A new Council was chosen, which claimed to have a plan to save the church building, and they left the impression that, under their competent management, the future of both the congregation and the building was bright. However, considering the actions of the new Council, their competence leaves much to be desired.
In democratic organizations and societies it is important that rules and laws be respected and followed. If this is not done, and the leaders of organizations view these rules as inconvenient, useless bureaucratic measures and run roughshod over them, then the danger exists that the institutions will descend into dictatorships.
Contraventions of the constitution
There have been many violations of the church constitution and best practice principles.
• In 2022 the congregation voted in favour of applying to close the columbarium. This was necessary in order to proceed with selling the property. Even though it became impossible to proceed with the sale, it was still procedurally necessary to hold a new vote to allow the withdrawal of the application. This was the advice that the bishop of the synod gave to the Council chairman. Nevertheless Council decided to skip this necessary step and withdrew the application without the formal approval of the congregation. Council is riding roughshod over the rules. The chairman has stated that he would not hesitate to take steps that were contrary to the will of the congregation if he found it necessary.
• The Advisory Committee is elected by the congregation and is independent of Council. The new Council appointed itself to this committee without having been elected to it.
• Our constitution requires that the budget be approved by the congregation. Last September Council presented a budget to the congregation, but it was not put to a vote.
• Our constitution requires that all decisions that encumber the church property, such as the rental of the pastor’s apartment, must be approved with a ⅔ majority vote. This approval was not obtained for the rental of the apartment.
Dictatorial behaviour
• All Estonian Lutheran congregations have an Advisory Committee whose members assist with ushering duties at church services and meet with the Council from time to time to discuss matters pertaining to the church. Recently Council disbanded the Committee and declared it nonexistent. The excuse for this was a technical one. The real reason was that some Committee members had requested a meeting with Council, themselves and our synod bishop to discuss matters of concern.
• A longstanding volunteer member of the Archive Committee was thrown out of the committee by the Council vice-chairman after a disagreement between this member and another one over a personal issue. This occurred without the vice-chair asking for her side of the story.
• Recently Council sent a Notice of Discipline Hearing to three longstanding congregation members demanding that they appear before Council (during Holy Week!), threatening to suspend their membership in the congregation. The reason was that they had openly criticized the actions of Council.
Money money money
• Recently a 91 year-old lady informed the chairman of her wish to remove the cremated remains of her late husband from the columbarium. The chairman required that she pay the church’s legal expenses, should the church need to consult with its lawyer.
• In order to save money our congregation, the largest in the Estonian diaspora, does not have its own pastor. Council has decided not to invite a pastor from Estonia to provide services in proper Estonian, because of the cost of travel and housing for the pastor. Only when the Hamilton congregation arranges visits of guest pastors from Estonia has Council invited them to our church. And that only when they are reminded to do this by a member of the congregation. Our Council did not offer to help the Hamilton congregation cover the costs associated with bringing the visiting pastor here. In my opinion this behaviour is embarrassing and shameful.
It appears that the Council of St. Peter's Church of Toronto is focussing on the building, not on serving the congregation.
During this past Advent season there was a fun-filled Christmas fair on a Sunday, but no church service.
How should Council serve its people?
Our congregation is a Canadian Estonian Lutheran congregation. Every congregation needs a pastor, a “shepherd”, whom we know and trust.
After our previous minister resigned Council had the opportunity to invite a minister from Estonia. Archbishop Viilma offered his assistance in finding a suitable candidate. But in the name of saving money Council decided not to take this opportunity. Instead, they offer monthly services in English (which are temporarily being conducted by Pastor Pamela Kormano) and once monthly Estonian language services by various ministers (occasionally Pastor Peter Vanker of the Missouri synod, occasionally Pastor Kalle Kadakas from St. Andrew's, once in a while Pastor Ando Kass). Estonian services are important to us – the most recent Christmas services illustrated this fact: there were five times more people in attendance at the Estonian service than at the English one.
For the first time in the history of St. Peter's there is no confirmation class.
The Council of St. Peter's has totally neglected the spiritual needs of our housebound members and those living in Ehatare and Suomi-Koti, and who were accustomed to regular Estonian services provided by our minister.
During this past Advent season there was a fun-filled Christmas fair on a Sunday, but no church service.
For the first time in the history of St. Peter's there is no formal pastor-led service with Communion on Good Friday. But there was a film screening (not about Easter, though).
For the first time in the history of St. Peter's there is no confirmation class.
Without a permanent pastor (either full or part-time) we are like sheep without a shepherd. As such our future is in danger. Coffee club get-togethers and Christmas fairs, although enjoyable and fun, do not meet this need.
Council is focussing on money – how to save it and how to make more.
And all this in order to save the building. And in so doing the most important things are sacrificed. I have two young grandchildren who were baptized in our congregation and who most likely would one day want to be confirmed as members of our congregation. At the present time this seems improbable. This saddens and worries me.
I call upon all voting members of the congregation of St. Peter’s Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Toronto to participate in all congregational meetings to hold Council to account for its actions and to demand that it act properly.
Talvi Maimets
Past Vice-chair of St. Peter's Church Council
