Invercargills hundred year old First Presbyterian Church has been given an 80%+ earthquake rating - and is celebrating by offering free public tours of the building on Saturday 14 February.

First Church has been an iconic Invercargill building for 100 years, and based on a report from consulting engineers is likely to remain so for another 100 years. Hadley & Robinson Limited, Dunedin based consulting engineers, have assessed the building and their analysis concludes that "it can be reported with high confidence that the building rates at better than 80% NBS" and therefore it is not earthquake prone.

Hadley and Robinson reviewed the drawings of the original construction, completed a visual survey of the building and discussed the construction with workmen who had been involved in recent repairs to brickwork. They concluded that the massive brick walls were capable of resisting significant earthquake motions.

"It is wonderful news that First Church rates better than 80% NBS" said William Watt, Chair of the First Church Heritage Buildings Charitable Trust. "In February 2015 we will be celebrating the buildings 100th birthday and we can do so knowing that the building is safe to use for church activities and to hire out for other events."

"In 2009 a Conservation Plan was developed by well-known Invercargill architect, Allan Mollison who developed a plan for the restoration of the building. The stained -glass windows have been restored along with significant restoration of the exterior brickwork and roof. After the Christchurch earthquakes we felt it was important to know the strength of the building and whether any strengthening was required before we continued with the restoration of the building" Mr Watt said.

First Church is a major Invercargill landmark which was opened in 1915 and is of an Italian Romanesque design. Over one million bricks were used in the construction of the church which has a height of 15 metres. The Campanile bell tower has a height of 32 metres, with the walls at its base being one metre thick. Arthur Sefton, bricklayer, was regarded as one of the finest tradesmen in the country when the building was constructed with its complex arches and patterns.

"We owe a debt of gratitude to the original builders and to the generations of people who have maintained and cared for the building over the last 100 years. Tours of the building will be held on Saturday 14 February from 10am for people wanting to view the building and its construction. Tours will commence from the Tay Street entrance of the Church" William Watt said "This truly is a wonderful building and we would be delighted to show it to the community."

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Invercargill's First Presbyterian Church celebrates quake rating

Old Church Demolition-New Church Construction
Also in the video are the following: Father Romanchak #39;s Ordination New Church Consecration.

By: St. Mary #39;s R. O. Church

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Old Church Demolition-New Church Construction - Video

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By: billcam sourcine

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BDM Mortgage Services Church Construction Loans - Video

Religious Site.Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma (fourth from left) and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama (second from right) lead the groundbreaking ceremony of the site for the San Pedro Calungsod parish in Barangay Pulangbato.(Sun.Star Foto/Ruel Rosello)

A NEW church with a design inspired by St. John Paul II will soon rise in Barangay Pulangbato, Cebu City.

Despite the rain yesterday, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at the proposed site of the St. Pedro Calungsod Church in Pulangbato. St. John Paul II is the parishs second patron saint.

Present during the ceremony were parish priest Fr. Benjie Herrera, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, barangay officials and parishioners.

The church, which will cost about P89 million, will consist of the main congregation, function rooms, an adoration chapel and a columbary.

Once completed, the church can accommodate at least 700 parishioners.

In an interview yesterday, Herrera said they found the site after one of the residents, Flor Montebon, donated her 4,300-square-meter property to the parish.

Of the donated property, 1,200 square meters will be dedicated for the construction of the church.

The design of the church has been conceptualized by Architect Michael Torres of ArchiGlobal Inc., who offered his services for free as his way of helping the parish.

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P90-M San Pedro Calungsod church to rise in Pulangbato, Cebu City

The Church of the Ascension is an unremarkable Middle River landmark, just a squat, brick building on an isolated peninsula south of Martin State Airport. But for Episcopalians in eastern Baltimore County's Wilson Point community, the small church has been a fixture for generations home to such cradle-to-grave memories as baptisms, weddings and funerals.

And on a street of mostly fenced-in front yards, the church's rolling lawn has served as an informal waterfront park to the entire neighborhood since aircraft pioneer Glenn L. Martin donated the property to the community 75 years ago. Residents walk their dogs to the tree-lined shore. A sliver of beach provides a popular spot for fishing. And a wooden bench perched amid a community garden beckons visitors to sit and gaze at the ducks on Stansbury Creek.

But these days the garden is dead, the creek is frozen and the church is locked. For two years the bucolic, nearly two-acre plot has stood at the center of a bitter property dispute in Baltimore County Circuit Court. It is a legal fight that turns on decades-old documents, fading memories and the intersection of civil laws and religious rules.

On one side is a congregation of fewer than 20 people represented by Towson lawyer Donna M.B. King, a sole practitioner. On the other is the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, which has 108 congregations and is represented by Venable, a national law firm with hundreds of attorneys.

The dispute is playing out as the diocese is grappling with a major crisis: Its assistant bishop, Heather Elizabeth Cook, has been charged with manslaughter in the December hit-and-run death of cyclist Thomas Palermo in Baltimore. Cook is out on bail while awaiting trial.

Nationally, the Episcopal Church has been ensnared in a number of property disputes. Typically such fights are triggered by congregations breaking away over issues such as the denomination's support for same-sex marriage and gay clergy, experts say. The Maryland diocese experienced such a defection in 2010 when Mount Calvary Church in Baltimore voted to become Catholic. In that case, the diocese simply sold the building to the departing church.

The issue in the Middle River case is different, inflamed by local passions for a property that many in Wilson Point see as a tribute to Martin's benevolent legacy.

"There are some hard feelings because there are a lot of emotional attachments to the church and a love of that community," King said.

Ascension members allege in their lawsuit that the diocese unlawfully took the building by falsifying a deed and improperly seized $27,000 in church bank accounts. They say that on Feb. 24, 2013, a diocese official ended the final Sunday service by leading the congregation outside and locking the door.

It's been locked ever since.

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Small church fights Episcopal diocese over land

Sun Jan 25 21:50:55 EST 2015

Gibney shocks with his latest.

"Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief"

From "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" to the Catholic church expos "Mea Maxima Culpa," Alex Gibney's documentaries often adopt a straightforward approach to exposing institutional dysfunction. "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" falls into that tradition. The director's bracing adaptation of Lawrence Wright's 2013 book on the religion's bizarre history is fairly routine in terms of its allegations. But with such outlandish material, that's more than enough.

READ MORE:Alex Gibney Premieres His Scathing Expos on the Church of Scientology

By now, there's nothing entirely fresh about the story of L. Run Hubbard's construction of a cult based around far-fetched science fiction conceits and the devious antics that ensued from it many of which were perpetrated by Hubbard's tyrannical predecessor, the elusive David Miscavige. Nevertheless, taking cues from gripping testimonies provided by several high profile former members of the group including top-level executives and an eloquent Paul Haggis "Going Clear" delivers an efficient overview of Scientology's dark history with a cohesive focus on the precision of its corrupt motives.

The first half of "Going Clear" plays as a kind of non-fiction alternative to "The Master," sketching out the history of Hubbard's interest in crafting a religion based around his influential book "Dianetics." Hubbard himself appears in revealing archival footage at the height of his influence, discussing his murky philosophies associated with obtaining harmony through personal recollection.

Gibney contrasts his strange assertions with backstory from Wright as well as former Scientologists who witnessed Hubbard's nonsensical lectures years ago. As usual, the filmmaker also peppers his narrative with a healthy amount of archival material, including diary entries by Hubbard ex-wife Sarah Northup as she asserts her husband's desire to "create a religion for success."

Moving through the decades, "Going Clear" shows the precision of Hubbard's brainwashing abilities even as he faces scrutiny from the media. Gibney's subjects explain the dubious E-meter process ("two-thirds of a lie detector test"), the device that leads Scientologists to believe they can expunge their internal conflicts through a meticulous form of verbal repetition.

Though the movie eventually comes around to explaining the ludicrous conceit behind this practice Hubbard's assertion that human beings are infected by alien souls the movie's meticulous explanation for the test's seeming effectiveness ensures that "Going Clear" sticks to an empirical approach. With a measured journalistic prowess on par with his source material, Gibney takes nothing for granted.

Link:
Sundance Review: Alex Gibney's 'Going Clear' is a Shocking Overview of Scientology's Demented Leadership

1/22/2015 - West Side Leader

WEST AKRON The proposed construction of a church on North Hawkins Avenue near Garman Road will be before Akrons Zoning Appeals Board again next week after the issue was postponed due to residents concerns.

Councilwoman Marilyn Keith (D-Ward 8) said the issue was before the board Dec. 17, but she asked for more time after hearing from neighbors concerned about the project.

The Rev. Wayne Hoye, pastor of Greater Works Church, said members currently meet at Mason Community Learning Center in East Akron. He said the Hawkins site is attractive to the church because there are opportunities to provide outreach in the neighborhood.

For a lot of the people in that area, it would be beneficial, he said, noting the church would like to offer food programs and a preschool.

The property in question is a 3-acre wooded area just south of the railroad tracks. The church does not own the property yet but has an agreement with the owner, Hoye said.

The property is zoned residential, Keith said. City officials said Akrons zoning code gives the Board of Zoning Appeals the authority to grant approval for a church in a residential district provided parking requirements are met.

Bryden Drive resident Elizabeth Smith is among a group of residents opposed to the project. The church would be in her backyard, she said.

Nobody has anything against the pastor or his church, she said. That area should be residential and thats what we said to the zoning board.

She added there are concerns with water runoff from the proposed churchs parking lot, as well as with an expected increase in traffic at the intersection of Garman and North Hawkins. The construction would also remove trees that currently cut down on noise from the trains that go by on the tracks there, she added.

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Akron church hoping to relocate to North Hawkins site facing resistance

MERIDEN The closing of a Colony Street parking lot due to construction is expected to impact a nearby church and may have already contributed to The Reserve public house and concert venue going out of business, according to the owner.

The 93-space parking lot at 38-44 Colony St. will close Feb. 3, and signifies the beginning of construction at 24 Colony St. where the Meriden Housing Authority and Westmount Development Group will build a $24 million building with commercial space and apartments. Construction is set to begin in mid-February. A 273-space parking garage will also be built on the site.

While there will eventually be more parking, The Reserve owner James Peracchio wrote in a Facebook forum this week that the business was closed, adding it was not an easy decision. He declined to comment to a Record-Journal reporter Thursday, but wrote in the Meriden, CT Community Forum that parking was a concern moving forward, especially as the venue drew large crowds from outside the city.

Although the reduction in parking is unfortunate, Midstate Chamber of Commerce President Sean Moore said some short-term interruption is necessary to complete the many construction projects planned and underway.

Something really big is happening here and for a number of years were going to have to figure out how to adapt, Moore said.

Moore works in the chamber offices across from The Reserve. He doesnt believe the closing of the parking lot contributed to the owners decision.

I dont believe the audience that is at The Reserve is fundamentally different than the night club crowd in New Haven or Hartford, or Middletown, Moore said. They park their car and they walk.

Moore believes the most successful use of The Reserves 16 Church St. building is something open during the daytime/early evening hours.

Mayor Manny Santos said he was quite disappointed to hear of the venues closing, adding he wished the owners brought it to his attention.

Currently there arent other businesses that are open at the same time they are open, so it becomes difficult to continuously attract people to one location where theres one thing going on, he said. In the future, when we get restaurants and shops that can be open later, it can be a destination... where it can be a better attraction for people. Once theres more activity downtown itll be easier, but I suspect theyre having a hard time maintaining a business in the meantime.

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Downtown Meriden nightclub closes amid parking worries

January 21, 2015 - 17:25 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian church of Turkish city Izmir is now used as a stable. Moreover, the local residents, who bring their horses and cows here, complained about the drug addicts and drunkards who have turned the construction into a den.

Turkish newspaper Milliyet reports that the Armenian Gregorian church is located in the Menemen district of Izmir. It is supposed to be a 19th century building, although no record of that has been preserved. The church is now in a miserable state and is filled with manure and other contamination.

The locals complain that the area has become a place for dangerous drug addicts and drunkards. It is under supervision of the police, the children cannot play there quietly, as strangers walk around the church.

One of the inhabitants of the district, Nurten Yelmaz, said that this is an Armenian historical church. "Unfortunately, Turkey does not give much significance to historical buildings. One should stand up for spiritual values, regardless of one's religion. There are very few building like this remained. This historical building has become a stable now. We must stand up for these places".

The building served as a church until 1922. When the Turkish army entered Izmir, burned it and massacred the Greek and Armenian population, the church was abandoned. Until recently it was used as a military warehouse, but now it is empty. Three years ago with Menemen municipality initiative the local Greek Church Agios Konstantinos was renovated which is also a 19th century structure. At that time they promised that the Armenian Church will be repaired too, but no work has been done until now.

Izmir (Turkish: zmir, Greek: , old name: Smyrna) is a city in the West of Turkey, the capital of the state of the same name. It is the second largest city in Turkey with a population of (2009 census). The city is situated on Aegeyan sea, in front of the Izmir Gulf. It is the second most important port after Istanbul. and is linked to other major cities of the country through railway.

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Armenian church in Turkeys Izmir turned into stable

By THOMAS GALLICK Wednesday January 21, 2015 9:10 AM

For the Rev. John Hohe, the best part of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church's new building might just be the windows.

He said the building's architect included a large number of windows to allow members of the congregation to look out on their community -- and let the community look in.

"The best way to do that is to have a lot more windows than walls," Hohe said.

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sunday, Jan. 18, for its new building at 3924 Home Road in Powell.

The ceremony ended the church's 13-year journey through multiple temporary homes.

The church was founded in January 2002 after about 35 members of St. John Lutheran Church in Dublin left to form a new church to serve residents of the Lewis Center and Powell areas. The congregation initially met at Liberty Middle School for about a year before moving to a shopping center off U.S. Route 23.

"That was pretty much the traditional way to start a church -- to get a small group and expect to grow," Hohe said.

Hohe arrived in 2004 and watched the church outgrow the shopping-center space. It moved to its penultimate home at a rental space at 478 W. Olentangy St. in 2008.

The new location is about 11,300 square feet, which is more than double the size of the church's previous home. Construction on the project started in May 2014.

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Church's wandering ends at building primed for growth