October 1, 2009

LOS ANGELES – The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles on October 13 will resume ministry at St. Luke's of-the-Mountains Episcopal Church in La Crescenta, California, pursuant to a Superior Court order directing transfer of the property after some three years of litigation with a breakaway congregation.

"Reconciliation and renewal in Christ continue to be our priorities in this transition, with our baptismal covenant calling us to respect every person's dignity," Los Angeles Bishop J. Jon Bruno said in a statement following the September 30 agreement. "I welcome all parishioners, present and past, to participate in the ongoing life of St. Luke's."

On behalf of the diocese, Bruno will preside at St. Luke's for a Service of Reconciliation and Renewal at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 18, also the traditional Feast of St. Luke.

"It is fitting that the congregation is named for St. Luke the apostle, a physician skilled in the arts and science of healing," Bruno added. "Together we will work to achieve new healing in the life of St. Luke's."

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Shepard Wiley Jr. on September 30 entered an order requiring that the breakaway congregation transfer possession of the property to the diocese on or before October 12. This order is consistent with a prior judgment obtained by the diocese and the Episcopal Church and affirmed by the Court of Appeal.

The California Supreme Court on September 17 declined to review the case, denying a petition filed by the breakaway congregation that has occupied the historic St. Luke's of-the-Mountains Episcopal Church after a majority of members sought to separate from the denomination in 2006.

John R. Shiner, attorney for the diocese, said the lower court decision – together with a January 2009 ruling of the California Supreme Court – affirms that local parish property is held in trust for the current and future ministry of the diocese and the wider Episcopal Church.

The breakaway congregation's only legal recourse at this point is a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court which it could file in the next several weeks.

Noting that "Sunday services and other local ministries will continue under new leadership" at St. Luke's, Bruno has named a longtime priest of the diocese to serve as vicar while the bishop maintains oversight of the congregation and its operations. Announcement of the vicar's appointment is pending.

Located at 2563 Foothill Blvd. about 12 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, the La Crescenta church was built of native stone in 1924, taking shape under the guidance of nationally known artist S. Seymour Thomas. The foothill campus also includes a parish hall, rectory, and a converted former fire house.

The breakaway congregation, St. Luke's Anglican Church, is now affiliated with the Diocese of Western Anglicans, Anglican Church of North America (ACNA), a body not recognized as part of the Episcopal Church or the international Anglican Communion.

Members of the La Crescenta congregation had earlier aligned with an Anglican diocese in Uganda, citing differences with the Episcopal Church over matters including the 2003 election of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire.

"The long history of the Episcopal Church in La Crescenta will continue with new leadership and the potential for sustained growth, and as an open source of full inclusion for all humanity," Bruno said June 9, 2009, following that day's appellate court ruling in favor of the diocese and the wider denomination.

"It is important that we preserve the essence of St. Luke the healer, and the ongoing maintenance of the historic church building," Bruno added. "It is a jewel in the crown of La Crescenta, and a blessing to the people of the Diocese of Los Angeles."

Episcopal News Service
The Episcopal News, Los Angeles