I saw this release on the lastest over the Free Church and Free Church Continuing property dispute. Does anyone know what the disposition of property rights in the FC was prior to the split? Does each congregation own the property? Or the denomination?
--- In [email protected], christianobserver@... wrote:
FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND (Continuing)
Press Office
Press Release - 27th March 2006
Free Church (Continuing) to stand firm
The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) have reacted with astonishment
and disappointment to the terms of the "One Church Solution" proposed to
end the dispute between the two bodies.The Free Church (Continuing)
decided on 7th March to drop its appeal against the judgment of Lady
Paton on the assurance that if they did so their former brethren would
be
prepared to give serious consideration to any formal proposals they
might
bring forward for resolution of the dispute.
The larger body, however, appear to have ignored the Proposals for
Settlement document drafted by the FCC but have suggested that the most
appropriate solution is for officebearers and members of the FCC to
apply
for "re-admission" on the basis of repentance for the alleged sin of
divisiveness or, alternatively, that if the FCC wish to continue to
exist
as a separate body they must surrender the buildings they currently
occupy
and co-operate in releasing currently frozen bank accounts.
The Free Church (Continuing) see this as just another attempt by the
oppressive majority in the Free Church to deprive them of their civil as
well as their ecclesiastical rights. They insist that no secular
tribunal
or civil court in Europe would be allowed to behave in the manner in
which
the majority in the Free Church have acted and that the Church of Christ
ought to be expected to show even better standards of conduct. They say
that the actions of the minority have been founded entirely upon the
conviction that the majority have abandoned constitutional principles of
the Free Church of Scotland. The Free Church Continuing are determined
to
defend these principles, whatever hardships they may have to endure in
the
process.
While the FCC proposals for settlement are still on the table and the
FCC
are willing to talk with their separated brethren at any time, it is
unlikely that there will be further movement until after their General
Assembly meets in May of this year.
The Free Church Continuing Legal Committee are firm that existing
buildings and assets held by the minority will be held by them in
perpetuity.
- ends -
27th March 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
Principal Clerk of Assembly
and Press Officer: Rev. John MacLeod
Portmahomack, TAIN, Ross-shire IV20 1YL
Phone and Fax: 0845 1297055
Skype: revjohnmacleod
Email: PrincipalClerk@...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rev. Graeme Craig
Free Church Manse
Ardelve
by KYLE IV40 8DY
Tel: 01599 555372
E-mail: graemecraig@...
--- End forwarded message ---
--- In [email protected], christianobserver@... wrote:
FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND (Continuing)
Press Office
Press Release - 27th March 2006
Free Church (Continuing) to stand firm
The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) have reacted with astonishment
and disappointment to the terms of the "One Church Solution" proposed to
end the dispute between the two bodies.The Free Church (Continuing)
decided on 7th March to drop its appeal against the judgment of Lady
Paton on the assurance that if they did so their former brethren would
be
prepared to give serious consideration to any formal proposals they
might
bring forward for resolution of the dispute.
The larger body, however, appear to have ignored the Proposals for
Settlement document drafted by the FCC but have suggested that the most
appropriate solution is for officebearers and members of the FCC to
apply
for "re-admission" on the basis of repentance for the alleged sin of
divisiveness or, alternatively, that if the FCC wish to continue to
exist
as a separate body they must surrender the buildings they currently
occupy
and co-operate in releasing currently frozen bank accounts.
The Free Church (Continuing) see this as just another attempt by the
oppressive majority in the Free Church to deprive them of their civil as
well as their ecclesiastical rights. They insist that no secular
tribunal
or civil court in Europe would be allowed to behave in the manner in
which
the majority in the Free Church have acted and that the Church of Christ
ought to be expected to show even better standards of conduct. They say
that the actions of the minority have been founded entirely upon the
conviction that the majority have abandoned constitutional principles of
the Free Church of Scotland. The Free Church Continuing are determined
to
defend these principles, whatever hardships they may have to endure in
the
process.
While the FCC proposals for settlement are still on the table and the
FCC
are willing to talk with their separated brethren at any time, it is
unlikely that there will be further movement until after their General
Assembly meets in May of this year.
The Free Church Continuing Legal Committee are firm that existing
buildings and assets held by the minority will be held by them in
perpetuity.
- ends -
27th March 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
Principal Clerk of Assembly
and Press Officer: Rev. John MacLeod
Portmahomack, TAIN, Ross-shire IV20 1YL
Phone and Fax: 0845 1297055
Skype: revjohnmacleod
Email: PrincipalClerk@...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rev. Graeme Craig
Free Church Manse
Ardelve
by KYLE IV40 8DY
Tel: 01599 555372
E-mail: graemecraig@...
--- End forwarded message ---