“We Trusted the Church”: Seniors Who Paid Deposits for a Retirement Tower on Church Land Want Their Money Back

• Seniors paid deposits of $65,000 to $110,000 for a planned retirement project
• The twin-tower life-lease scheme was planned on Global Kingdom Ministries’ land in Scarborough
• The project company, Trinity Ravine Community, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2022
• Protesters say some church members got refunds while other seniors did not

At least two dozen seniors gathered outside Global Kingdom Ministries Church on Markham Road in Scarborough, Toronto, in late June 2023 with a simple demand: return the deposits they paid for homes that were never built. Global News reported the story on 13 July 2023.

The seniors had signed up for a twin-tower, seniors-only life-lease condominium project planned for land at the church. The scheme was offered by Trinity Ravine Community, Inc. (TRC), which filed for creditor protection in 2022. Deloitte Restructuring was appointed to liquidate its assets, and the project collapsed.

The deposits were substantial. Compton DeSouza told Global News he paid $97,500; Al Adman paid $70,000; Krisha Parek’s parents paid $65,000 each. Other investors mentioned deposits of $84,000 and $110,000. Some people did receive refunds, but protesters said the money went back to certain members of the church rather than to other seniors. “This is unfair. There has to be justice for these people; they need to do the right thing,” DeSouza said.

Others pointed to the church’s own property. “If they wanted to, (the church) could — they have big assets,” said Gary Sidhu. Johnston Raju explained why many signed on in the first place: “We trusted the church. That’s the reason we put these deposits (in).” Former lead pastor Bob Johnston said: “We are deeply disappointed that Trinity Ravine Community, Inc. entered the CCAA process,” and expressed sadness about the losses.

The case shows how blurred the line can become when a congregation’s land, a separate development company and the savings of older people are brought together in one project. Buyers may assume the church stands behind the scheme; legally, the company that took the deposits may be the only party on the hook.

For Jamaican and Caribbean families in Toronto and for returnees weighing church-linked housing or retirement schemes at home, the lesson is practical: find out exactly which entity holds your money, whether deposits are protected in trust, and who owns the land. Faith in a congregation is not a substitute for a written guarantee, and elders’ life savings deserve the same scrutiny as any other property purchase.

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