[CS-FSLUG] VERY GOOD news!!

[Fred A. Miller]

Anglican District of Virginia Wins Church Property Case

FAIRFAX, Va. (December 19, 2008) – The judge presiding in the church
property
trial between the Episcopal Church and eleven former congregations, now
affiliated with the Anglican District of Virginia (ADV), ruled in the
congregations’ favor today. The final rulings in this case concerned
whether
four parcels of property owned by the Anglican congregations were
covered by
the congregations’ Division petitions.

“We welcome these final, favorable rulings in this case. This has been a
long
process and we are grateful that the court has agreed with us,” said Jim
Oakes, vice-chairman of ADV. “It is gratifying to see the court recognize
that the true owner of The Historic Falls Church is The Falls Church’s
congregation, not the denomination, and that the building is protected
by the
Division Statute. The Falls Church has held and cared for this property for
over 200 years.”

“We hope that The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia will realize
that it is time to stop this legal battle. In these economic times, we
should
be focused on helping our communities and spreading the Gospel, not
spending
millions of dollars on ongoing legal battles. The money we have been forced
to spend to keep our property from being forcibly taken away from us is
money
that could have been spent in more productive ways.

“While the judge ruled that issues surrounding The Falls Church
Endowment Fund
will be heard at a later date, ADV is confident that we will prevail on
this
last outstanding issue,” Oakes said.

On April 3, 2008, Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows issued a
landmark ruling that acknowledged a division within The Episcopal
Church, the
Diocese of Virginia and the larger Anglican Communion. Judge Bellows
affirmed
that the Anglican congregations in Virginia could invoke the Virginia
Division Statute (Virginia Code § 57-9) in their defense.  The Virginia
Division Statute states that majority rule should apply when a division
in a
denomination or diocese results in the disaffiliation of an organized group
of congregations.  On June 27, 2008, Judge Bellows issued a ruling that
confirmed the constitutionality of Virginia Division Statute (Virginia
Code §
57-9) under the First Amendment.  On August 22, 2008, he issued a ruling
that
upheld the constitutionality of the Division Statute under the Contracts
Clause of the Constitution.

“We hope that the Diocese will reconsider its previous promises to appeal.
While we are prepared to continue to defend ourselves, we are ready to put
this litigation behind us so we can focus our time, money and effort on the
work of the Gospel,” Oakes concluded.

The Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Diocese abruptly broke off settlement
negotiations with the Anglican congregations in January 2007 and filed
lawsuits against the Virginia churches, their ministers and their
vestries.
The decision of The Episcopal Church and the Diocese to redefine and
reinterpret Scripture caused 11 Anglican churches in Virginia to sever
their
ties with TEC and the Virginia Diocese.

The judge's opinion and relevant filings to this final order are located at
the following link:
http://anglicandistrictofvirginia.org/component/option,com_docman/task,cat_view/Itemid,52/gid,29/orderby,dmdate_published/

The Anglican District of Virginia (www.anglicandistrictofvirginia.org)
is an
association of Anglican congregations in Virginia. Its members are in full
communion with constituent members of the Anglican Communion through its
affiliation with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), a
missionary branch of the Church of Nigeria and other Anglican Archbishops.
ADV members are a part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a community
of 77
million people. ADV is dedicated to fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission to
make disciples while actively serving in three main capacities:
International
Ministries, Evangelism, and Strengthening Families and Community. ADV is
currently comprised of 23 member congregations.
-- 
"Politicians and diapers need to be changed
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