Bishop Katherine Schori and her army of lawyers

Episcopal Church goes to court in Virginia to retain parishes' property

Complaint asks for compliance with canons, accounting of property

Lawyers from the Episcopal Church USA, filed a 20-page complaint in the County of Fairfax, Virginia, courts on February 9. The complaint lists the Episcopal Church as the plaintiff and names as defendants the former clergy and vestry members of the 11 parishes and missions in Virginia that have chosen to leave the ECUSA for the Anglican communion.

In addition the Virginia Diocese is suing those churches. Also Virginia Bishop Peter Lee inhibited 21 diocese and clergy in mid-January and rescinded the licenses of six others, saying that he was acting on a determination by the diocesan Standing Committee that the clergy "have openly renounced the doctrine, discipline or worship of the Episcopal Church and, therefore, have abandoned the communion of the Episcopal Church" because of the votes.

The parishes and missions (of the 195 in the diocese) are: Church of the Apostles, Fairfax; Church of the Epiphany, Herndon; Church of Our Saviour, Oatlands; Church of the Redeemer, Chantilly; Church of the Word, Gainesville; Potomac Falls Church, Sterling; St. Margaret's, Woodbridge; St. Paul's, Haymarket; St. Stephen's, Heathsville; The Falls Church, Falls Church; and Truro Church, Fairfax. Church of the Word and Potomac Falls Church are missions of the diocese; the other nine are parishes.

Although the Bible says that you should not sue fellow Christians in courts - the actions of Bishop Lee and Bishop Katherine Schori make it clear that they will be playing hardball with any church members who disagree with their edicts.