This is the same strategy pecusa employed in California, so it should come as no surprise. ed.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Financial services firm Morgan Stanley has frozen the accounts of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh because it is unsure who should be allowed to access them.
In a letter Jan. 13, the firm said it would not allow any further distributions until it received a court order listing those authorized to use the accounts.
The dispute stems from a split in the church. In October, a group that represents about 60 percent of the local parishes voted to join the more theologically conservative Anglican Province of the Southern Cone in South America. That group now calls itself the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican).
The original diocese continues to identify itself as the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.
On Nov. 20, the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh wrote to Morgan Stanley saying it has not been able to use any of the $20 million in diocesan assets since the split.
Earlier this month, the Episcopal diocese asked the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas to allow it access, citing an October 2005 stipulation. It stated that if the Anglican group were to leave the church, all property held by the "Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America" would continue to be held. But the Anglican diocese argues that's not what its group intended.
In a court filing Tuesday, the Anglican diocese asked the judge to restore its access to the funds.
First published on January 23, 2009 at 12:00 am
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