Despite the known possibility that this could be coming, it still came as a great shock to Pastor Ed Cavanough and his St Leonards parishioners. 

Mr Cavanough said the community was proud the Anglican Church was taking a stand to compensate sexual abuse survivors, however there was still great fear among the parish ranks.

“There is all the scared nature of, ‘what will come next’ and potentially saying goodbye to something they love,” he said.

The Anglican Bishop of Tasmania, Dr Richard Condie said churches chosen to be sold as a part of the diocese’s $8 million involvement in the national redress scheme could appeal the decision. 

However, Mr Cavanough said he was unsure if there would be an appeal to save the St Leonards church. 

“We’re still all processing the letter and the parish as a whole is trying to figure out what we’re going to do with it all,” he said. “I’m trying to stay focussed and remember that at its core this is about redress – it’s about bringing some level of justice and some level of support to those survivors of sexual abuse.

“Even though it’s hard, and it hurts, and there may be a painful sacrifice for us, we are committed to that.”

Since the announcement of the church’s redress scheme, Bishop Condie has emphasised that the Anglican Church is more than just buildings or ceremonies and is primarily about the communities it creates. 

Mr Cavanough agreed with these sentiments, saying the church would continue even after it is sold.

“We really love this community and a lot of our members live in it and a lot of us really love it,” he said. “I think we will do our best to still be a part of this community.”