Looking at this photo reminds me of the dysfunction of St. Peter's Church in Vancouver which strangely is the other half of a two-part congregation with one body in Victoria. Democracy flew out the window long ago. There is a domineering fraction of council who ignore bylaws and do what they deem is right. A few examples: the present chair was not re-elected to council in 2007 and also council managed to have 2 council members illegally dismissed purposely ignoring bylaws which state such dismissal is a decision for the congregation and under the Society Act of B.C. which overrules all church (and affiliated churchs') bylaws, the congregation's vote must not be less than 75% in favour of such dismissal. At the January 2007 AGM a motion was put forward to dismiss the same council members but it did not pass. Nevertheless about 2 weeks later the congregation's decision was ignored and council had them booted out. Council also does not comply with a member's absolute right to inspect documents. Later it will declare that a date was set for inspection but no one showed up. The church is supposed to be an open society and every member has the right to inspect papers but this is not the case. Previous chair controlled all large congregational meetings and allowed his allies to voice slanderous remarks against his opponents, remarks that had no relevance to church business. So even at an AGM one cannot expect fairness or be allowed to speak. Sadly, there isn't much leverage in our community to do anything about such injustices. Yes, wouldn't it be nice if we all got along, but what is the remedy for wrongdoing? If you think the courts are an answer, wrong, as anyone taking legal action against the church in our community is tarred and feathered.

At the January 28, 2007 AGM chair announced 9 council members were continuing on in 2007 and then held elections for two nominated candidates. 47 ballots were handed out. It is recorded in the draft minutes that a candidate had to get 20 votes "koosolijaid oli 47 ja 20 poolt häält on vaja et valitud saada" said the Jan. 28/07 AGM minutes.

Although there were more than a dozen vacancies on council, they pitted the two candidates against each other as if there was only one vacancy on council. Election result was that one candidate got 29 votes, the other 16, and two ballots were empty. Total 47. Here's the problem: our bylaws direct us under s.8(44) that the voting procedure should follow Robert's Rules of Order and the final report should have been presented this way:

Number of votes cast 45; Necessary for election 23; Candidate A received - XX Candidate B received XX

Illegal or Blank ballot count.

In essence 94 ballots should have been given out and two separate elections held one for each candidate. This was not a fair and democratic for either candidate.

There was an nomination made for an individual, lets call him ‘Jakob' who had already served on the congregational council for 3 years 2003, 2004 and 2005. On hearing his nomination, the minister according to the draft 2007 AGM Minutes says: " [Jakobi] suhtes küsib õpetaja et kas põhikirja järgi ei pea kandidaat olema leeritatud," which translates to "Regarding Jakob asked the minister, according to the bylaws doesn't a candidate need to be confirmed." Rather an interesting question coming from a minister who has been using these bylaws for the past 14-15 years. Since the minister is responsible for keeping accurate membership records you would think that he would have his documentation with him. And you would think that by this time he would clearly know the answer to this question. No one stopped the proceedings to check out the bylaws.

As it turns out it says under , Part 7 under s.1.(45) "At its annual meeting the congregation shall elect a Congregational Council of not less than six nor more than twenty-four members for terms of three years each with approximately one-third of the terms expiring annually. Elected members shall be eligible to serve no more than two consecutive terms."

Now we know, a member does not need to be confirmed to be elected to council. To be a member you must be "baptized, in the name of the Triune God, have been received by
(i) Transfer from other Lutheran congregations, or
(ii) Confirmation, or
(iii) Affirmation of faith."

But in order to vote one must be confirmed. During the 3 years Jakob was on council he was on the voting list.

After about ten months of writing/emailing and asking for inspection of documents, and being told a flat out "No" by the 2006 Chair to see the voting list, and "No" from the 2006 Treasurer re monthly written treasurer's reports, it took a letter from a lawyer threatening a lawsuit before council finally granted access to certain documentation. This cost the church about $1,500, a waste of money given that this should have been automatically handed over as it is a right of access under the bylaws for all members and directors. The 2006 Chair without trying to settle the matter quietly on council posted the letter on the bulletin board for all to see, and it was kept there for at least two months. Members were so angry and couldn't understand what was the problem with these renegades. And nobody understood why a council member would pay out big bucks for something readily available saying at the AGM "All you had to do was ask for them."

What started all the problems was when Rev. Walter Johanson accepted a second job with the Memorial Society of BC and then retroactively asked the congregation for a one-year leave. A special meeting was held November 27, 2005, a meeting not democratically run by the 2006 chair and many came away feeling that council rammed something through. Certainly, someone other than 2005 council chair should have run it. It smacked of a fait accompli. Also, some members were left off the voting list.

At the next AGM January 2006 four new council members were elected. A few days after the election the chair called up one of the council members, Eva Vabasalu, and told her that there had been a problem with her vote count and she was not elected. Robert's Rules proved that once the results of an election were announced it was a sealed deal so the chair apologized.

Jakob had given one of the new council members about 40 emails written in 2005 by the chair, its treasurer and meetings were held expressing their serious problems with the minister.
Excerpt:

"Meeting with Bishop Preibisch on Thursday, 3 November 2005
Note: This is Arvo Marits' comments on Armas Kivisild's three-page summary of the meeting.

Minister's seeming lack of spirituality or spiritual leadership
Minister's reluctance to initiate visits to shut-ins
Minister's concentration on financial issues, salary
Minister's feeling that council is working against him
Council's being forced to worry more about Walter's well-being than the congregation's well-being."

So Vabasalu after reading the 40 emails wrote the chair and said she had some "grave concerns" about the minister too. The chair took her email and published it as part of the correspondence accompanying the agenda. At the first council meeting, church bylaws state that elections must be held. However the chair illegally suspended the election process and instead tried once again to get rid of Vabasalu by asking the temporary pastor to read from some Lutheran book and see if this did not disqualify her.

The year on the 2006 council was a tumultuous one, with the chair, vice-chair, secretary, treasurer and Linda Johnson in strong opposition against Viitre and Vabasalu who insisted on following the bylaws. Most of the others on council were quiet but they had worked with this elite group for a long time and knew that it was dangerous to go against them - especially the loquacious treasurer, Milvi Puusep, who really ran the board. Council minutes reveal that requests for document inspections were flatly denied, requests for treasurer's reports denied, as were others for minutes of past congregational meetings.

Society annual report forms are filed in Victoria each year listing all directors. The treasurer usually fills them out but she lists only the names of those 5 directors who hold an office. "The Society Act defines a director to include a trustee, officer, member of an executive committee and a person occupying any such position by whatever name." Treasurer constantly referred to the 5 as the "Executive" board, even though it was pointed out to her that St. Peter's did not have an executive board as such a board within a board would have to be framed in the bylaws.

In the late fall after ten months of getting no inspection rights, two council members, Viitre and Vabasalu, seek a lawyer. Inspection of the membership records revealed that there was not an understandable system in place. Names can be moved around on a whim and there is not a paper trail or a cohesive assembly of names, facts and figures. What they use as a membership list is a Contributors' List. Different people at different times have claimed responsibility for assembling a contributors list/membership list but it is the responsibility of the Minister to do so, no one else, and details are supposed to be written in the Parish Book. This has not been done as the membership section of the Parish Book is blank. Minister said he inherited blank records. Nevertheless he has had 14-15 years to list all the members from the application forms.

Finally the minister returns to St. Peter's in late October 2006 but does not tell the board that he is continuing employment. On December 2nd the Vancouver Sun carries an article mentioning Walter Johanson as the Executive Director of the Memorial Society of BC. One council member is told by the chair that the minister is continuing his work there on a voluntary basis. A call to the Memorial Society reveals Walter Johanson works there full-time and is indeed salaried.

Now at the 2007 AGM there is great political pressure to oust the two council members by the
self-proclaimed elite directors. Council chair runs the Jan. 28/07 AGM. A motion is made to dismiss Eva Vabasalu and Tarmo Viitre and then it is withdrawn. The warped election is held.

Two emails are sent to the AGM secretary asking for a copy of the minutes. No reply. On Feb. 17 she is asked personally by Eva Vabasalu for the minutes. AGM Secretary explains that it is a big job and she hasn't finished them. On February 19 Vabasalu receives an email from Johanson with "konsistooriumi vallandamise otsus" saying her tenure is terminated as of February 12 stating reasons: based on AGM Minutes, Letter from lawyer (threatening legal action over inspection rights) and per Johanson's letter and some hearsay from others "lisaks ligi aasta jooksul tulnud suusõnalist informatsiooni Konsistooriumi liikmetele ."
Acting Archbishop Vaga states the meeting was held Feb. 12 which means Konsistoorium had possession of the AGM minutes 5 days prior to the 17th the day Vabasalu spoke to the secretary who told her she hadn't finished the Minutes! No copies of Johanson's letter or AGM minutes were attached...nor a list of hearsay names (?).

Knowing that only the congregation can dismiss her she attends the first meeting of council held on or about February 21st. She has heard that Arvo Marits' name was not put forward for a re-election vote. Not having a copy of the Minutes she asks him directly "Were you re-elected?" and he nods his head affirmatively and Secretary Mari Kaul Rahiman confirms that he was re-elected. At the meeting Johanson puts forward a Motion asking council to dismiss Vabasalu and Viitre and reads out his letter in Estonian. No English translation was made for the 3 council members whose knowledge of Estonian is poor or practically non-existent. Vabasalu advises council that they don't have the authority to dismiss a director. On February 25, at the Estonian Independence Day service the minister announced from the pulpit to an unusually large gathering that Eva Vabasalu and Tarmo Viitre were no longer on council.

At the next March council meeting Vabasalu attends and is told that if she insisted on staying there would be no meeting. She does not leave and no meeting occurs. She is not advised of any future meetings. She is also taken off the roster and not allowed to serve as an usher.

April 11th Vabasalu and Viitre filed an Official Complaint with the Bishop of the BC Synod outlining bylaw violations. For a minister to hold a second job it is necessary under the parent church's bylaws to have permission to do so by the congregation. Otherwise a special congregational meeting must be held. This permission was not asked for. There was a good opportunity to do at the 2007 AGM but it wasn't done. Why not?

June 7th a reply came from the Bishop stating "After consulting with Rev. Walter Johanson and the chairperson of St. Peter's Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, I have concluded that the congregation has addressed the issues raised in your complaint to their satisfaction and therefore, I find no reason to take further action."

Interesting. Bishop speaks to the foxes guarding the hen house and they say there is no problem. Surprise, surprise. Bylaws of the Evangelical Church in Canada say "An ordained minister serving under a call shall not engage in an additional occupation without approval of the calling authority and the bishop of the synod." The only way the Bishop would know what the congregation decided was if a special congregational meeting had been held after the AGM, and none were, so how can the Bishop say "the congregation has addressed the issues raised in your complaint." ?? Also, Marits had served 3 years on council 2004, 2005 and 2006. His term had expired and he needed to be re-elected with a vote count in order to attend the FIRST MEETING and be eligible to have his name put forward as a candidate for Chair. You cannot appoint a chair at any other time. If the chair vacates then the elected vice-chair takes over. And under the Society Act of B.C. only the congregation can vote out, with not less than a 75% majority, a director. This is called a special resolution.

The minister has quit his job at the Memorial Society.

Draw your own conclusions to all of the above.

Memorial Society of B.C. said that a new Executive Administrator took over sometime in June 2007. Bishop could have advised in his letter that minister was relinquishing his second job but did not.

Oli vaga kena olla Viktorias ja Viktoria Eestalsed tutvuda!!

I had a wonderful time visiting Victoria and meeting and speaking with Estonians from Vancouver Island. They made our singing group Leelo feel very welcome and it was nice to see smiling faces and to speak Estonian with friendly faces after the service.

Victoria has a friendly bunch of Estonians, some who I learned have lived there since the 1950's and kept up their Estonian heritage through speaking the language and attending Estonian events that are brought to them.

Thank-you Rev. Walter Johanson for helping to connect people through their love of god, and to Terri Johanson through your love of music and embracing the Estonian culture for all us Estos who love harmony and song! It was very joyous!