The S.C. Supreme Court ruled that the 50-acre campus of All Saints Church, just off Kings River Road, does not belong to the Episcopal Church.
The judge’s decision is thrilling, but the dispute might not be over, said All Saints church member Sue Campbell.
The congregation remains “cautiously optimistic” about the Supreme Court decision, she said.
“We know that chances are, this may not be the last step, but we continue to be hopeful and prayerful,” Campbell said.
The legal battle began in 2000, when the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina filed a public notice in Georgetown County that the historic land and the pre-revolutionary church belonged to the Episcopal Church.
All Saints sued the diocese, saying that the original deed gave the property to the people of the Waccamaw Neck.
Thanks be to God. I pray for more victories such as this.
AMiA and DioSC are on the same side. Don’t fight each other.
Notice: not a peep on ENS and no statement from the PB. Maybe if they just pretend, it will all go away.
Although it’s painful for the Dioc of SC, this is a HUGE victory for conservative Anglicans in North America, because it shows that the supposedly almighty Dennis Canon isn’t as fearsome, decisive, or all-powerful as it is often taken to be.
The SC Supreme Court has MANDATED that “neutral principles of law” must be used to decide such trust cases, regardless of whether the denomination involved is “hierarchical” or not. There are certainly unique features to the All Saints, Pawley’s Island case. But I still hope that this well-written legal decision is the start of a national trend.
David Handy+
yay!