Posted on 09/09/2008 7:35:56 PM PDT by PAR35
Tulsa, Okla., September 9, 2008 – Tulsa County District Judge Jefferson Sellers ruled today that the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) and the Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery of the PCUSA (EOP) own the Kirk of the Hills property at 4102 E. 61st Street, under the denomination’s constitution... The Kirk of the Hills paid for the property over the last four decades and the deeds are in the Kirk Corporation’s name.
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The Kirk has been in a legal battle over this property since the Kirk withdrew from PCUSA denomination in August 2006.
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(Excerpt) Read more at layman.org ...
The congregation is planning to appeal, but in the meantime, may find itself on the street.
This is so gay ...
I like the Idea of keeping the building tied up on litigation, and bleeding the PCUSA dry with maintenance costs. Don't forget to fine the snot out of them for every code violation as the building falls apart.
“Tulsa was heavily overbuilt when I lived there. If you don’t insist on the opulence of their old building, new digs will be easy to find.”
There is a lot of truth to the statement. But it’s not just “opulence.” The people built it, maintained it, generations have been baptized, confirmed, married, buried there. It is not just a building, it is a holy place that has been cared for and loved as the house of the Lord by many people for many years. I imagine the attachment is quite strong.
Unfortunately, the law cares little about "attachment." The kicker is the Constitution adopted by this church, which stated that the church held title in trust for the denomination. That was a perhaps stupid provision, but it is apparently controlling.
I understand the court position, but also understand the people wanting and pursuing every possibility to keep it.
They did the same thing with the little Methodist church I went to for many years. The hierarchy sold it out from under the parishioners (few in number for sure) and took out the windows (stained glass) that people had given in memory of church members, the other furniture, etc. Fortunately, a local builder bought it, put plexiglass in the windows, and found the original benches. Now a community church is in there. Good CAN come from change but it does hurt.
“.....but it does hurt”
yes, it does, and that hurt runs deep - much like a death.
Death to self is a good thing. It’s like surgery. You have to cut out the bad in order to be healed.
Depends on the state. Some states have the same real estate law for all people ("neutral principles of law" states). Other states have special rules for liberal denominations.
District Judge Jefferson Sellers won’t have the last word on this. The Presbyterian Church USA refuses to let go of its buildings, even when they’re paid for by the congregation. I’m hoping the congregation will have success in an appeal.
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