Jets owner, The Brothers Landreth save dwindling Winnipeg church

A saving grace for a dwindling Winnipeg church has come in the form of Winnipeg Jets owner Mark Chipman and Juno-award-winning folk duo The Brothers Landreth.

Dave and Joey Landreth are the newest tenants in St. Michael and All Angel's Anglican Church on the corner of Hugo Street North and Mulvey Avenue.

"The sunlight pouring in through the stained glass windows was the first thing I noticed," Dave told CTV News, standing in the sanctuary of the century-old church. "It was just beautiful in here, and it sounds great."

Parishioners have been worshipping at St. Michael since 1907, with the historic ornate stone structure built in 1920. When the pandemic hit, it had a big impact on the church's already dwindling congregation.

"The church had fallen on hard times, as many mainline denominations have with a smaller congregation, and so it was time to get creative or face closure," said Rev. Lauren Schoeck, the rector at the church, saying only about 10 people filled the pews on a Sunday morning.

That's when True North executive Mark Chipman, a long-time friend of the Landreth brothers, stepped in and offered a lifeline. He bought the building and invited the congregants of St. Michael and All Angel's Anglican Church to continue worshipping there.

"Nothing about our worship is changing," Schoek said, adding the church's services on Sunday and Thursday will continue. "The nice thing is now the building won't be empty."

That's because Dave and Joey Landreth are also setting up shop in the church – sharing the space with the congregation.

"It feels really welcoming and it feels really collaborative," Dave said, who along with Joey will be using the space as a home base for their record label Birthday Cake, as well as a creative hub for Winnipeg's music scene.

"One of the things that we talked about was sort of coming up with, dreaming up and developing a bit of an art space, a creative space for music to happen in," Joey said.

That's something Chipman has been wanting to facilitate for a while.

"For several years I have been looking for a space for our community’s best musicians to have a home to collaborate, to create and to share their gifts with other aspiring artists. Joey and Dave Landreth epitomize the incredible talent this city has to offer and have been a part of this journey since it began," Chipman told CTV News in a written statement.

"This location is a perfect fit for those plans, and we are thrilled that it also works for the community at St. Michael & All Angels who will continue to celebrate their faith for years to come."

Schoeck said her congregation, which is already starting to bolster, is excited about the change and thankful they can continue worshipping in their church.

It's a move Schoeck and The Brother's Landreth hope will breathe new life into the century-old church. Though it remains to be seen if Dave and Joey will get to rock the organ on a Sunday morning.

"Yeah, weird. When we got the keys there was no organ key, unfortunately," Joey said, laughing with his brother.

While the church organ may be off-limits, they've already gotten to work making music in the church. The Brothers Landreth said they have written several songs in the church for their new album expected to be released sometime next year.