February 4, 2020
Dear People of God in the Diocese of Chicago:
With thanksgiving, I am writing to tell you that we have reached a settlement with the Diocese of Quincy in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) in our efforts to recover some of the property, assets and records that were part of the former Episcopal Diocese of Quincy.
The congregations of St. James, Griggsville; St. James, Lewistown; the Episcopal Church of St. George, Macomb; and All Saints, Rock Island will directly benefit from the settlement. In addition, other funds recovered in the settlement will be held in the Bishop’s Funds for the benefit of the entire Peoria Deanery and will be administered by the bishop’s office with the assistance of the Congregations Commission.
The terms of the settlement are largely confidential, as is often the case when legal proceedings are concluded by agreement. However, my staff and I have communicated with the vestry or bishop’s committee at the congregations that are directly affected to share with them the settlement terms relevant to them and the specific ways in which its arrangements will foster their mission both now and in the future.
The perseverance and courage of the people of the Peoria Deanery during the past eleven years has been remarkable, and I am grateful that this settlement will benefit their participation in God’s mission for many years to come. In addition to the many lay and clergy leaders in that deanery who have helped us arrive at this day, our chancellor emeritus, Richard Hoskins, and Director of Operations Courtney Reid have worked for years to make this settlement possible.
With this settlement, the Diocese of Chicago has just two remaining legal matters with congregations in the ACNA Diocese of Quincy. Those concern the property and assets of both Grace Episcopal Church in Galesburg and Christ Church in Moline, whose Episcopal congregation is now part of All Saints, Rock Island. We hope that these ongoing proceedings will also conclude by bringing us to a place of reconciliation and mutual respect in Christ.
Faithfully,
The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee
Bishop of Chicago
I understand the need for churches to protect their property, but I wonder if TEC spent as much time and effort preaching the Gospel as they do fighting for property, that saving souls instead of land, how much stronger they would be. Based on my understanding of what they teach they need to change the creeds. I do not believe that the Apostles and the early fathers would agreed with them on what they teach as Christianity so they need to remove “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church” from whatever creed they use.
They are winning by wearing down the ACNA dioceses and parishes. They just can’t keep fighting, so they give up and make concessions – giving away property and assets that don’t belong to TEC.