Friday, March 19, 2010

The Continuing Saga of 74 Conklin Avenue

From VirtueOnline:

One of the great lies told by Episcopal Church leaders is that lawsuits are necessary to protect parish properties for future generations of Episcopalians. Frequently, TEC has intervened in cases at the direction of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. If you tell a lie long enough and loud enough people will often believe it.

Sometimes, the evidence bubbles up to show that that is simply not true. The former Church of the Good Shepherd parish in Binghamton, NY in the Diocese of Central New York was sold off recently to a Muslim Awareness group for a mere $50,000. Its taxable assessment is $386,000 a fraction of the selling price. It is still a tax exempt property. The diocese had won the property back from a lawsuit brought by Fr. Matt Kennedy and parish leaders, but they lost in a summary judgment to the diocese. This house of worship has belonged to the Church of the Good Shepherd since 1879.

Fr. Kennedy and his flock then purchased what was St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church and renamed it Anglican (Binghamton) Church of the Good Shepherd for $500,000. Its assessed value is $914,600. He has also picked up a school and rectory. The parish is now under the Anglican Church of Kenya which is a constituent member of the Anglican Church in North America.

Mrs. Jefferts Schori is on record saying she would never allow a former Episcopal parish to be sold to an orthodox Anglican group. She would sooner sell it off to become a saloon. Apparently selling it to Muslims is also acceptable to her.

The new Anglican Church of the Good Shepherd is now in better buildings where they continue to proclaim in word and deed the biblical gospel of Jesus Christ. The church has also grown since it left TEC and the diocese, VOL was told.

The Church of the Good Shepherd in Binghamton, NY is now an Islamic Awareness Center See link.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/q6POY9EaY4fTI9gb1x4tAA?feat=directlink

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