L.A. Episcopal Diocese Sues Breakaway Conservative Parishes
by Jim Brown
September 20, 2004
(AgapePress) - The Episcopal Church USA is retaliating against three conservative Anglican parishes in Southern California that left the denomination over its disregard for scripture. These churches abandoned the local diocese in mid-August, aligning themselves with an Anglican diocese in Uganda instead.In response, late last month lawyers for the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles sent angry demand letters to St. James, All Saints, and St. David's Anglican churches, insisting that they return all of their Bibles and hymnals to the diocese, stop worshipping, and vacate the church property. A week and a half later, the diocese filed lawsuits against the three breakaway congregations.
The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles claims the properties owned by the breakaway churches are owned in trust by the Episcopal Church USA. In an Associated Press report, Bishop J. Jon Bruno, who heads the L.A. Diocese, is quoted as stating the secession of the three renegade parishes left him "with no choice but to authorize the filing of these actions to preserve these churches as houses of worship for faithful Episcopalians."
However, attorney Eric Sohlgren, a legal spokesperson for all three California parishes, believes the diocese's lawsuit is financially motivated and completely unfounded. "Those churches have contributed money to the diocese," he says, adding, "each of the churches holds the deeds to their own property."
Speaking on behalf of the conservative Anglican churches, Sohlgren notes, "we just don't see any basis for the diocese and Bishop Bruno to be filing a lawsuit, trying to throw people out of church and take their bibles. It seems to violate some of the scriptural prohibitions against suing one's brother."
However, Sohlgren says the congregations involved in the dispute are not letting the lawsuit become a distraction. "Each of the churches has a very, very strong desire to move forward and put this behind them so they can focus on their ministries and outreach programs," he says.
And, the attorney points out, "After all, churches are more than just buildings and land -- which the diocese doesn't seem to understand -- but churches are about loving one another, proclaiming Christ, upholding scripture, worshipping together, praying for one another, people getting married, and having their children baptized."
Sohlgren says California courts will likely treat the three churches as separate corporate entities and allow them to keep their property. A Methodist church in Fresno that left the United Methodist Church because of doctrinal differences was recently allowed by a California state court to retain its building and surrounding property.
