Supreme Court ends 12-year Fort Worth legal battle over $100 million in church property
A breakaway diocese in Fort Worth will retain the rights to $100 million in property and assets after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to weigh in on the case between the diocese and the national Episcopal Church, upholding a previous decision by the Texas Supreme Court.
The decision is the beginning of the end of a 12-year legal battle between the national Episcopal Church and the Fort Worth-area diocese. In 2008, Rev. Jack Iker led a revolt against the church, condemning the national Episcopal Church for socially liberal practices, such as the consecration of a gay bishop. About 15,000 local congregants from 48 churches followed his lead. Eight churches did not follow suit and remained loyal to the national Episcopal Church. Other churches’ congregations were split, forcing those in the minority to find other places to worship.
The breakaway diocese is now part of the more conservative Anglican Church of North America. As a conservative church leader, Iker disagreed with the Episcopal Church’s practices of ordaining women as priests, overseeing same-sex unions and the consecration of a gay bishop.
Contrary to status quo, the Anglican Church group wished to leave the official church but still retain $100 million worth of property, buildings and investments. The national church pushed back, arguing that the property belonged to them.
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