By Kirk Petersen The Bishops of South Carolina are talking. After nearly a decade of property litigation and millions of dollars of legal costs, the leaders of rival dioceses in South Carolina have held ongoing talks since they met each other for the first time on April 21. They hope to avoid further conflict among Christians over the ownership of property. These are … [Read more...] about New Bishops Seek “A New Season” in South Carolina
property disputes
TEC Pays $4.5 Million to ACNA’s Fort Worth Diocese
By Kirk Petersen The Episcopal Church (TEC) has paid $4.5 million in legal fees and expenses to the Fort Worth diocese of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), in a mediated settlement after more than a decade of litigation involving an estimated $100 million in church properties. After 12 years of wins and losses along the way, TEC lost its final appeal when the … [Read more...] about TEC Pays $4.5 Million to ACNA’s Fort Worth Diocese
Fort Worth Episcopalians Mourn Property Loss
By David Paulsen Episcopal News Service The church property at 4301 Meadowbrook Drive on the east side of Fort Worth, Texas, has long been a hub of Episcopal activity, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. St. Luke’s in the Meadow, a congregation of about a hundred members, has worshipped there since 1948. Its Sunday school wing now houses Fort Worth’s diocesan offices. A … [Read more...] about Fort Worth Episcopalians Mourn Property Loss
S. Carolina Court to See Case It Thought It Settled
By Kirk Petersen The Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, which has been locked in litigation for nearly eight years with what is now known as the Anglican Diocese of South Carolina, on November 12 asked the state Supreme Court to settle the matter once and for all. The high court might be forgiven for believing it already settled the matter three years ago. At stake … [Read more...] about S. Carolina Court to See Case It Thought It Settled
Judge Is Asked to Overrule Himself After Overruling Higher Court
(Updated with comment from the ACNA diocese) By Kirk Petersen Ten days after a state circuit court judge essentially overruled the South Carolina Supreme Court, the Episcopal Church (TEC) has asked the judge to reconsider, saying the judge exceeded his authority. On June 19, Circuit Court Judge Edgar Dickson ruled that 29 disputed church properties rightfully belong to … [Read more...] about Judge Is Asked to Overrule Himself After Overruling Higher Court
Lawsuits Grind on in South Carolina, Fort Worth
By Kirk Petersen In Virginia, the rector of an Anglican church that played a leading role in the schism has teamed up with the retired Episcopal diocesan bishop to lead a pilgrimage to Northern Ireland to study the art of reconciliation. In Pittsburgh, the bishop of the Anglican diocese has attended an event hosted by the Episcopal diocese, and the two sides have reached … [Read more...] about Lawsuits Grind on in South Carolina, Fort Worth
SC Litigation Becomes More Complicated
By Kirk Petersen As if the divisions in South Carolina were not complicated enough, they have now led to a federal lawsuit pitting one entity affiliated with the Episcopal Church against another. On June 11, the Episcopal Church in South Carolina (TECSC) filed suit against its own insurance company, Church Insurance Company of Vermont (CIC-VT), alleging "extraordinarily … [Read more...] about SC Litigation Becomes More Complicated
Pittsburgh Keeps it Amicable
Bishop Dorsey McConnell writes to members of the Diocese of Pittsburgh to announce a peaceful resolution of long-standing property disputes between the diocese and nine parishes of the Anglican Church in North America: Nearly ten years ago, the Diocese of Pittsburgh was split, with many of its members separating themselves from us. Among other consequences, there were thorny … [Read more...] about Pittsburgh Keeps it Amicable