Charity in Milner Village

ALL FOUR gospels of the Bible tell the story of Jesus angrily driving merchants away from the temple in Jerusalem. The significance of this episode to the Christian faith, which this week observes its most sacred period, is indicated not only by the fact that it appears repeatedly. Within a week of his outburst, Jesus is dead, having ruffled the earthly feathers of the powers that be beyond redemption.

The story is also a central one because of its metaphorical implications: Christianity is about charity, generosity and prioritising spiritual, not material, gain.

So it is somewhat surprising to see how the situation involving the Anglican Church and the residents of Milner Village (also referred to as Milner Town in some official sources) has developed.

A long-simmering tenancy dispute has boiled over, with lawyers a few weeks ago reportedly issuing letters threatening villagers with eviction and residents on Saturday calling for an urgent meeting with the board of the church, which is currently trying to raise funds to rebuild its cathedral in Port of Spain.

Even the Archbishop of Canterbury in the UK, Justin Welby, has been appealed to and he has indicated he is powerless to intervene.

Meanwhile, several religious leaders in TT have been lobbied in the hope that they might use moral suasion over church officials.

In response to the concerns raised by the residents, Anglican Bishop Claude Berkley has said he is confident the board would be willing to meet with them to address their concerns.

This cannot happen soon enough.

Some time ago, a peppercorn rent of $41 per month was raised to $1,000, according to the residents.

But they also report being made to waive rights in relation to the properties involved in exchange for continued occupancy.

Whatever the details of arrangements entered and their ultimate legal effect, the villagers would have had a legitimate expectation about remaining in their homes.

Their appeal to Justin Welby is telling, pointing as it does to another dimension of this situation: its clear tie to the history of British imperialism which brought the Anglican Church to this country in the first place.

It was to cater to the religious instruction of freed slaves that the St Andrew’s Anglican Church in Couva, as well as similar churches, was built in the 19th century.

Many of the 120 residents of nearby Milner Village today tell stories about their ties to the land, going back more than 100 years when freed slaves and indentured labourers occupied it.

Another theme in Jesus’s ministry is that of holy men acting unwisely.

If the Anglican Church is not sensitive to the needs of these residents, it could well find itself being compared to not just money changers in temples, but also the hypocritical Pharisees.