From Vancouver-
A group of dissidents who split from the Anglican Church of Canada over same-sex marriage blessings has appealed a court decision awarding their Vancouver-area houses of worship to the mainstream church.
Members of the breakaway Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) filed an appeal Friday to the Supreme Court of Canada, after two lower courts ruled their churches-- St. John's, Church of the Good Shepherd, and St. Matthias and St. Luke's in Vancouver, as well as St. Matthews in Abbotsford -- belonged to the Anglican Church in Canada. The properties are worth more than $20 million combined.
Cheryl Chang, special counsel to the ANiC, said allotting the properties to the Diocese of New Westminster means they may sit empty or be vastly underused.
"The awarding of the properties to the ANiC congregations would mean that the original purposes of Anglican ministry would continue to be fulfilled in those church properties. In contrast, the diocese is in a process of closing and selling churches," Chang said Friday.
Diocese Bishop Michael Ingham issued a strongly worded statement Friday, urging members of the four congregations to stay in their beloved churches as he plans only to replace the dissident clergy.
Read more:
http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Dissident+Anglicans+launch+appeal/4113672/story.html#ixzz1B75RhYcB
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