Anglican Communion Network

Judge rules in St. James’ favor

Larry B. Stammer of the Los Angeles Times offers an efficient summary of a judge’s ruling on Monday that St. James Church, Newport Beach, may keep its property:

A conservative Newport Beach parish that severed ties with the Episcopal Church in a dispute over scriptural teaching and homosexuality is the rightful owner of its buildings and other property, an Orange County Superior Court judge ruled Monday.

Judge David C. Velasquez’s ruling in favor of St. James Church finalized a tentative opinion he announced last week that rejected the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles’ claim that the local congregation held the multimillion-dollar property in trust for the diocese — and that it forfeited any right to the buildings and other property, including hymnals, when it broke with the diocese and national church.

St. James Church offers these comments through its website, and this press release through Gladstone International.