. The greatest proportion of the current membership of both churches lives in Sandy Bay (35%), and there are few if any comparable churches, evangelical or Anglican, in the immediate vicinity. While the current Chinese church hall could be utilised as a site to build a new church centre, the site is a little smaller and more challenging, and is closer to other comparable evangelical and Anglican churches that already do CBD type ministry well.

What will happen to the HT church building?

The answer to this question is as yet unclear. We need to allow the process of closure and deconsecration to run its course. No decision about the future of the building has yet been taken.

What happens if one Parish votes ‘no’ to the proposed merger?

A ‘no’ vote does not mean no change. Even if the Holy Trinity Parish votes ‘no’ to merging with BayWest, some very difficult decisions will need to be made. HT is living well beyond its means. If HT does not merge with BW, it will need to make significant cuts in operating costs. Continuing to sell-off properties to fund ongoing costs is not a long-term solution. The gap between HT’s live-giving and operating costs is so massive that staff will need to be cut back. At present the live giving within the Parish would pay just one staff member, presumably the Rector. Thus it is possible that the hours of all the existing staff will need to be either significantly cut back, or their positions terminated before we would be in a position to seek a new Rector. Failure to bring our expenditure into line may ultimately cause the Diocesan Council to place the Parish ‘under review’. This is a process whereby the Parish is investigated as to whether it is wisely using what God has entrusted it with and how it can continue to operate. Further, all the challenges with our existing properties remain, and we would need to address them as a separate Parish.

Does voting ‘yes’ to the merger somehow send the message I am in support of closing down the Holy Trinity Church Building?

Not at all. The merger vote is about saying ‘yes’ to the notion that we can minister and mission more effectively together than what we can apart. The process of deconsecration is an entirely different matter. It is about acknowledging that due to various circumstances (including occupational health and safety concerns, costs of repair, suitability of building and associated ministry spaces, and declining congregation size and live giving) that the Holy Trinity Church no longer represents our best option for weekly worship. That is why a building is consecrated – for weekly worship. Deconsecrating a building is not the same as condemning it or planning to demolish it. It is simply saying we do not intend to use it for our weekly worship. Whether or not the building can be repaired, preserved or retained in some way is a multifaceted question that involves the heritage council, the Hobart City Council, levels of state and federal government funding, and the Diocesan Council, the Trustees of the Diocese and the Bishop.

Does voting ‘no’ to the merger secure the future of the Holy Trinity Church Building?

Again, not at all. The indications from Diocesan Council, and the progress of the deconsecration process to date imply that for various reasons (as alluded to above) the Holy Trinity Church while beautiful, is also problematic. In the opinions of many within the Parish and the Diocese it does not represent the best option for the future of Holy Trinity Worship services. This is a reality should the Parish choose to merge or remain separate.