Episcopal Diocese claims $20 million in schism fight

Friday, January 09, 2009
By Paula Reed Ward
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A group from the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh that voted against secession filed a court motion yesterday asking that it be given access to $20 million in endowments and funds that belong to the church.

Both sides in the court battle call themselves "The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America," but in October, a group representing about 60 percent of the local parishes voted to join the more theologically conservative Anglican Province of the Southern Cone in South America.

In papers filed yesterday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, the Episcopal Diocese argued that the Anglican group stipulated in October 2005 that if it were to leave the church, all property and assets held by the "Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America ... shall continue to be so held ... regardless of whether some or even a majority of the parishes in the Diocese might decide not to remain in the Episcopal Church of the United States of America." the rest