Posted on 10/09/2012 7:46:38 PM PDT by marshmallow
An Omaha congregation that left the Episcopal Church over issues of doctrine and homosexuality now faces a tough decision about its midtown church: Should congregants stay or should they go?
A judge ruled last week that the people of St. Barnabas Church must surrender the 97-year-old church building, with all its artwork and other trappings, plus its rectory and other property to the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska.
The ruling by Douglas County District Court Judge Joseph Troia came more than three years after the diocese sued St. Barnabas' priest and leaders for the church and rectory at 129 N. 40th St. It is one of many such property disputes around the nation between the Episcopal Church and disaffected congregations.
The judge's order gives the St. Barnabas congregation, which is moving toward joining the Roman Catholic Church, until late October to hand over the keys. But the diocese's lawyer, D.C. “Woody” Bradford, said it won't push to enforce that deadline.
People on both sides said they hope for negotiations that could lead to the congregation's staying in its current home, though not as an Episcopal church. St. Barnabas leaders also are considering an appeal.
“What we're hoping is that now that they have won the lawsuit they'll be more willing to sit down with us and talk about what's real,” said the Rev. Robert Scheiblhofer, rector of St. Barnabas.
Bradford said Nebraska Episcopal Bishop J. Scott Barker “wants to resolve it as amicably as possible, without any hindrance of their desire to become a Catholic Church. ... I'm sure we'll come together and work something out.”
St. Barnabas is one of dozens of Episcopal parishes around the nation whose members have chosen to leave the Episcopal Church. They have done so for a variety of reasons, most having to do with.....
(Excerpt) Read more at omaha.com ...
For where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20)
Let it become a Catholic Church.
Snarl! You can’t believe how much it hurts to read this. Damn those greedy New York snakes in the head office...
The Episcopal Church: “A dating service for lesbians and gays, financed largely by New York City real estate holdings.”
p.s - Thanks to my many Catholic friends (and to the Catholic church in general) who have put aside both their cult of Marianism speeches, the tired old Henry VIII saws, and their “one true church” lectures, and have been open and welcoming to both fellow Anglicans and my own family.
I’m glad you have had good experiences with us Papists. May the Ordinariate prosper! I’ll be interested to see how the liturgy issue will ultimately be resolved for the Ordinariates.
Yes. Must go. Run away from evil. God is with you.
Whatever will TEC do when they run out of church buildings to confiscate?
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