Episcopal Dioceses sues to get church back

From Central California-

The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin is suing the former members of St. Paul’s, Visalia, seeking return of church property to the diocese.

Members of St. Paul’s are among those former Episcopalians who broke away from the national church and joined a more conservative arm of the Anglican church. The San Joaquin Valley churches were the first diocese to break away from the Episcopal Church in a schism over the church’s stand on various issues. Not all churches joined the revolt and the diocese has since been reconstituted.

This lawsuit against the Visalia church is a continuation of the Diocese’s litigation efforts seeking the return of property to the Diocese and its congregations that is currently occupied by former members of the Episcopal Church. Similar cases are currently pending against the former members of St. Francis, Turlock St. Michael’s, Ridgecrest, St. John’s, Porterville, St. James, Sonora, Holy Redeemer, Delano, and St. Columba, Fresno.

“It is particularly disappointing given the recent and unequivocal decisions of the California Supreme Court and Court of Appeals’ rulings that the properties and assets are held for the Episcopal Church and its Dioceses,” says Diocesan Chancellor Michael Glass.

The litigation is focused on returning the properties and assets to the Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin. Mr. Glass says that the litigation will not be initially seeking monetary judgments against individual defendants “unless it becomes evident that such defendants have diverted parish assets to other purposes or parties.”


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http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=15690v