New Note For Fundamentalists.

"Thou Shall Not Steal"

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PRESS RELEASE – Episocpal Church of the Good Shepherd Litigation:

Austin Court of Appeals Affirms Trial Court Ruling

The Austin Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed the trial court's summary judgment which requires those members who withdrew from the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd to return the Church property. The full opinion of the court is available at Full Decision. This decision enforces the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the Constitution and General Canons of both the Episcopal Church and Diocese of Northwest Texas and the Bylaws of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. The Austin Court of Appeals considered the various legal approaches used in deciding ownership of church property. It concluded that under each of those legal approaches, the Diocese of Northwest Texas is legally entitled to the church property. The court further affirmed that the group who withdrew had no power or authority to remove The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd from the Diocese of
Northwest Texas or the Episcopal Church. The Diocese of Northwest Texas and The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd remain confident that the decision of Austin Court of Appeals will be affirmed in the face of any possible further appeal.