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STOCKTON, CA: John’s parish awarded to San Joaquin diocese
By Jennie Rodriguez-Moore
Record Staff Writer
http://www.recordnet.com/
April 12, 2014
A property rights battle over the historic St. John's Parish has ended years after a schism erupted within The Episcopal Church when part of the congregation opposed the church's acceptance of gay pastors.
Superior Court Judge Roger Ross on April 4 awarded the parish in downtown Stockton to the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.
The group that had broken away from the diocese - most of them with a history of multiple past generations in The Episcopal Church - and became aligned with the more conservative Anglican Church of North America was ordered out of the building in the ruling.
While Episcopalians saw the lawsuit as reclamation of a church that belonged to the diocese, the newly formed Anglicans held attachments to the building, where they felt rooted.
Some of them traced family membership back to great-great-grandparents. Some have the remains of loved ones stored in the building and their own resting spot next to family members already paid for.
"They're obviously not happy about the decision," the Rev. Kris Rudell said. "They're grieving, because it's been such a big part of their lives and their families' lives."
St. John's is the latest parish building the courts have ordered returned to the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin since the schism occurred in 2007. Other recovered churches include buildings in Ridgecrest, Turlock, Bakersfield, Delano, Sonora and Modesto.
The Rev. Kate Cullinane responded to the decision in Stockton by saying, "I think the whole split has been unfortunate, but we are happy to have the property back."
Cullinane said the diocese looks forward to resuming community involvement once the church can be re-established.
"It's a wonderful space downtown in terms of urban ministry," Cullinane said.
Cullinane said the diocese will meet with the Anglican leaders on Thursday for a walk-through of the property and work out a timeline to move in.
"We're not kicking anyone out," Cullinane said. "We are certainly willing to work with them in terms of a timeline that works for them."
The Episcopal Diocese has argued that once the groups disassociated themselves from the diocese, they gave up the right to be directors, officers and other representatives of the parish corporation and have no authority over the properties.
St. John's was established in 1854 on land donated by none other than the city's founder, Capt. Charles Weber, and the parish was incorporated the following year.
Anglicans - who identify with older Episcopal theological beliefs - argued that the land was given to St. John's Parish itself, not the Episcopal Church.
After four years of litigation, Ross sided with the Episcopal diocese, granting a motion for summary judgment before the lawsuit made it to trial.
Rudell said the group vacated the building Monday.
"We considered ourselves St. John's until last Friday, when the court said we can no longer make the claim to that corporation or that title," he said.
Rudell, who came to the Stockton Anglican Church in December to help with the "rocky" situation, said that although the decision disappointed local Anglicans, they had prepared for the worst-case scenario. He said by the time he arrived, congregation leaders had already formulated much of their Plan B, including selecting a new location for church services.
The local Anglicans have secured a lease with Grace United Methodist Church at 1625 N. Lincoln St. in Stockton and will begin holding services there Sunday.
They will go by a new name: St. Francis of Assisi Anglican Church.
But for those who want to say goodbye to their old home church, there will be a final Anglican Church service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. For those wishing only to start anew, a service will follow at 10:30 a.m. at Grace United Methodist Church.
"God is firmly in control, and we will look forward for what he has," Rudell said.
