From California-
The California Supreme Court agreed this week to hear St. James Anglican Church's appeal in a six-year property dispute with the Episcopal Church that began with the appointment of a gay cleric.
Newport Beach's St. James Church holds that it has a constitutional right to defend itself with evidence in court following a March decision by the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, Third Division, which decided in favor of the Episcopal Church.
The church on 32nd Street broke away from the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles in 2004 after the Episcopal Church consecrated a gay bishop.
[St. James] feels very strongly that the property belongs to them and that it's very important that other churches to be able to make a religious decision to change their affiliation," Eric Sohlgren, the attorney for St. James, said Thursday. "Churches should not lose their property because of a religious choice."
St. James has held the deed to the property and paid for all maintenance and building projects since the mid-1950s, Sohlgren said, yet the Episcopal Church maintains that all churches nationwide are in fact held in trust to the church.
More here-
http://www.dailypilot.com/news/dpt-stjames061110,0,4838010.story
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