[Apologetics] Special T-Mail: Judge Bellows Ruling

[Your Friends at Truro Church]

April 4, 2008

Important news from Truro Church
* THERE IS A DIVISION - 57-9 IS APPLICABLE



Communications at Truro

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THERE IS A DIVISION - 57-9 IS APPLICABLE

Judge Bellows has ruled that the Virginia
statute which determines property rights
after the division of a church is applicable to 
our situation because such a division had
occurred by the time we held our
congregational vote.

The judge found 
that,

  "ECUSA/Diocese argue that 
the 
historical evidence demonstrates that it is only 
the "major" or "great" divisions within 19th-
century churches that prompted the passage 
of 57-9, such as those within the 
Presbyterian and Methodist Churches.  
ECUSA/Diocese argue that the 
current "dispute" before this Court is not such 
a "great" division, and, therefore, this is yet 
another reason why 57-9(A) should not apply.  
The Court agrees that it was major divisions 
such as those with in the Methodist and 
Presbyterian churches that prompted the 
passage of 57-9.  However, it blinks at reality 
to characterize the ongoing division within the 
Diocese, ECUSA, and the Anglican 
Communion as anything but a division of the 
first magnitude, especially given the 
involvement of numerous churches in states 
across the country, the participation of 
hundreds of church leaders, both lay and 
pastoral, who have found themselves "taking 
sides" against their brethren, the 
determination by thousands of church 
members in Virginia and elsewhere to "walk 
apart" in the language of the Church, the 
creation of new and substantial religious 
entities, such as CANA, with their own 
structures and disciplines, the rapidity with 
which the ECUSA's problems became that of 
the Anglican Communion, and the consequent 
impact-in some case the extraordianry impact-
on its provinces around the world, and, 
perhaps most importantly, the creation of a 
level of distress among many church members 
so profound and wrenching as to lead them to 
cast votes in an attempt to disaffiliate from a 
church which has been their home and 
heritage throughout their lives, and often back 
for generations.  Whatever may be the precise 
threshold for a dispute to constitute a division 
under 57-9(A), what occurred here 
qualifies."

The judge will now hold 
hearings on whether 57-9 is constitutional.  
However, an appeal is likely and may delay the 
final resolution of this case.

  More 
information 
will be posted on the Truro website as soon as 
possible.

Please continue to pray 
for 
the 
judge, our attorneys, our leaders, and all 
parties in this action.

There 
will be 
Rector/Warden forums after each service this 
coming weekend.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quick Links

* Truro Website - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0011_NwqqfCbUrwIcpBbhXu47b1kU6EWTcMfiOhuWdqNLdoCg3biYivJdNsqqt6CPu_TH6Kn2q2g4jJCq1OtPLQceILOWT3Yh6UArgPr_mTtFdvA7RFBPFg0w==

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
email: communications at trurochurch.org
phone: 703.273.1300
web: http://www.trurochurch.org


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