Supreme Court ruling could affect St. John's dispute

In a ruling that could affect the dispute over the property of St. John’s church in Petaluma, the state Supreme Court unanimously decided on Monday that three Southern California parishes would need to surrender their church buildings to the U.S. Episcopal Church, which they severed relations with in 2006.

The Supreme Court decision pertains to St. David’s Church in North Hollywood, St. James Church in Newport Beach and All Saints Church in Long Beach. When the parishes split from the Episcopal Church in 2004, they claimed that they still owned church buildings and property.

The court ruled that Episcopal Church canons clearly state that property belongs to individual parishes only if they remain part of the larger church.

On Dec. 17, the vast majority of the 230 members of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Petaluma voted to sever its 150-year relationship with the Episcopal Church and Episcopal Church Diocese of Northern California due to moral differences, primarily whether or not gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve in positions of church leadership.

The congregation renamed itself St. John’s Anglican Church, and has continued to meet in the building at 40 Fifth St., while a smaller group that splintered off from the congregation retains the name St. John’s Episcopal Church, and meets regularly at Elim Lutheran Church.

St. John’s Anglican Church and the local diocese both claim ownership of the property at 40 Fifth St., however, and it has become apparent that actual ownership will need to be determined in court. Lawyers representing both congregations are scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 11.

It isn’t clear what, if any, impact the decision regarding the Southern California churches will have on the local dispute. The Rev. Lu T. Nguyen, a lawyer for St. John’s Anglican Church, said that the decision on Monday might be appealed.

(Contact Dan Johnson at dan.johnson@arguscourier.com)