The congregation of St. David’s Anglican Church in Peters will hand over its property, its name and its debt of nearly $1 million to the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and start over in a former Catholic church in Canonsburg.
The move is the latest in a property dispute between the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and the rival Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. The diocese split in 2008, with a majority leaving the Episcopal Church for the theologically conservative Anglican Church in North America.
Muahaha…the old poisoned chalice gambit. It was an act of madness for the Diocese to accept it.
“He said the Episcopal diocese wished the congregation well in its new location.”
‘Hey man, don’t take any offense.’
‘This is all about we revisionists winning a secular victory in order to promote a secular agenda.’
‘You orthodox Anglicans take that religious stuff way too seriously.’
Now if they can just find somebody (other than St. David’s Anglican) to buy it for more than what they will owe on it, then they can declare victory.
I wonder if pressure to disaffiliate from ACNA part of the decision to move on to a different property?
The Episcopal diocese assumed a 1 million dollar debt? Hey, that’s a bargain.
I bet the TEC diocese is grateful that the departing group kept the mortgage paid. Oh, when will they ever learn? Has anyone made an estimate of the total dollar value that the TEC diocese will eventually gain by reclaiming and selling property, plus the $20 million trust funds that the diocese already received? Statmann
Enough to compromise the gospel, apparently.
We had been struggling for some time with the fact that we had been paying a mortgage on someone else’s building. Every month the deal got better for TEC and worse for us. Also the bank would not renegotiate the loan without TEC’s acquiesence and that was not happening. On top of that TEC never opened negotiations with us even though they claimed they would. What sealed the deal for us was the fact that our pledges were $50k less for 2012 because our people didn’t want money going to TEC’s building. Our largest donor told me I am no longer giving my funds to pay for their building. In the end it was sobering but necessary decision. At the all parish meeting last Sunday the voice vote to affirm the decision of the vestry was unanimous (about 80-0) The best word to describe it is “steely resolve followed by joy and relief”
David Wilson, rector of the newest parish of the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh – Christ the Redeemer
” The best word to describe it is “steely resolve followed by joy and relief†”
Amen!
I am very pleased that the faux diocese got a nice additional debt to manage.
That million dollar debt is a million dollars that the lawyers won’t get.