Civil War era law prevails in church case (OneNewsNow.com)

Civil War era law prevails in church case

Allie Martin - OneNewsNow - 7/2/2008 6:00:00 AM

courtroom Conservative Anglican churches in Virginia are celebrating a major legal victory.

A Circuit Court judge in Fairfax County has ruled in favor of 11 breakaway congregations, who left the Episcopal Church over the denomination's liberal policies.

Now that the churches have a favorable ruling, they will be able to stay in their buildings, due to a state law dating back to the Civil War era allowing them to keep the property. Tom Wilson, chairman of the Anglican District of Virginia, says the victory is huge.

"It means that while the case is not completely over, we are now going to have to move on to prove up our votes," he explains. "That is to say to set before the court the facts that will establish that our votes [to depart the denomination] were taken in an orderly and appropriate manner..."

One of the churches that had been in question is Falls Church, where George Washington used to serve before the founding of the United States. Wilson says the gospel has been preached from Falls Church for 275-years, and now it will continue to be preached.

Officials with the Episcopal Church have threatened to appeal if they lost.

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Comments on this article:

"Justice has prevailed. If the Anglican church goes the way the PCUSA has, They will be a very small denomination before long. The PCUSA has gone from 27M to 2.2m in the last 40-plus years."
"Just like Judas who didn't know who he was betraying these officials betray Jesus and His church."
"These breakaway churches have committed theft of church properties and aligned themselves with African parishes and allowed themselves to be taken over by such. I view for onej Peter Akinola from Nigeria a country with many social ills of its crying out for Akinola to stay home and mind his own back yard instead of outrageously violating church canon law by getting involved in the affairs of dioceses that are not his own, something that is a violation of church canon law. He is totally out of line and total out of order and he is not welcome to meddle here any more than a diocese in the US should meddle in a diocese in Africa or anywhere else, something which also would be highly improper and illegal. When I grew up diocese did not wrongfully and illegally meddle in the affairs of other diocese, We did not hear of church buildings, property and land being stolen outright by dissenting and disgruntled church members. If things were not to their liking they went elaswhere and did not illegal things like stea"
"Welcome to the Anglican Church - We Exclude."
"It's amazing that the higher ups in the Episcopal church do not realize what danger they are in with God. What can they be thinking? Hooray for the break-away churches and thanks to the Court for making the right decision!"
"This is a great and I would say a historic victory for the churches in the United States. If churches don't realize (by this I mean the higher ups in various denominations) I can see this happening even more. Praise God for the victory."
"The national Episcopal Church is spiraling down the toilet. But there are still many faithful within it, and some of those are leaving to form parishes of African, South American and Asian provinces within the wider Anglican communion. I believe those who paid for the buildings should be allowed to enjoy them."
"Praise God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!!!"
"The government didn't inject itself here first. The portion of the Anglican Church, steeped in homosexuality, brought the matter before the courts. In essence, freedom to believe biblically is not on the plaintiffs' agenda."
"The government, i.e., the court system, must become involved. As it must in a serious dispute between any two parties over a piece of property. Big church claims they own property. Local church claims they own property. Both sides claim each other apostate. The state can make law and adjudicate cases governing property without getting into church doctrinal or polity issues. In these situtations, Big Church claims ownership of property regardless of what the deed in the state courthouse says. This is supreme arrogance. Mike B."
"Thank you JESUS!!!!! I Love ya"
"Liberal policies is too PC. These churches broke away because the Angilcan Churh accepts, embraces, and promotes the homosexual agenda. These breakaway churches got it right - hurray for them."
"I don't think government should be involved with any church dealings -- this one included."
"This news gives hope to all of us who are traditional Anglicans here in the US. Thanks for sharing it with us!"