Protestant Denominations Back Virginia Episcopal Diocese -- in fight against breakaway congregations

WP: Denominations Back Va. Diocese; Episcopal Church Challenges State Law in Property Dispute
By Michelle Boorstein
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 24, 2008; Page A06

A half-dozen national Protestant denominations are supporting the Episcopal Church in a multimillion-dollar Virginia property dispute, saying a state law at the heart of the case could threaten them, too.

The United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church (USA), among others, have filed court briefs in the past few weeks supporting the Episcopal Church, which is fighting 11 breakaway Virginia congregations that say the national church has become too liberal on issues from salvation to sexuality. Majorities of those congregations voted to leave and are now in Fairfax County Circuit Court over who gets to keep the property.

Experts say there are 50 to 100 similar property cases across the country, mostly involving Presbyterians, Methodists and Episcopalians. Most involve disputes over what scripture says about same-sex relationships. Cases have been decided in favor of both sides.

The filings loosely connect millions more U.S. Christians to the complex Virginia case, which blends U.S. church history with property law and questions about church-state relations. Among the groups signing on are the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Seventh-day Adventists....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/23/AR2008052302743.html?hpid=moreheadlines

..the sheep that tithe every year to pay the bills and build the buildings. That just wouldn't be right.

... that property currently is occupied and used by non-Episcopal congregations. Four continuing Episcopal congregations have been denied use of their property, locked out of their buildings, deprived of their rights to that property and forced into exile" http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002736.html

... without proper theological preparation. The issue is 30+ years of watering down the standards and a dying denomination.

Here's the denomination website. Good luck!

the most liberal episcopal churches are still all about the trinity.

The issue is bigotry. And old guys disliking the idea of women or gay folks being treated like equals.

The theology hasn't changed. Enough people have just begun to actually embrace the ideals of Christ wrt welcoming and loving *everyone*. All this "theological dying down" is a bunch of nonsense.

Some of the most inclusive churches are the most "high church" - traditional, very anglican, very tied to the theology that's been a part of our church for centuries. Likewise, many of those screaming about how "traditional" and "anglican" they are are nothing more than jumped up non-denominational or AOG people hoping to keep their hands on the property of the Episcopal church, while using their very different theology.

We're not a congregational church, where each parish is totally on its own. We're organized by diocese, and then within the larger national church.

Those buildings belong to the diocese, in trust for the church as a whole. Always have. Now we have people who suddenly don't like actually having to include people with a differing gender or sexual orientation in their church. And they want to leave. Problem is, they want to leave and take the buildings and the other property with them. It just doesn't work that way. They're quite free to go - but they're leaving the church. The church continues.

those properties and those pensions belong to the episcopal church.

and that's just the deal -- they can go -- but without the property and without the pensions -- and they won't be missed.

change is good. -- or at least this change is.

has it so they are trustees -- or have on notice somehow that they own the property.

virgina is an old dioceses -- so i would guess -- but i don't know for certain that they didn't overlook that.

between "independent" churches (which dispose of property they use according to their bylaws) and the other churches, which are not governed according to the same rule, but which when a "division" occurs may apparently dispose of such property by a majority vote of the congregation

Off topic: I chatted with supernova recently: she wants to know why you haven't moved to NC yet

the economy has been so slow that i have been afraid to put my place on the market -- i wanna move there so bad and have you all over for dinner and parties.

within the constitution of Virginia. This depends a great deal on the judge's opinion, and his opinion can be appealed to the state supreme court, so this may not be finished regardless of which way the decision goes.

My basic read of Judge Randy Bellows is that he is very biased towards the breakaway congregations. He clearly exaggerates the case in his brief.

Any decision is Virginia is limited to Virginia, too. It does not set precedent, good or bad, for other states.