Colorado Springs church battle to go to trial

05/13/2008

An El Paso County District Court judge ruled today that the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado and officials of Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish in Colorado Springs must resolve their $17 million property dispute at trial.

District Judge Larry E. Schwartz concluded, after reviewing six volumes of documents filed in the last year, that he cannot make a decision based solely on matters of law because "there is virtually no agreement as to the facts."

In May 2007, the pastor, Don Armstrong, and most voting congregants of Grace Church and St. Stephen's Parish voted to leave the American Episcopal Church and Denver diocese to affiliate instead with the more conservative Convocation of Anglicans in North America.

After the congregation broke away but kept the church, Episcopal Bishop Rob O'Neill sued Grace Church and 18 lay leaders and parish members for possession of the $17 million landmark church building in downtown Colorado Springs.

Parish spokesman Rev. Alan R. Crippen said Tuesday he believes the trial will begin in early 2009. the rest