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Loading ...Episcopal church sues anti-gay Pittsburgh parishes for $20M
01.09.2009 9:09am EST
(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Episcopal leaders in Pittsburgh went to court Thursday seeking to recover $20 million in assets they believe were wrongfully taken when the conservative branches split from the liberal diocese in October.
The Diocese of Pittsburgh, which oversees the 20 local parishes that stayed with the U.S. Episcopal Church, said the breakaway group has no legal right to the assets since it is no longer part of the denomination.Spokesman Rich Creehan said the church petitioned the Court of Common Pleas for the assets after its requests for them were “ignored” by the breakaway parishes.
The breakaway conservatives, who also call themselves the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, said they have a right to some of the assets because they helped develop them before the split.
“We would love to sit down and work out a mediated division where everyone involved has access to a portion of the assets because we think that’s fair,” said the Rev. Peter Frank, a spokesman for the conservative diocese.
The break was led by former Episcopal Bishop Robert Duncan, a theological conservative who had long been angered by the liberal direction of the national church. He said he had to split from denominational leaders after Episcopalians in 2003 consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Fifty conservative Episcopal parishes in Pittsburgh left with Duncan.
The assets at stake include diocesan endowments and bank accounts, along with insurance, mailing lists and databases, said Creehan. The legal claim does not cover buildings or land.
The case centers on interpretation of a 2005 court order that was issued during earlier litigation between one local parish, Calvary Episcopal Church, and the diocese then led by Duncan.
That order states that property held or administered by the local diocese of “the Episcopal Church of the United States of America … shall continue to be so held or administered by the diocese regardless of whether some or even a majority of the parishes” break from the national denomination.
The Episcopal Church has been ordaining women and GLBT people for over 30 years. The Anglican (and by extention Episcopal) church has NEVER been fundamentalist. It has NEVER embraced the idea that the Bible is the inerrant word of God, and indeed it could not have because that kind of thing is a 20th century heresy. The “breakaway” congregations in PA, CA, and TX are comprised of people who are very good fundamentalists, but not very good Episcopalians! They’ve all been extended invitations from Evangelical and/or Fundamentalist churches to come join them. They are welcome to go, but the Episcopal churches belong to the Episcopalians that want to continue to be Episcopalians. That includes those who believe women are called to the Priesthood and should be ordained. Indeed, women and men are EQUAL because as that Apsotle Paul said, “…in Christ there is no male or female…” Jesus elevated women’s status in everything he is perported to have done/said. It includes GLBT children, youth, singles, couples and families lay and ordained. It includes people searching and learning in faith with all kinds of points of view without ever establishing dogmas. You will never hear that all Episcopalians believe exactly alike or that we think we should all agree on anything. This isn’t something new in our denomination – this is the way it’s been since 1559.
…and Califonias Supreme Court was UNANIMOUS against the breakaways.
SAN FRANCISCO — The state’s high court ruled Monday that three Southern California parishes who left the U.S. Episcopal Church over its ordination of gay ministers cannot retain ownership of their church buildings and property.
In a unanimous decision, the California Supreme Court ruled that the property belongs to the Episcopal Church because the parishes agreed to abide by the mother church’s rules, which include specific language about property ownership.
St. James Church in Newport Beach, All Saints Church in Long Beach and St. David’s Church in North Hollywood pulled out of the 2.1 million-member national Episcopal Church in 2004 and sought to retain property ownership.
Each church held deeds in their names to the property, but the court ruled that Episcopal Church canons made it clear that the property belonged to the individual parishes only as long as they remained part of the bigger church.
Very well said Morgan.
I’m not certain why so many without faith are so adversarial towards those that have faith.
David,
I have tried atheism for quite a few years and found it empty and lacking and I have fled atheism for good.
The people who attend my racially diverse church are some very accomplished and bright people. One lady from Liberia who died, did much for her home country and her good deeds were recognized by the ambassador of Liberia at her funeral.
the people who come to my church are largely middle-class people with kids and good careers. These people are bright and friendly who have done reasonable well in their lives and are not at all stupid.
Our church does a lot of good things for a lot of people who are less well off than most of us who attend there.
The sum total of those Episcopal churches who have split away in the USA is known and it is not a huge percentage compared to those churches that have remained. The media makes the problem sound much greater than it really is. And the buildings and the properties belong to the diocese not to the individual churches.
About God…
Many leading scientists and medical people for centuries well into the 20th century believed in God and saw the rigor, complexity, and methodology of their fields as proof that God existed and that God and science complimented each other and that neither were mutually exclusive of the other.
I have been in gay bars and nightclubs and in gay-friendly churches. I am in a gay-friendly church and I would miss any Sunday I did not attend there. I don’t feel that way about gay bars and nightclubs. I couldn’t care less if I never went into another gay bar in my life. Gay bars do nothing for me personally.
David in Dallas, I never ever called atheists or atheism stupid. I don’t think criticizing a person’s creed or lack of it is a very nice thing to do.
They left the church – they should leave the property.
It makes me laugh how the anti-gay churches love to point out other’s sins, but then go on to commit theft (thats what it ammounts to) and expect to get away with it.
Personally, I have no use for religion. I would be pleased if they all disappeared.
But who are these idiots that voluntarily joined the church, found they did not like its theology, and left – claiming that they now own that church’s property!
I guess if you believe in god you’ll believe in anything this stupid.