Breakaway Anglican parishes told to settle with church

The Anglican diocese of New Westminster and four breakaway congregations must decide among themselves who should ultimately own four disputed church properties, a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled Wednesday.

The four B.C. congregations and the Anglican Church went to court to determine who would get ownership of the four properties in Vancouver and Abbotsford, which have an estimated value of between $15 million and $20 million.

The congregations broke away from the Anglican Church of Canada last year after it approved same sex marriages. They joined a dozen other congregations to form the Anglican Network in Canada under the leadership of a South American Anglican archbishop.

'If the courts make us choose between our faith and our properties, we obviously have to choose our faith,' —Congregation spokeswoman Cheryl Chang

The bishop of New Westminster then dismissed trustees at the four Vancouver-area parishes and took over the property.

The B.C. court ruled the bishop had no authority to do that and said the trustees are still in place, but must follow the diocese's rules for using the property.

It's now up to the parties to find a "workable resolution," the judge said.

Cheryl Chang, the spokeswoman for the breakaway congregations, said her group has not yet decided whether it will appeal, but she said the congregations stand by their decision to leave the Anglican Church of Canada.

"If the courts make us choose between our faith and our properties, we obviously have to choose our faith," Chang said.