Central United leaving a legacy
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/12/2022 (999 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
While Central United Church is no longer operating in Brandon, members of the congregation are still giving back to the community following the sale of this site of worship.
After the transaction was finalized in June, Central United’s leadership team was tasked with disbursing 70 per cent of the funds (around $950,000) to local charitable organizations, with the remaining money being earmarked for the United Church of Canada.
According to leadership team chair Bill Myers, this sum was split evenly between Trinity United Church, Knox United Church, the YWCA Women’s Shelter, Samaritan House Food Bank, Samaritan House Safe and Warm Shelter, Helping Hands Brandon, Adult and Teen Challenge and the Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer Board.
Central United Church leadership team chair Bill Myers stands in the building’s sanctuary this past April. Myers helped his team finalize the sale of the church this year and donate two-thirds of the funds to eight local charitable organizations. (File)
Central United Church leadership team chair Bill Myers stands in the building’s sanctuary this past April. Myers helped his team finalize the sale of the church this year and donate two-thirds of the funds to eight local charitable organizations. (File)
“We wanted it to be local,” Myers told the Sun Friday. “We wanted to leave a legacy, and I think we have.”
Central United Church’s final service in Brandon took place April 24, with its members having overwhelmingly voted in favour of disbanding four months earlier.
Even though the church has been operating in one form or another for more than a century, its congregation had gradually dwindled to the point where the whole enterprise wasn’t financially feasible.
“We just couldn’t manage it any longer,” Myers said. “So it was a very sad thing, and it was sad for me because I had a long family history [with the church] dating back to my parents and myself.”
In the wake of Central United’s last service in Brandon, Myers was then tasked with finalizing the sale of the building and figuring out what was to be done with the church’s assets.
The more than 18,200-square-foot building, located at 327 Eighth St., was listed for $1.5 million on a local real estate website in April, with the church’s sanctuary being able to hold up to 800 people.
The property was eventually bought by a group named BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, which converted the space into a Hindu temple.
“My understanding is they’re very happy with it, [based on] the few people that I’ve talked to,” Myers said.
In terms of Central United’s various assets, some of these items were distributed to religious organizations across Manitoba, while certain members of the congregation were able to reclaim the belongings they donated to the church years ago.
“There’s a lot of grief dealing with the congregation, certainly the sadness of losing your home church,” Myers said. “But an awful lot of them have joined the other local [United] churches, Trinity and Knox.”
Hundreds of Brandon residents gather for Central United Church's final service, which took place April 24. (File)
Right now, Myers said there are still a few administrative tasks left to finish before they can completely close the book on Central United Church in Brandon.
If all goes according to plan, everything should be wrapped up by the end of the year, with a couple extra donations available for disbursement in the community.
“We can see the light at the end of the tunnel in the very near future, so it’s a bit of a relief to get it done,” Myers said.
Central United Church sits on the site of the former St. Paul’s United Church, which was established more than 100 years ago. When this church burnt to the ground in 1986, Central United was built in its place and first opened its doors to congregation members in September 1988.
» kdarbyson@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @KyleDarbyson