Does anyone know, in brief, Ohio’s legal leanings in settling church property disputes: neutral principles, or deference to the hierachy?

w.w.

At the same time, the properties and assets of parishes are also resources given by Episcopalians in support of the mission and ministry of The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Ohio, and we have a canonical, fiduciary, and moral responsibility to protect and preserve them for that use. 

It seems to me that this misses an important stewardship understanding, i.e., people give to <U>God</U> through the church to support God’s mission in the world.  When an institution in control of part of the church diverts the assets to promote an agenda contrary to God’s agenda published in Holy Scripture, that also is a violation of “fiduciary, and moral responsibility to protect and preserve them for that use.”

Kendall, you should have put the headline in quotations. It is an attempt to deny what they are doing which is suing Christians which is specifically condemned by Paul. (They state as much in the second paragraph, “Of course, no one wants to rely on litigation to resolve these issues.”) As Paul states, they are utterly defeated.

Are they asking to court to make a decision before the case has been tried?

It seems to me that the Episcopal Church violated their fiduciary duty (“fiduciary, and moral responsibility to protect and preserve them for that use”) when they sold Church property to used for other purposes including use as night clubs.

If the TEC put money up front to help out churches in any effort then by all means they should be paid back with interest.  But just because you join an organization does not give it the right to steal your lands, buildings and bank accounts.  Nuff said!!

Property Clarification from Court - what a euphemistic phrase to hide what they are actually doing - suing all those churches now that they have a new bishop in the pocket of 815.  So sad for Ohio.  Obviously, they must be feeling some heat since they are using the word “lawsuits.” 

And to think the North just marked the South “absent” when the South pulled out of the Episcopal Church during what was the worst moment in United States history.  So much for malice toward none, charity for all.  It just gets sadder.

I just wish I knew where 815 was getting all the money to finance all these lawsuits - in Virginia alone the Diocese filed one brief and then the Episcopal Church filed another, that’s double the expense.  Where is all that money coming from?

bb

Where’s it coming from?  Investments, real estate rentals, property sales, rich parishioners who need a charitable write-off, and possibly endowment funds.

This is even more problematic once you know that two people from the Diocese of Ohio have impersonated trustees of the various corporations from the churches (each Church is a unique Ohio corporation) and transfered the deeds from the church corporation to the Diocese.

http://www.co.summit.oh.us/fiscaloffice/index.htm

Search on Deeds and reception number   55528188 or you can search on the diocese of ohio as the grantee.

This title was transferred on February 26, 2008 and recorded in March 2008.

The property dispute started November 2005.

Thomas Austin and William Powel represent themselves as trustees of the St. Lukes Corporation (as well as all of the other corporations for Holy Spirit and St. Barnabus and St. Annes), but are not members of the church and not on the vestry.  These are falsely recorded deeds, which is a crime in Ohio.

The document also states that this transfer was done for valuable consderations paid.  None was paid.

This release by the Diocese of Ohio is not truthful in a number of respects. There had been ongoing negotiations about property, however, these were suspended and a lawsuit filed by the Diocese.

Please pray for the Diocese of Ohio and the Churches involved.

What’s a little fraud on behalf of the e-church?  It’s for the good, you know.  Lucifer/Serpent/Adversary