Newport parish wants to take battle back to high court

May 4, 2010
By SEAN EMERY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

NEWPORT BEACH–A breakaway parish that has fought a long-running legal battle to retain control of its seaside church is once again hoping to take its fight to the California Supreme Court.

St. James Anglican Church, a self-described "biblically orthodox" congregation that sought to distance itself from the national Episcopal Church due to disagreements over scriptural teachings and the ordination of a gay bishop, filed a petition to the California Supreme Court on Tuesday as part of an effort to be declared the owner of the church property.

The legal wrangling dates back to 2004, and while initial lower court rulings sided with St. James, subsequent appellate court and state Supreme Court decisions have backed the diocese and national church's right to the Newport Beach property at 3209 Via Lido, steps away from Newport harbor. the rest