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NORTH FLORIDA: Anglican Alliance Saddened by Diocesan Lawsuit Against Member Parish
From the Anglican Alliance of North Florida
JACKSONVILLE, FL (April 4, 2006)-- The Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Florida, the Rt. Rev. John Howard, filed a lawsuit against the rector and vestry of Redeemer Anglican Church on March 30, 2006 in circuit court. Redeemer Church is one of 11 Anglican Alliance churches which have separated from the Diocese of Florida and come under the jurisdiction of overseas Anglican Provinces. The lawsuit alleges that the vestry has breached its "fiduciary duties and trust obligations" and seeks recovery of the church property as well as legal fees.
In a letter to the Bishop's lawyer written before the complaint was filed, Kyle Gavin, representing the vestry, wrote that Redeemer "remains a constituent member of the Anglican Communion and continues to diligently uphold and propagate the historic faith as required by ECUSA's constitution. Sadly, the same cannot be said for ECUSA." The letter went on to state that the vestry's fiduciary responsibility is primarily to "those parishioners who elect them and entrust them to use their donations to further the Church's purpose (and) uphold the historic faith."
The Anglican Alliance of North Florida is saddened by Bishop Howard's action and by the confusion and anguish it will inevitably cause. Each of the 16 churches in the Anglican Alliance of North Florida has prayerfully followed the course that seemed right for them in their dealings with the diocese, and some have chosen to walk away from their properties rather than fight for them.
But all of the churches in the Alliance are of one mind in affirming that Redeemer Church is entitled to the property it paid for, and that the parish is within its rights in resisting a forced takeover by the Diocese of Florida. The lawsuit is particularly unfortunate since the leadership of Redeemer has repeatedly offered to submit to Christian mediation, following the Biblical injunction in 1 Corinthians 6. In contrast, the Bishop's action is a direct violation of that passage, which calls on Christians not to take one another to court. The members of the Anglican Alliance will continue to pray for Bishop Howard, as well as our brothers and sisters at Redeemer Anglican Church.
---The Anglican Alliance of North Florida was formed in the fall of 2005 as a way to gather together Biblically faithful congregations in the Anglican tradition for shared ministry and mission. It currently includes 16 member churches and 40 clergy in the North Florida area. The ministry of the Anglican Alliance is rapidly expanding; already in place or being developed are joint worship events, summer youth camps, women's ministry, renewal weekends, and shared mission outreach, both locally and abroad.
Contact information: The Rev. Neil Lebhar
redeemerrector@bellsouth.net (904) 642-8803
