From Houston-
A state district judge has ordered Fort Worth Bishop Jack Iker and a conservative, breakaway group of Episcopalians to surrender all diocesan property to the national church.
The Episcopal Church filed a lawsuit seeking to regain control of church property from the 24-county Diocese of Fort Worth in April 2009.
The Iker-led group, which split from the national church over issues including gay clergy and women in the priesthood, voted in 2008 to join a more conservative province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The Episcopal Church maintained in the suit that its rules prohibit dioceses from breaking away and that church properties are held in trust for the denomination, and the court ruled in its favor. Iker's group plans an appeal.
At stake are who has control over 55 parishes and missions, a camp, diocesan offices in Fort Worth and several Episcopal schools and other properties. Katie Sherrod, spokeswoman for the group loyal to the national church, said she did not have a monetary value for the properties "but obviously it will add up to a substantial amount."
After breaking away, Iker's group released property to a few churches where most members voted to stay with the national denomination. But his group held onto other property that had belonged to the diocese.
The ruling, issued Friday by state District Judge John Chupp, states that in the event of a property dispute involving members of a hierarchical church, the members who are loyal to the church remain entitled to use and control of the property. The court ordered the Iker-led group to surrender all property to members loyal to the national church within 60 days. The court also ordered the Iker-led to group "not to hold themselves out as leaders of the diocese."
More here-
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/7392944.html
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