National church backs diocese vs. breakaways
By Natasha Altamirano
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
February 13, 2007

The Episcopal Church is backing the Virginia diocese in suing 11 breakaway congregations over millions of dollars worth of property.

The national church on Friday filed a lawsuit in Fairfax County similar to ones filed last month by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia.

The 20-page suit seeks "preliminary and permanent injunctions" prohibiting the breakaway congregations from accessing the physical church property and other assets, according to the Episcopal News Service.

Leaders of the Falls Church in Falls Church and Truro Church in Fairfax, two of the largest and most historic congregations that voted to leave, called the Episcopal Church's actions "un-Christian and heavy-handed."

The lawsuits come on the eve of a meeting of the leaders of the worldwide Anglican Communion's 38 national churches, where a major agenda topic is how to deal with the Episcopal Church and its perceived liberal views on biblical authority and sexuality. the rest