01-03-12

US Supreme Court $100,000 Legal Defense Fund Challenge

Two important cases of litigation involve Christ Church, Savannah, Georgia (the mother church of Georgia, where once John Wesley was rector) and Bishop Samuel Seabury Church in Groton, Connecticut. In both cases, the state courts simply overlooked state law and followed TEC's assertion that they are a hierarchical church and if they say it's their property, the court must comply.  Bishop Seabury and Christ Church Savannah are two of the best examples and situations to take to the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) and seek to have the lower court decisions overturned, but money is the problem.

I used to think that the courts were neutral, and justice and truth were the desired product. I now know that this is severely distorted by the "monetary facts of life." If your opponent has the money to endlessly litigate and drive you into the ground financially, they can prevail when you run out of money to defend yourself. These two churches, the best cases to overturn the travesty of the Episcopal Church's litigation war, are making decisions about whether to file a writ of certiorari, or petition to SCOTUS. They don't have enough money at this time. Not only the battle, but the war may be lost because the two churches who would combine their forces in the petition don't have somewhere around $250,000 to $300,000 to do the filing. They would need a little more if SCOTUS agrees to hear their cases.

This is the crunch moment in the litigation blitz of TEC against the Anglican churches in the United States . Christ Church is even now seeking God's will whether to continue the legal defense or not, and one of the significant issues they are considering is whether the money will be available to do it. They need encouragement and a sign.

A fund has been set up to receive charitable gifts for this special purpose, and one donor has agreed to match others' donations up to a maximum match total of $100,000. Can you help fight this defense for the orthodox Anglican churches - and not just the two churches in petition, since most of the churches currently under litigation assault by TEC will be affected by a SCOTUS ruling? This is the day and the hour, and you are needed on the battlements of the wall. Will you please be there with us?

Go here (https://www.canaconvocation.org/donations/donate.aspx) and pull down the Gift Designation menu to LEGAL DEFENSE FUND. Donations to this fund will only be used for the legal expenses relating to an appeal to the United States Supreme Court for this specific issue. 

—  the Rt. Rev'd David C. Anderson, 
Suffragan Bishop of CANA and President & CEO of the American Anglican Council