Dear sionnsar and bobjam,
Thanks.
What's the fall-out, legal and ecclesiastically, if a parish goes from the ECUSA to being under another jurisdiction of the Anglican Communion?
Ecclesiastically, I guess the parish is still in communion with the Anglican Communion? Is it any longer in communion with the ECUSA?
Legally, can these folks make the case of, "Hey, we're still Anglicans - we're still the Anglican parish of St. John's, we're still under an Anglican bishop, we're just not under Frank Griswold and his co-conspirators, anymore. Previously, the ECUSA was the only branch of the Anglican Communion here in the US, but as is evidenced by the fact that we're recognized and under the jurisdiction of real, live Anglican primates, that's no longer the case now."
Or will the ECUSA's reply of, "Well, it was nice knowin' ya', make sure you leave all the silverware at the door, because, after all, the body that's incorporated in the United States is the Episcopal Church of the United States of America, not the Anglican Communion" win the day?
Sorry to have so many questions. Just trying to wrap my head around all of this.
sitetest
Generally, I believe, it's been "leave the silverware at the door." There have been specific cases in specific locales which had had laws that block that, allowing the departing parish to keep the property, but the general issue of who really owns the property (the Dennis Canon) has not been litigated.
If they affiliate elsewhere in the worldwide Anglican Communion they can say they're not part of ECUSA, they're not supporting Griswold & co with their money -- but they're still in communion with ECUSA!
For all I keep explaining why things take forever in the Anglican world, even to me the split is long overdue.
ECUSA is not, by any means, the only institution of Anglicanism in this country. There are more than two dozen church groups that follow Anglican liturgy and tradition operating around the nation. The Reformed Episcopal Church has been around for over a hundred years.
Technically, ECUSA is the only American branch of the Anglcan Communion. The Network, which is headed by Bp Duncan, is part of ECUSA. However, a number of other branches (such as Nigeria, Uganda, Bolivia and SE Asia) have either launched parishes or given oversight to existing parishes that are geographically located in the United States. These parishes and their clergy are members of the Anglican Communion because they are part of an overseas Anglican province. The most well known of these groups is the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA). Its bishops are part of either the Anglican Church of Rwanda or the Anglican Church of SE Asia. There is widespread speculation that the Anglican Communion will expel ECUSA, and the groups in the US and Canada that are overseen by foreign archbishops will be rolled together into a new North American jurisdiction.
In general, ECUSA parish property is owned by the diocese. However, the diocese also is ultimately responsible for the parish's liabilities. From a diocesan standpoint, a parish walkout means the diocese looses that parish's annual contribution to the budget and inherits the mortgage, maintenance, utility and insurance bills. Having several parishes leave could force the diocese to the bargaining table (sell to the departing parish the property) or into bankruptcy court.
There is little ECUSA can do to AMiA churches other than complain to Archbishop Williams about foreign bishops "invading" ECUSA territory.