Legal affairs round-up

Incremental developments in the legal action in Virginia and Colorado, where the Episcopal Church is attempting to reclaim its property from people who think they are entitled to parting gifts when they leave a church.

From the Fairfax Times:

A two-year-old church property dispute between Episcopalians and Anglicans appears to be on its way to the Virginia Supreme Court.

On Feb. 3, The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia together filed an appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court hoping to overturn a Dec. 19 decision by Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows in favor of the Anglican District of Virginia, known as ADV.

From the Colorado Springs Gazette:

Grace senior warden Jon Wroblewski and Grace rector Donald Armstrong are expected to testify on Thursday about breaking ties with the Episcopal Church to align with the Anglican Communion province in Nigeria, and how this act suggests that the parish is its own corporation. The trial begins at 8:30 a.m. at Fourth Judicial Court, Judge Larry Schwartz's courtroom.

Meanwhile, Lionel Deimel has the latest from Pittsburgh. The diocese has recently written to its clergy and lay leaders:

Please remind your parishioners that we are stewards not owners of assets entrusted to our responsibility and that, at least for assets of the Diocese, a stipulation was signed three years ago defining clearly the outcome of any dispute. We are hopeful that a determination will be reached quickly so that the mission and ministry of our Diocese may be freed from further distraction.

And, finally, there is this from Milwaukee.


Posted by Jim Naughton on February 19, 2009 1:54 PM | |
Comments (2)

More about Colorado case hearing on Thursday:

http://www.gazette.com/articles/congregation_48422___article.html/church_argument.html

quote/ "Wroblewski said he and other vestry members feigned cooperation with the diocese because they didn't want word to get out that they were planning to leave the church and leave the property vulnerable for takeover by the diocese.

"Sometimes management wants to keep things quiet," Wroblewski testified, adding that he regrets his attempt to mislead the parish. /end quote

Posted by John B. Chilton [TypeKey Profile Page] | February 20, 2009 9:52 AM

Documents for the Appellate phase for Virginia are here,

http://www.thediocese.net/News_services/property_appellate.shtml

Posted by John B. Chilton [TypeKey Profile Page] | February 20, 2009 11:54 AM

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