A.S. Haley: ECUSA Loses (Tentatively) Its Summary Judgment in San Joaquin

March 6, 2013

This has been an unbelievable day for a (long-planned) vacation -- church litigation news has virtually prevented me from beginning to relax and enjoy it yet. When the news is favorable, however, I am the last to mind or complain about the burden of sharing it with you.

Thus it is that, as I was working on the immediately preceding post about the new federal case in South Carolina, my office forwarded the tentative ruling from the Fresno Superior Court on the motion for summary judgment which ECUSA and Bishop Lamb (now Bishop Talton) brought against Bishop John-David Schofield to recover all of the property of his Anglican Diocese.

The tentative ruling was to deny the motion -- meaning that the case will have to go to trial before it can be finally decided. In short the court held that the plaintiffs failed to meet their burden on summary judgment: they failed to show, in effect, that a Diocese of the Church is prohibited from leaving it as a matter of law.

ECUSA had tried all of its usual "hierarchical" arguments, but the Court indicates it is not inclined to buy them (again, this is its tentative ruling - I will have it posted later at Stand Firm, but for now, it may be read and downloaded at this link ... the rest  Comments at Stand Firm

A.S. Haley: ECUSA's Desperation in South Carolina Knows No Bounds

Federal lawsuit filed in SC Episcopal Church schism

Anglican Ink: An Accord or Witness Tampering?
The outcome of a January conciliation meeting concerning complaints involving the Episcopal Dioceses of Fort Worth and Quincy has been announced, following the written agreement of all parties and acceptance by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.

“As a result of the process of Conciliation under Canon IV.10 of The Episcopal Church, the…Complainants and Respondents agree to this Accord on terms which promote healing, repentance, forgiveness, restitution, justice, amendment of life and reconciliation,” begins the Accord, which was signed by all parties in March 2013.

Even though there is agreement, the proceedings of the meeting, held according to Canon IV.10 on January 8 and 9 in Richmond, VA, as well as any documentation, presented remain confidential...

Top Episcopal Church Officials: We Love New York!
An Episcopal Church executive oversight group has unanimously recommended against re-locating the denomination’s headquarters from New York City, citing “justice concerns” among the chief reasons to remain at the church’s pricey Manhattan mid-rise.

Specific among the concerns were states with “regressive immigration laws, laws banning marriage equality, and laws that encourage gun violence.”

Among the 15 cities examined for a potential future headquarters were New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Minneapolis, Detroit, Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Charlotte, Ft. Lauderdale and Cincinnati. Eighty percent of Episcopal Church attendees live in the Eastern and Central time zones, with the report noting that the church’s population center is gradually shifting southward...

Gay couple exchanging vows at approved Episcopal church
After 15 years together, Jeff Meadows and Gary Patterson are days away from taking a few monumental steps down the church aisle. Their church? St. Stephens Episcopal Church, one of two in Texas authorized by the Episcopal Church USA to offer what's called "The Witnessing and Blessing of a Lifelong Covenant" ceremony.

"What St. Stephens is saying to the Houston community and the broader community is that you are welcomed here," said Patterson. "You're welcomed to come here and have your rite, have your union blessed, come to this fellowship, get to know the people and we will love you and take care of you."

Like a traditional Episcopal wedding ceremony, Meadows and Patterson will exchange vows, rings, and ask the congregation to support their union...