jQuery Slider

You are here

NEWPORT BEACH, CA: St. James Church Claims Property Ownership

NEWPORT BEACH, CA--St. James Church Claims Property Ownership

Statement by the Clergy of St. James Church, Newport Beach, Calif., and All Saints' Church, Long Beach, Calif.

(In response to the pastoral letter of the Bishop of the Diocese of Los Angeles, sent on August 18, 2004, to Episcopal Churches in the diocese and posted on the diocesan Web site at www.ladiocese.org/indexentry.htm.)

The priests and deacons of St. James Church and All Saints' Church are clergy of the Diocese of Luweero, where they have been received by the Rt. Rev. Evans Kisekka under his ecclesiastical authority. They are now canonically resident in the Diocese of Luweero. They are not clergy of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America or the Diocese of Los Angeles. The Bishop of Los Angeles no longer has ecclesiastical authority over them, nor do the constitution and canons of the Episcopal Church USA or the Diocese of Los Angeles apply to them.

The Diocese of Luweero is part of the Anglican Province of Uganda, which headed by the Most. Rev. Henry Orombi, a Primate of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The legal title to St. James Church and the surrounding property is and always has been held by St. James, an independent California non-profit religious corporation formed in 1949. The legal title to All Saints' Church and the surrounding property is and always has been held by All Saints', an independent California non-profit religious corporation formed in 1926. The Diocese of Los Angeles has no claim against any of the property owned by these churches.

St. James Church, a biblically orthodox church since 1949, affirms its membership in the Anglican Communion and will no longer be affiliated with the Episcopal Church USA or the Diocese of Los Angeles.

St. James is now under the jurisdiction oversight of the Anglican Province of Uganda in the Diocese of Luweero, which is a member of the mainstream of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The members of St. James have remained steadfast and loyal in their commitment to the Holy Scripture, the historic teachings of Christianity and the Anglican Communion for 55 years. However, the Episcopal Church USA has chosen a path that no longer reflects the membership's steadfast faith.

"St. James is a biblically orthodox church that accepts Jesus Christ as the One and Only Lord and Savior, and acknowledges the authority of the Holy Scripture as the Word of God," said Senior Warden Jim Dale. "Our devotion is to God, not a particular institution. When an institution no longer represents our understanding of God's Word and His Will, we must have the courage and faith to stand by our convictions."

The members and vestry of St. James made this decision with the support of The Rev. Praveen Bunyan, reflecting the desire of the church to stand firm on its religious convictions.

"We at St. James have prayed and struggled with this decision for many years," said Rev. Bunyan, the rector of St. James Church. "It is after much deliberation that we came to this conclusion, but it is our only recourse if we are to stay true to the historic faith and teachings of the church.

"St. James worked very hard for many years to reconcile our differences with the Episcopal Church USA and the Diocese of Los Angeles, both in our own hearts and through extensive dialogue. However, that effort has brought no comfort to ease our pain.

"The members of St. James wish to move beyond this issue, so we can concentrate on our core mission: To glorify God, uphold the Holy Scripture, raise our children to love and serve Jesus Christ and share the Gospel with the world," concluded Rev. Bunyan.

The worldwide Anglican Communion has churches in 164 countries with about 77 million members. The Episcopal Church USA represents 2.5 million members both here and abroad, which is only three percent of the Anglican Communion.

The Anglican Province of Uganda represents eight million Anglicans, more than three times the membership in the entire Episcopal Church USA. St. James has a close and longstanding relationship with the Province of Uganda and the Diocese of Luweero, where many of its missionaries have served.

St. James will continue to hold worship services in the same location where it was incorporated in 1949 and carry on with its usual programs and activities. St. James is a self-supported, growing church with more than 1,200 members.

END

Subscribe
Get a bi-weekly summary of Anglican news from around the world.
comments powered by Disqus
Trinity School for Ministry
Go To Top