Central New York: Episcopal diocese sues city church
Concern over selling St. Andrew's real estate grew from split on homosexuality.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
By Pam Greene Staff writer

The Episcopal Diocese of Central New York filed a lawsuit Wednesday against St. Andrew's Church in Syracuse, asking state Supreme Court Justice Edward Carni to grant the diocese a restraining order against the parish so that it cannot sell the church real estate at 5013 S. Salina St.

Lawyers for the diocese and the parish will be in court again today to resolve the issue.

The strife between the diocese and the parish has been brewing for a long time, said Raymond Dague, a lawyer who represents the church. Dague, who is also a parishioner of St. Andrew's, said his parish is more traditional, whereas the diocese is drifting from the fundamentals of the religion.

Bishop Gladstone "Skip" Adams and the St. Andrew's parish disagree on the acceptance of gays in the Episcopal Church. In 2004, Adams voted for the consecration of New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay man.

The issue of homosexuality in the church is the "lightning rod" that has separated the parish from the diocese, Dague said.

In February, Dague said, the parish which has about 175 members filed an amendment to its certificate of incorporation, requesting that ecclesiastic oversight shift from Adams to Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini, head of Anglican Church in Rwanda and of Anglican Mission in America.

The lawyer for the diocese, Jonathan Fellows, said Adams would have a statement for the media today.

He said it is the diocese's position that the diocese, not the parish, owns the real estate. Therefore, he said, the parish should not be able to transfer ownership of the property.

Dague said he does not know if the restraining order would freeze the church's money completely. He said St. Andrew's is not planning to sell the church but wants to make sure the parish still has access to money to pay the day-to-day operating expenses.

"Suffice it to say, the church will be praying," Dague said.

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