Posted on 12/31/2007 5:07:31 AM PST by rhema
It was the last Sunday service at Christ Church. Unable to go "further in a church that continued in a false gospel," the entire congregation, including the rector and church leaders, will sever ties with the national Episcopal Church and reform under a new name: New Hope Anglican Church.
One of the "Connecticut six," the half-dozen churches in the state diocese that disagree with national leadership on departure of scripture, including the appointment of a gay bishop, the congregation will trade its historic building on the town green for a free community room at the Thomaston Savings Bank around the corner.
The Sunday service will be held at the bank, starting Jan. 6, until they find or build another house of worship.
"We need to celebrate today, but we need to recognize there is a dying," the Rev. Allyn Benedict said in his final homily at the church. Reading off an overhead projector, church members sang hymns enthusiastically, clapping and raising hands in acknowledging their faith. They hugged one another, wishing peace.
The church was founded under the Church of England in 1764. In 2003, Benedict and several other Connecticut rectors clashed with Connecticut Bishop Andrew D. Smith, who supported the naming of V. Gene Robinson as New Hampshire's bishop. Robinson is gay. Benedict and Christ Church leaders also feel the national church is rejecting scriptural authority and traditions of the church.
In cutting affiliation with the national leaders, the congregation has agreed to give up its church buildings and property, estimated to be worth $7 million, and its name, "Christ Church Parish." The congregation also ended its participation with the other Connecticut churches in a protracted legal battle against national leadership over church real estate, deciding that "it's not worth living under this oppression just for the property," said Paul LePine, the senior warden. Four of the "Connecticut six" have also ended their connection to the national church, LePine said.
"It's a tragedy when relationships fail," LePine said. "There's a relief of being free of that dysfunctional relationship we've been in for many years."
LePine's daughter, Rachel, 15, commented that while leaving is the right thing to do, "it is sad."
"That's kind of why we named it New Hope," she said.
"We're just moving on to where we're supposed to be," said Chris Varian, who was married at the church and has been a member for three years. "It's a transition. It's a lot of history and a lot of memories. It's bittersweet."
Actually, the story is a bit more complex than that. When part of the parish left ECUSA for the APCK, the rest were too small to support the building. So they put it up for sale -- but refused to sell it to the new congregation. It became an upscale Chinese restaurant and nightclub. The police did not like the latter, because they were forever being called to it.
After several years the restaurant went under and the building went up for sale again. (Because it was registered as a historic building, the exterior had to be preserved.) The university nearby was the high bidder -- they wanted it for a student center, but found it did not meet their earthquake standards. So then the APCK congregation was able to buy it.
Nope. Not until the Dennis Canon in the early 1980s -- and there is still a big question of whether that Canon was properly ratified.
“But we paid off our building before we left the denomination.”
This is a congregation since 1764. I’m sure the property was paid off long ago...if they ever even had a loan. This is just theft through legal intimidation, plain and simple, of the congregation’s building by the Episcopal Church.
The wicked witch of 815 says, as the song goes, “you can check out any time you like, but, you can NEVER leave!”
The ultra-liberal 'Presbyterian Church USA' denomination also owns their buildings.
They used to be owned by the congregations. But in the 1970s churches started leaving, property and all. ECUSA (now TEC) passed a rule called the "Dennis Canon" that purported to turn the property over to the dioceses in order to stop the bleeding.
Not to be sarcastic, but, the liberal denominations all realized that about 30 years ago. The Episcopalians, Presyberians, Lutherans (?) and others, all initiated new rules in the '70s, as part of a simple majority vote making all the congregations acknowledge at least an implied trust with the denominations for their properties. The issue then was women's ordination. Some conservative wanted to bolt, so these property-held-in-trust rules were made to bolt shut that option....
So, likely the title deed on this church says nothing about the Episcopal Church denomination owning it...but, since Episcopal rules seem to claim it does, they tie up these little churches in VERY expensive litigation for years--attempting to intimidate them into staying.
Bottom line, in essence, among several denominations, the liberal leadership put in place a way to blackmail congregations into staying, and are energetically suing the pants off congregations (down to suing individual layman leaders) that dare to defy that....
See why there is no love lost between evangelicals and liberal denominations?
One fears that such earthly victories will be their full rewards. cf Matthew 6.
Actually, "impeached" means "indicted," not "guilty." The House of Representatives brings a bill of impeachment, which the Senate tries. Clinton was impeached by the House but not removed by the Senate. "Innocence" was, as you say, irrelevant in that context, but so was "guilt."
That was the plan from the start.
Undoubtedly the Lambda Fund will throw a big party when the sales receipts start pumping up their account.
Probably wouldn't be the kind of party any of us would want to attend, but I'm sure Vicky and his buddies will be there with bells on.
That is unfortunate for these parishes faithful to the Christian Church and who refuse to bow down to Babylon the national Episcopal leadership.
They don't exert the cast iron grip that some others do.
The church was founded under the Church of England in 1764.
There are a few of these churches in the original 13 colonies.
Out here in California where members bought the land, built the churches out their own funds, and never collected a penny from their Bishop, National Church or the Church of England, they will probably win in most court cases.
This church existed long before the Episcopal Church, let alone the diocese. Unless the vestry actually signed over the deed to the diocese at some point, the building and land should be exempt from the Dennis Canon. I believe that has been found true in some previous cases involving pre-Episcopal era properties.
Good for them. I don’t know how the rules work, but I’m sure the property rules have something to do with liberals wanting to make conservatives think twice about leaving.
But the conservatives proved that principles are more important than property.
I can’t divulge the church as the case is about to go to court. It is a similiar situation belonging to the Church of England first, and the members are very leery of what might happen in court. We have friends back East, and they feel that they may not have a legal leg to stand on.
V.Eugene Robinson is actually Vickie Eugene Robinson. His parents pre-ordained his tendencies.
Maybe I misunderstood. I thought we were still talking about Christ Church, Hartford. But any of the old churches that pre-date the Episcopal church should have been owned outright by their congregations and any connection to the dioceses their vestries may have later on approved should have been voluntary. I still don’t see how a court can find in favor of the Dennis Canon land-grab as far as these old parishes are concerned. It isn’t right.
I think that many if not most of the courts will rule for the parish not the Bishop when these cases get to court.
Our congregation left ECUSA and the real estate in 1994. At the end of the day, it is just stone and glass - stuff...
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