The NSW Department of Education has indicated that World Roman Catholic Youth Day events will be given priority in government school buildings leaving Anglican congregations based in schools with no premises for up to two Sundays.
The rector of St Alban's, Rooty Hill and leader of the Multicultural Bible Ministry, the Rev Ray Galea says even long term users of school buildings will be forced to look elsewhere to run their churches during World Youth Day next year.
Mr Galea spoke to radio host Steve Price on his 2UE Drive Show program yesterday afternoon addressing the issue.
"I spoke to Steve Price about a directive from the NSW Department of Education instructing all principals of State schools to not allow existing tenants like many of our churches to meet on one or two of the Sundays which overlap with the Catholic Youth Day," he says.
"They want them to be used by Catholic pilgrims from overseas. This will result in thousands of Christians from many different denominations being cast out during winter."
Mr Galea has run a family service on Sunday mornings at Rooty Hill High School, for the past eight years.
"We have 250 adults and kids who will be put out. If you multiply that by all the churches from different denominations meeting in public schools across the Diocese, that's a lot of people being affected," he says.
Mr Galea says Steve Price will be interviewing Education Minister John Della Bosca on this afternoon's Drive Show.
Anglican Education Commission Executive Director Dr Bryan Cowling says the NSW Department of Education has acted within their rights and given churches ample notice.
"The Education Department owns its schools and are well within their rights to rent the building to whomever they want," he says.
"Any school wanting to use one of their buildings for another purpose on a particular day can has the right to ask the tenant to make alternate arrangements as long as they give one month's notice."
