Judge orders church to turn over property to Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles

St. Luke's Anglican Church in La Crescenta broke away from the Episcopal Church in 2006 in a dispute over biblical authority and interpretation, including consecration of an openly gay bishop.
By Duke Helfand
October 1, 2009

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Wednesday ordered leaders of a former Episcopal church in La Crescenta to turn over church property by Oct. 12 to the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, marking the latest wrinkle in a long-running legal dispute.

St. Luke's Anglican Church and the diocese have been feuding since 2006, when a majority of the parish's congregants voted to pull out of the diocese and the 2.1-million-member Episcopal Church because of differences over biblical authority and interpretation, including the national church's decision to consecrate an openly gay bishop.

After the La Crescenta church left, the diocese sued to retain its property. the rest