I suspect that as the Uniting Church slides into oblivion we are going to hear more stories like this. It is the price church groups pay for leaving biblical truth behind to pursue the wisdom of men (and women).

From the ABC:

Parishioners devastated as churches sold off to cover massive school debt

Devastated Uniting Church members have attacked the church hierarchy over plans to sell off dozens of properties to cover debts incurred by the financial collapse of a Melbourne school.

Congregations across Victoria were told this week that their churches – some of them decades old – would be sold to fill the $32 million hole left by the failure of Acacia College, which was shut down last year, leaving hundreds of students without a school.

Angry parishioners at the Glenroy Uniting Church in Melbourne's northern suburbs have told 7.30 that there had been little consultation by the church hierarchy, which invoked a "special circumstances" clause to sell the properties without the permission of the local church councils representing each congregation.

At a fiery meeting following Sunday's usual service, they told a representative of the presbytery – the regional body representing congregations in Melbourne's west and north – that they were shocked by the way the Uniting Church has behaved.

"People in the congregations have not been consulted about this process and we are being told in quite a dictatorial manner what is going to happen," Elva Averill said.

"Now buildings are buildings, that's fine, but I don't think the church should be treating people like this because without the people you don't have a church."

Read the full article here