Fifth-generation Bothwell family denied access to local Anglican Church for baptism
A FIFTH-generation Bothwell family has been devastated after they were denied access to the local Anglican Church to christen their newest member.
Tasmania
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A FIFTH-generation Bothwell family has been devastated after they were denied access to the local Anglican Church to baptise their newest member.
Anne Monks, whose association with the St Michael and All Angels Church dates back beyond the 1930s when her grandparents married there, was hoping to have her three-month-old grandson Jacob baptised in the Bothwell church.
But she was shocked when the Midlands Parish wouldn’t allow her to hold the service there.
The church is closed, but has not yet been deconsecrated. It is also on the Diocesan Council’s proposed sale list to help fund a redress scheme for the victims of abuse.
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When contacted by the Sunday Tasmanian, the Midlands Parish said the request didn’t align with its baptism policy.
“As there is no congregation currently meeting in Bothwell, there is no public worship service in which the baptism could take place,” Bishop Richard Condie said.
He said the family was not refused baptism, but had been invited to hold it at another operational centre.
The Bishop said the only time a baptism wasn’t conducted within public worship was in extreme circumstances.
Ms Monks said it would “mean so much” to them to hold the service at Bothwell given their long family history with the church.
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She married her husband, Neil, at the church in 1984 and his funeral was held there after he died in October last year.
The couple were christened at the church in their younger days and both their parents are buried in the cemetery.
More than 30 Monks children have been christened at the church in the past.
Ms Monks told the parish of her family’s extensive association with the Bothwell church and said the church had little sympathy, describing the dismissal as “heartless and rude”.
“It’s made us very upset, we don’t want him [Jacob] christened anywhere else,” she said.
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She said the community would have loved a final service at Bothwell before it was potentially sold to fund the redress scheme.
Ms Monks said she would have paid for a minister, to hire the building and clean it afterwards, but the offer was knocked back.
Mr Monks said it was “shattering” not to be able to baptise his son there.
“I can’t understand it, we are fifth generation of the area and we can’t use the church,” he said.
“The church should always be open to the public.”
Southern Midlands Mayor Tony Bisdee said if the church was deconsecrated he would have been able to understand the decision.
“These are very staunch Anglican members, the church is still available and it can’t be used,” he said.
“This further erodes the trust the Anglican community in Tasmania has with the Bishop and the Diocesan Council.”
jack.paynter@news.com.au
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