Anglican parish gives up building to rival Episcopal
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Members of an Anglican parish in Penn Hills have quietly handed over their building to the rival Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, saying they couldn't accept the ground rules for property negotiation and believed it was better to rent space in a different church nearby.
It's the latest development in a split and legal dispute between the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh and the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. The Episcopal diocese said it didn't ask the congregation to vacate St. James Church on Frankstown Road but will start its own services there. The Anglican pastor said he hoped to maintain good relationships with Episcopal colleagues.
"We'll have a positive attitude about this move," said the Rev. Doug Sherman, rector of St. James Anglican Church, which will now worship in Faith Community Church. "We made the right decision, and we're excited. It's hard leaving a building that you've been in for 50 years and that people have paid for. But we look forward to continuing our ministry in Penn Hills."
In 2008, the majority at the convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh voted to break from the Episcopal Church, which they believed had become too liberal on issues from salvation to sexuality. They formed the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh.
But more than a third of the parishes immediately formed a new Episcopal diocese. Court decisions -- which the Anglican diocese is still trying to appeal -- awarded diocesan property to the Episcopal diocese but required negotiation over parish property.
The St. James lay governing board found two of the Episcopal diocese's ground rules for negotiation unacceptable.
One required negotiations to be based on "a respect and acknowledgement of Episcopal Church canons concerning property." This refers to the Dennis Canon, which says that parish property is held in trust for the denomination and can't be taken out of it. Many breakaway Anglican leaders believe the Dennis Canon violates civil law on trusts, and some hope to test that.
First Published June 30, 2011 12:00 am
