Conservative Anglicans Lose Property In California

Episcopalian congregations that broke away from its apostate national body got to keep their property after court battles in Virginia. But it was not the same in California, whose Supreme Court ruled that in the event of a split, the property reverts to the national body. From the Los Angeles Times:

Reporting from San Francisco and Los Angeles — Rebellious congregations that part ways with their denominations may lose their church buildings and property as a result, the California Supreme Court said Monday in a unanimous ruling.

The state high court decision came in a case involving the Episcopal Church, but lawyers said it would apply to other denominations as well.

Several Protestant denominations, including United Methodists and Presbyterians, have faced upheaval over gay rights issues. Monday’s ruling, along with similar victories that the church leadership has won in other states, is expected to dampen enthusiasm for such separations.

Each state has its property laws and each denomination has its polity. LCMS congregations, for example, own their own property. Methodists own it through their larger denomination. I didn’t know about Presbyterians–is it different with the conservative PCA and the liberal PCUSA? Even the Virginia Anglicans, including a number here at Patrick Henry College, might be worried, though, since a state Supreme Court level decision–even though it is California–might influence the appeals of the ruling in their favor.

The bias in the L.A. Times story is palpable. The very headline reads “California Supreme Court says breakaway parish can’t take national church’s property.” It could just as well have read “California Supreme Court says national church can take breakaway parish’s property.” Do you agree with the claim, repeated throughout the article, that this decision will “dampen enthusiasm” for breaking away from an apostate church body?