Support the Café Search our Site North Texas trauma continues North Texas trauma continues November 23, 2021 John Chilton The breakaway group in North Texas continues to be less than cordial in its legal actions. Texas Standard – North Texas Episcopal factions divide money and property as divorce plays out in court: Months after having to vacate six churches, a group of North Texas Episcopalians is back in legal limbo. A fight over money and church belongings has added more fuel to a court battle that has already lasted more than a decade. … Each side argued they owned the same five church buildings, occupied by national church congregations: four in Fort Worth and one in Wichita Falls. In February, after 12 years in the courts, the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the case. That meant a lower court decision stood, giving the buildings to the conservative breakaway group. … The court [also] ruled that anything a congregation owned pre-April 2009 had to go to the conservative side. So the congregations that lost their church buildings catalogued everything they owned, going back decades….In addition to property, the national church-affiliated congregations were ordered to hand over whatever money was in their accounts as of April 2009. E-mails exchanged between opposing legal counsel encapsulates the on-going antagonism between the two sides: “I cannot believe how vengeful your clients are,” [Frank] Hill [attorney for the national-church side] wrote in an email to his opposing attorney. “We have been jumping through hoops to gather the items of which you are entitled, and we will continue to do so.” R. David Weaver, the attorney representing the conservative side, accused his opponents of stalling. “Frank, I can’t believe how dilatory and uncooperative your client has been. We have waited for many months to obtain what rightfully belongs to my client. Your client has delayed at every turn,” he wrote. Café Comments? Our comment policy requires that you use your real first and last names and provide an email address (your email will not be published). Comments that use non-PG rated language, include personal attacks, that are not provable as fact or that we deem in any way to be counter to our mission of fostering respectful dialogue will not be posted. Support the Café Past Posts Select Month December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 February 2011 August 2010 March 2010 September 2009 May 2009 February 2009 January 2009 July 2008 May 2008 April 2008 The Episcopal Café seeks to be an independent voice, reporting and reflecting on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition. The Café is not a platform of advocacy, but it does aim to tell the story of the church from the perspective of Progressive Christianity. Our collective sympathy, as the Café, lies with the project of widening the circle of inclusion within the church and empowering all the baptized for the role to which they have been called as followers of Christ. The opinions expressed at the Café are those of individual contributors, and, unless otherwise noted, should not be interpreted as official statements of a parish, diocese or other organization. The art and articles that appear here remain the property of their creators. All Content © 2017 Episcopal Café