Resolution C067 (From the Diocese of West Texas and assigned to the Committee on Stewardship and Development–KSH)
Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, That the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church direct the office of the Presiding Bishop and the Executive Council to provide the following information to each Diocese of the Church:
(a) The dollar amount spent by TEC on litigation against dioceses, parishes, groups of churches and individuals since General Convention, 2006;
(b) A list of the church accounts and/or budget items from which these funds were taken;
(c) An explanation of the line item described in the Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society Budgetary Summary as: Additional Draw from short-term reserve for legal support to dioceses exceeding budget for 2008-$1,520.000.00;
(d) The amount of money budgeted for litigation for the next Triennium;
(e) An estimate of the amount of property value retained and expected to be retained by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA) because of pending and completed litigation as of General Convention 2009.
EXPLANATION
The Episcopal Church has engaged in litigation in numerous dioceses across the country in cases involving property disputes with local parishes which have elected to depart TEC. This litigation has been initiated by either the local diocese or the parish against the other party. TEC intervened as a party in interest aligned with the local diocese. Substantial legal fees and related expenses have been incurred on behalf of TEC. Beginning in 2007, requests have been made by various parties to the Executive Council which is responsible for the governance of TEC between General Conventions for financial disclosure of the source of funds and the amounts expended. However no response has been made to date.
Anyone think this will pass? I’d love for it to, but seriously doubt it will get anywhere near adopted.
It’ll never make it out of committee – it’s hate speech after all….
They will claim it is already available, and it is. It simply is not available for non-accountant types in our church. For example, technically TEC is spending no money on the San Joachin lawsuits. However, TEC is supplying all the diocesan financial needs while the assessments of the new diocese are used entirely to sue those that left. Ah, for clarity and transparency among Christians, but this will never make it out of committee.
It’ll die in committee!
Our Lady of Litigation will smite it with her rainbow oven mitt, er, [i]mitre[/i].
Milton,
That should read Our Lady of PERPETUAL Litigation.
Should be a no brainer, in a non-corrupt institution.