The Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee filed a lawsuit Monday against St. Edmund’s Church, an Elm Grove congregation that split from the Episcopal Church in December and claimed control of the church buildings and real estate.
The diocese contends that it is the rightful owner of the property and is asking a Waukesha County Circuit Court judge to order St. Edmund’s, church leaders and others named in the lawsuit to relinquish control of the property.
Eleven people and the church are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
“We are saddened to take this action, and it has not been taken lightly,” said Bishop Steven A. Miller in a statement issued by the diocese.
“It’s an unfortunate situation for all involved. But under our canon law, all parish property ultimately belongs to the diocese, and we have to enforce that law for the unity and well-being of the Church.”
They’re sorry, so sorry, but not sorry enough to consider what they have done over the years to alienate this congregation and to drive many others out of Anglican churches altogether. With what people do they think they can fill this church building if they manage to grab it? It’s been a conservative parish for a generation.
Of course, suburban Milwaukee real estate is worth a lot of money. Maybe a nondenominational congregation would pay the diocese a bundle for this property on Watertown Plank Road, enough to keep the diocese afloat for a while longer.
With TEC leaking like a sieve, it’ll take a lot more than money to keep them afloat. Only a complete house-cleaning from top to bottom will take care of that, but will it ever happen? No, so the smart thing thing to do would be to desert this sinking ship as fast as you can. These folks did the right thing!
Perhaps Dear Watson, something else is afoot. Just might the Holy Spirit, rather than leading a new thing, actually have a hand against many of our mainline denominations? Paul was pretty clear in Romans that God is more than willing to “give them up” to their own devices. In this case … legal action. With their endowments tanking, membership fleeing, theology drifting, they waste time on lawsuits. Amazing to watch. Really.
This is sad news. While I was a student at wheaton College in the 70s, I worshipped at Elm Grove a number of times. It was a thoroughly evangelical church with a very strong outreach program. This was when Stuart Briscoe was the vicar, a man whom I greatly admired and who helped me with my walk with Christ when he spoke at Edmund Chapel in Wheaton.
So much for the Primate’s Meeting requesting further restraint.
++Rowan, are you listening???
[blockquote]Eleven people and the church are named as defendants in the lawsuit.[/blockquote]Suing individual vestry members is apparently the Modus Operandi of TEC.
When Steve Miller was a rector in Virginia he once hired a lesbian as an assistant.
Once again the canons and rubrics only matter when they work in your favor. That is the TEC modus operandi!
#7 – Really? that surprises me.
When I was at Nashotah this was a great place to worship, but I see from ECUSA charts that there is a huge dip in ASA in 2005, from nearly 200 to about 80 (and a loss of nearly half the registered membership).
Is this when the Rector retired?
Where did those folks go before this happened?
Where are they now?
Here is Elm Groves’ chart
http://12.0.101.92/reports/PR_ChartsDemo/exports/ParishRPT_217200910623PM.pdf
#9, #10, I don’t have links, but from previous items about St. Edmund’s, it appears that its long-time rector, Fr. Olmstead, passed away in 2005, and since then, the Diocese has put significant obstacles in the way of calling a new rector — and of course, calling a conservative like the previous one would be a particular problem.
Katherine – that happened here at St. John’s after Fr. Dick Kim retired, but the search committee persevered and lasted longer that the old bishop (he retired) and then the new bishop allowed me (an SSC priest) to come here and to continue the use of the 1928 BCP and the biblical faith that goes with it.
Too bad Elm Grove couldn’t hold on.
Bishop Miller has indeed much to grieve about. From 2002 through 2007 the diocese lost 20 percent of its Members and ASA, while Plate & Pledge increases were 6 percent less than inflation. The diocese is aging as 190 Infant baptisms and 209 Burials in 2007 would indicate. And the 190 Infant Baptisms was produced by 11,241 Members or about 59 to ONE. And yet the Bishop wants to spend money on a lawsuit! My sad prediction is that he will win. The parish has lost almost half of its Members and Plate & Pledge was down to $140,000 in 2007. I would say FLEE while you still have a viable membership. Kyrie eleison. Statmann
Bill C,
I believe that Stuart Briscoe was the senior pastor at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, which neighbbors Elm Grove. Saint Edmund’s is another place altogether.
Father Dean Einerson
Rhinelander, Wisconsin
#4 Bill C.
Father Dean Is correct. Elmbrook Church in Brookfield is non denominational. Stuart Brisco is no longer senior pastor. This is the largest church in WI. The parking lot is bigger than most of the parking lots in the shopping malls in the Milwaukee area. the snow removal contract is bigger than most church budgets too.