Reverend Michael Danaher

Reverend Michael was ordained a deacon in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne on 6 February 2016, and was then ordained to the priesthood on 26 November 2016.

Michael came to St Andrew Aberfeldie as Curate-in-Charge in January 2017, and became Priest-in-Charge in February 2019. He was appointed as the Incumbent of St Andrew in February 2022.

Michael is passionate about teaching people how to better understand or interpret Scripture (the Bible), and he enjoys doing do through both his preaching on Sunday mornings, and his preparation and leading of ongoing Bible Study programs.

Michael is also committed to encouraging people to deepen their faith and their own personal relationship with God, which he does by providing weekly spiritual reflections, and by facilitating the Spiritual Cafe program on Monday mornings at North and Eight Cafe on Buckley Street in Essendon.

Our Church

The parish of St Andrew, which celebrates its centenary in September of 2023, has a long history of involvement with the local community.

Many people from the local community have been members of the St Andrew’s Tennis Club at one time or another, and a large number have sent their children to St Andrew’s Kindergarten during the 70 plus years of its operation.

The style of worship at St Andrew’s can best be described as “middle of the road” Anglo-Catholic, with candles on the altar table, and the priest wearing particular robes and vestments. The parish community is a warm and welcoming one, providing a number of different social groups and activities that people can take part in.

St Andrew’s Kindergarten

The parish kindergarten, which had been servicing the local community for over 70 years, closed its doors at the end of 2022. Below is a copy of a media release from the Office of the General Manager of the Melbourne Anglican Diocesan Corporation regarding the decision of the Parish Council of St Andrew not to extend a licence agreement to BPA (the operator of the Kindergarten) beyond the end of 2022.

To Whom It May Concern

29 August 2022

We are writing to acknowledge concerns raised in recent communication and media reports about the potential closure of the long-running kindergarten located on the grounds of St Andrew’s Anglican Church, Aberfeldie, which has received considerable publicity in the last week. It is with regret that the parish confirms it is unable to extend the lease into 2023 and will withdraw the facilities at the end of 2022.

As you may be aware, late last week representatives of the kindergarten management (BPA) and parent committee met spokespeople from the Aberfeldie parish council and the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne to discuss the kindergarten’s concerns.

After much deliberation, the parish has decided to stand by its original decision that the lease will not be extended beyond the end of 2022.

The parish and diocese understand the disappointment this will cause, and respect the contribution of the kindergarten over its 75 years; however, some important facts were omitted in earlier publicity undertaken by those impacted. One is that the kindergarten’s agreement with the church actually expired in January 2018 – since then it has operated on a month-by-month basis.

The parish planned a site redevelopment for a new childcare centre, which the Moonee Valley City Council declined in August 2020, despite their own planning committee recommending it. At that point, BPA was advised that the parish was pursuing further development options

In April 2022, BPA asked for a one-year licence for 2023, which the parish council declined. BPA chose to accept enrolments for 2023 in advance of the final decision being formally made, and before the deadline set by the city council.

We are sorry if those impacted (especially parents accepting places for their children) feel misled by kindergarten management. We understand that changes such as these can bring with them a range of emotions.

While the lease and decision about what the property is used for rests with the Parish Council, the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne supports the parish in their decision not to extend the lease and understands the necessity for the parish to have space to undertake mission based activity.

Yours faithfully,

Parish Council

 

St Andrew’s Anglican Church, Aberfeldie

General Manager’s Office

Melbourne Anglican Diocesan Corporation

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