"This is a big deal. There is a lot involved in this," said the Rev. Mark Rutenbar, president of the standing committee of the diocese. "The cathedral is a symbol of the diocese. Unfortunately, there is weak support for it as a building."

Diocesan offices, as well as a small Episcopal congregation, are currently located in the cathedral. Members of the congregation -- the Parish Church of Christ the King at the Cathedral of Christ the King -- say they oppose selling the building.

"We've taken a preliminary sounding on this issue from the congregation and it's pretty clear that they feel a deep spiritual connection to this place," said the Rev. Cynthia Black, rector of the parish church at 2600 Vincent Drive Ave.

"There are a lot of angry people in the congregation right now," said Black. "But there also are a lot of very hopeful people" who are optimistic the diocese will find a way to hold onto the building.

The proposal asking that the cathedral be deconsecrated "as Cathedral for the Diocese of Western Michigan and a suitable buyer be sought" was drawn up by churches in the Petoskey and Holland areas.

"The diocese is in a critical financial state and unable to fulfill its Vision Statement (of reaching out to people through various ministries) and cannot pay in rent what is needed," according to the proposal.

Among other things, it would cost about $1 million to upgrade the church and make it handicapped-accessible. In addition, an endowment used to help fund the cathedral is dwindling and will likely run out soon, said supporters of the proposal to consider a sale.

"The Cathedral of Christ the King in Portage is not currently meeting the needs of an ever-more mission-oriented Episcopal Church," said the Rev. LaRae Rutenbar, interim pastor of a church in Petoskey. LaRae Rutenbar is married to Mark Rutenbar.

Along with being inaccessible to the handicapped, said LaRae Rutenbar, the cathedral's meeting rooms are inadequate for large groups and the office space is insufficient. In addition, she said, the building is not centrally located, making it difficult for northern parishes to attend certain functions and services. The diocese runs on the west side of the Lower Peninsula from the Indiana state line north to the Petoskey area.

"There is a real financial problem that has been developing in the diocese," said the Rev. John Hills, a retired priest and former diocesan administrator who lives in West Olive.

Money woes have hit the 14,000-member diocese in recent years for a number of reasons, including a bad economy, skyrocketing insurance premiums, and a downturn in giving among a few churches that are not happy with the Episcopal denomination's support of gays and lesbians.

"Money has not been very plentiful and even reduced. It's been difficult getting a balanced budget," said Hills, one of those who helped write the proposal to be considered.

The annual budget for the diocese is about $600,000.

Black, rector of the parish church at the cathedral, said cathedral income -- rent from the diocese for office space and from the church that uses the building -- has failed to keep up with expenses in recent years.

The diocese, she said, has decided it must reduce its rent from $80,000 per year to $30,000 for the next fiscal year. She said her congregation is vital, but small, averaging about 100 people for Sunday worship, and unable to pay what it would cost to keep the cathedral in operation. Her parish pays about $15,000 a year for cathedral upkeep, said Hills.

"We welcome the opportunity (at the convention or at other times) to have a conversation about the cathedral that hasn't taken place yet," said Black.

Chances are Black's congregation would stay together and find another place in which to worship should the cathedral be sold.

Looking more like a castle than a church, the cathedral was built along I-94 in 1969 for about $2 million.

"The original design was for it to be the centerpiece of a large complex, including an academy and senior citizens' residence," said the Rev. Joseph Neiman, rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Paw Paw.

Neiman once sat on the board of the corporation that oversees operation of the cathedral and the 28 acres on which it sits. Also part of the site is a cemetery holding the ashes of former church members.

"The cathedral is an underdeveloped resource of the Episcopal diocese," said Neiman.

If he finds enough support among other church members, Neiman said, he may craft his own proposal and place it before this week's convention meeting.

"We haven't sold the vision of what the cathedral can be," he said. "The cathedral should be the interface between church and society. It should host controversial speakers on issues facing people from a moral perspective."

END