Opinion ID: 2505697
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: The Dispute Erupts.

Text: The dispute leading to this litigation began in 2003 when the Episcopal Church General Convention approved the election of Gene Robinson as the Bishop of New Hampshire, a move opposed by the Georgia Bishop and a majority of the parishioners who contacted him about it. On November 12, 2003, the rector of Christ Church wrote to the Georgia Bishop to deny rumors that Christ Church had left the Episcopal Church, explaining that that is not the case and that Christ Church's vestry had adopted a simple resolution. . . denounc[ing] the specific actions of the General Convention re: the confirmation of the episcopal election of a non-celibate gay person, and the recognition that same-sex unions are a part of our common life. The dispute deepened in 2004 and 2005, as representatives of Christ Church continued to express concerns to the Georgia Bishop about the theological direction of the general church, as well as their desire to earmark Christ Church's financial contributions for projects within the diocese to avoid supporting the actions of the general church. Then, on March 30, 2006, without advance notice to the Bishop, the wardens and a majority of the vestry voted to amend Christ Church's Articles of Incorporation. On April 10, 2006, Articles of Amendment were filed with the Georgia Secretary of State that removed all references to the Episcopal Church and the Georgia Diocese and stated that the 1918 and 1923 amendments to the 1789 charter were repealed and annulled. After learning of these actions, on November 22, 2006, the Georgia Bishop filed with the trial court a declaration of the Georgia Diocese's interest in all real and tangible personal property possessed, occupied, or used by Christ Church, reciting the relevant provisions of church discipline, including the Dennis Canon. On September 30, 2007, Christ Church's wardens and vestry adopted a resolution, later approved by a 172-24 vote of the congregation, that denounced the Episcopal Church and the Georgia Diocese as having abandoned the faith and purported to place Christ Church under the ecclesiastical authority of the Anglican Province of Uganda and the Diocese of Soroti. The Bishop then defrocked the rector of Christ Church of his Episcopal Church ordination and appointed a new priest-in-charge of Christ Church. The Bishop also removed the wardens and vestry of Christ Church for violating Episcopal Church law. On October 23, 2007, the Georgia Bishop met with the minority faction of Christ Church still loyal to the Episcopal Church to elect new church wardens and vestry members, whom the Bishop then recognized as having been chosen in accordance with the constitution and canons of the Episcopal Church and the Georgia Diocese. Rev. Michael White was subsequently called as their rector, and in 2008 and 2009, Christ Church Episcopal sent delegates to the Georgia Diocese's annual conventions.