I'm not sure if this got in the paper today, but I see it's starting to make the rounds on some blogs, so here's the scoop:
BRISTOL – The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut filed suit this month to regain possession of the Trinity Episcopal Church on Summer Street, whose congregation voted in May to quit the Episcopal Church U.S.A. and align itself with the more conservative Nigerian Anglican Church.
The suit argues that the Rev. Donald Helmandollar and leaders within the Bristol church “relinquished all legal right to possess or control” the parish, its records and furnishings.
The suit, filed in New Britain, asks a judge to order the Helmandollar and his supporters to turn over control of the building, account for their spending and perhaps impose a punitive fine.
Bishop Andrew Smith asked the renegade church members to vacate the buildings and surrender control of them to the Connecticut diocese by July 8.
Instead, the Bristol church members, through an attorney, said they wouldn’t give up the property and threatened “to bring trespass charges against any Diocesan personnel who help recover possession of Parish property for the use of loyal Episcopalians,” according to the diocese.
The church rebels have until Sept. 11 to respond to the suit.
Trinity is one of a half dozen Connecticut parishes that have rejected Smith's authority and no longer support the diocese.Along with a number of parishes across the country that are unhappy with the appointment of a gay bishop in New Hampshire in 2003, Trinity voted to align with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, an initiative of the Anglican Church of Nigeria.
They say that they’re remaining true to the orthodox foundations of the church and allege that the mainstream church has drifted from its religious roots.
In addition to Helmandollar, the other individuals named as defendants in the suit, all of whom have held church leadership positions at Trinity, are Frederick Clark, Jr, Michael Saman, Marie Bartz, Raymond Bailey, Frank Cummings, Edward Dubois, Thomas O’Keefe, Deborah Thorpe, Deborah Wheeler and Robert Snyder.
The legal filing is available online at www.ctdiocese.org/news/Complaint080707.pdf.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
5 comments:
I'm sick of this story being reported as "churches leaving" because of the consecration of a gay bishop.
The reason the churches have parted ways is because the church has become so liberal and so obsessed with "gay rights" that it consecrated a man who left his family for another man.
There is in no way shape or form any chance the church would have done the same for a hetreosexual priest who did the same.
Trinity is right. The reverend is right. Give the church it's property and let them leave. The Episcopal Chuch in America is becomeing another liberal political action organization just like the even more liberal United Church of Christ.
I'm sure the gay bishop situation was something akin to the straw that broke the camel's back. I think it would be quite helpful if the people at Trinity who support the new affiliation with the Nigerian church tried to explain their point of view in more detail -- and that the supporters of Bishop Smith did the same.
I'm sure I'm far from the only one who doesn't really understand this battle within the church.
Always blame the liberals. Because conservative Republicans never do any stuff like that, right Ted Haggard?
It's about Liberalism in this case. I'm not sure who you're talking about Mr. Anon Arguer, but I believe you're comparing apples and oranges. Did the man you mention not confess that what he did was wrong? Did he not ask for forgiveness for his sin? Of course he did! Did this "Bishop" in any way acknowledge that leaving his family for another man was in any way a disqualifier for being a Bishop? He did not.
It's not about liberalism, it's about hypocrisy.
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