East Falls Weighs In on How to Use Redeemer’s Property
What is SEPA’s mission in East Falls?
Redeemer members attended the East Falls Community Council meeting to listen to Rev. Patricia Davenport attempt to make inroads into the East Falls community with SEPA’s plans to use the property they seized from Redeemer. The discussion lasted 18 minutes. That’s 18 minutes more than Rev. Davenport gave the people of Redeemer before she came to our door with a locksmith back in February 2008.
Her timing was off. She told the community the building has been empty for four years. It’s not quite two and half. (September 27, 2009). She applauded when someone mentioned parking. Bishop Burkat used lack of parking in her opening volley against Redeemer back in 2006. Parking has never been an issue at Redeemer!
She claimed repeatedly that she very much wants a Word and Sacrament church there, but didn’t explain why they locked out the Word and Sacrament church that had been there for 103 years.
Her presentation was more noted for what she didn’t share about their involvement with the property. We thought for a moment she might attempt some candor when someone asked her when they were going to start using the property. She deflected this by coyly saying — if I say when, you’ll hold me to it and so I won’t say when.
As for the community, one member who was active in the children’s choir hosted by Redeemer suggested that the discussion was premature. Others stated that they missed the arts program which Redeemer used to host. Pastor Davenport talked about having a school . . . as if Redeemer had never had a school and wasn’t about to open a new one when they evicted us. So far every idea mentioned Redeemer had already done or planned to do. We doubt Pastor Davenport noted that.
The local newspaper editor thought the education building should be senior housing. That wouldn’t affect parking. Sounds like Redeemer should become a parking lot!
There was one suggestion so insulting that we almost forgot. It was the first one offered. Our church should be made into a dog park.
No one asked the BIG questions.
If SEPA’s oft-stated passion is to have a Word and Sacrament church on the corner of Midvale and Conrad, why don’t they just open a church?
Why did they work for a decade to destroy the church that was there?
Why are they making overtures to the community, if they know their mission?
It was an evening at the theater. SEPA has no money or resources for dog parks or art centers and it is not about to enter the kind of renovations necessary for housing anyone — especially when none of these are within their mission as a Synod. Any of these peripheral uses would side-track and delay their supposed mission and protected tax status.
They were trying to create the illusion that they care. They have demonstrated very well that they don’t.
Someone asked about desanctifying the land. It has already been defiled by Synod’s behavior.
They are waiting for clear title to the land they seized. That could take years in the courts. Then they are likely to sell the property — their plan from the start. Would you house Aunt Nellie in Redeemer’s education building only to uproot her when the day comes for SEPA to hightail it out of East Falls, cash in hand, once and for all?
SEPA told Redeemer in 1998, “Ministry in East Falls is not good use of the Lord’s money.”
Dog parks? That’s another story.
We video-taped the discussion. The EFCC allowed us to distribute a flyer.