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$93K DEBT OWED BY SAGINAW CHURCH IS FORGIVEN
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mon, 22 Dec 2014 10:45:28 EST
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THE CONGREGATION AT CHRIST IMAGE COMMUNITY CHURCH IN SAGINAW HAS ANOTHER REASON TO CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AFTER A $93,000 DEBT WAS FORGIVEN. THE REV. EUGENE BURTON AND HIS WIFE, THE REV. MELISSA BURTON, ENTERED INTO A $125,000 LAND CONTRACT WITH THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF EASTERN MICHIGAN IN 2010 TO PURCHASE A BUILDING FOR THE INDEPENDENT CHURCH THAT FORMERLY HOUSED CALVARY MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH. A PAYMENT OF $93,000 WAS COMING DUE ON THE BUILDING IN 2015. BISHOP TODD OUSLEY OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF EASTERN MICHIGAN SAYS IT WAS SEEN AS A ``REAL, PRACTICAL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PRACTICE WHAT WE BELIEVE.'' WHILE SOME PAPERWORK STILL NEEDS TO BE FINALIZED, OUSLEY SAYS THE BURTONS AND CHRIST IMAGE COMMUNITY CHURCH WILL OWN THE BUILDING OUTRIGHT WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH. EUGENE BURTON SAYS HE WAS ``IN TEARS, JUST THANKING GOD'' AFTER LEARNING THIS MONTH THAT THE DEBT WAS BEING FORGIVEN. CALVARY MEMORIAL EPISCOPAL CHURCH OPENED ITS DOORS NOV. 23, 1884, BUT OUSLEY SAYS THE CONGREGATION DECIDED IN 2010 TO CLOSE AMID ADVANCING AGE AND DWINDLING NUMBERS. IT MERGED WITH ANOTHER EPISCOPAL CHURCH. AT THE SAME TIME, THE BURTONS WERE LOOKING FOR SPACE. THE SAGINAW-BASED EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF EASTERN MICHIGAN SERVES MORE THAN 20 COUNTIES IN THE EASTERN LOWER PENINSULA. OUSLEY SAYS THAT THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE WANTS TO SEE SAGINAW FLOURISH THROUGH A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, REGARDLESS OF RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION. OUSLEY SAYS THAT: ``RATHER THAN DEFENDING OUR TERRITORY, LET'S PUT IT ALL TO USE.''
