NO churches or graveyards will be sold to meet the Anglican diocese of Bathurst’s debt repayments to the Commonwealth Bank but 10 properties are on the chopping block.
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The All Saints’ College is one property on the list but Bishop Ian Palmer would not divulge information regarding the other nine properties because it was “commercial in confidence”.
He said parishioners would be told once the deed of settlement was signed.
“The way in which the Commonwealth Bank is working with us is in the spirit of generosity,” Bishop Palmer said.
“They are committed to helping us and working with us.”
The announcement follows a synod meeting on Saturday where delegates met to determine how the diocese would meet its obligation to the bank after a Supreme Court ruling, in March, ruled the diocese legally obligated to repay its borrowings.
Before the sale of the Orange Anglican Grammar School and the Macquarie Anglican Grammar School in 2013, it is understood the diocese owed the bank $40 million.
Parishioners were told the church would go ahead with the sale of 10 properties at the Blessing of The Harvest on Sunday, in Orange, and via a letter distributed by Bishop Palmer.
The synod resolved to authorise Bishop Palmer and the bishop’s registrar to continue negotiations with the bank and it voted to instruct the Bishop in Council and the Anglican Property Trust to facilitate the sale of church properties and to “take any other action in order to fulfil the obligations agreed in this settlement”.
“In my address to the synod I said that the Commonwealth Bank had generously given us a window of opportunity to reach a settlement,” Bishop Palmer said.
“I echoed the words of a spokesperson for the [Commonwealth Bank] who said recently, ‘we are working constructively with the Bathurst diocese to achieve a sensible and responsible outcome’.”
nicole.kuter@fairfaxmedia.com.au
