(EP News)--The trial to resolve ownership of the multi-million dollar Grace Church & St. Stephen’s downtown Colorado Springs began, Feb. 10, 2009. Ownership claims of the historic landmark have been in dispute since its congregation decided to leave the Episcopal Church and affiliate with the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA) in March of 2007.

The trial is expected to last for several weeks. Nearly two years ago Grace Church & St. Stephen’s filed a complaint in El Paso County District Court to determine ownership of the North Tejon Street campus.

Grace Church & St. Stephen’s congregation took legal action after the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado attempted to freeze the congregation’s bank accounts and trust funds.

Previous to these measures the Bishop and Diocese of Colorado had made efforts to remove the vestry (the parish’s governing board), dismiss the Rev. Donald Armstrong as rector, and take possession of the church’s real property. Subsequent actions by the Episcopal Diocese against Grace Church & St. Stephen’s have been to initiate civil lawsuits against 18 separate individuals in the congregation including vestry members, staff, and volunteers. An affiliated parochial elementary day-school, St. Stephen’s Classical Academy, is also being sued by the Diocese.

Grace Church & St. Stephen’s legal effort to hold on to its historic house of worship is one of at least 56 national high-profile property disputes involving former Episcopal congregations. A recent court decision in Virginia has ruled in favor of several formerly Episcopalian congregations to keep their properties. However, a recent California Supreme Court decision has ruled in favor of the Episcopal Church in property disputes involving three separating congregations. Other major property battles are ongoing or immanent and include disputes involving entire dioceses that have left the Episcopal Church in Pittsburgh, Forth Worth, and elsewhere. In related disputes the Episcopal Church has deposed 12 bishops and 104 priests.

“Our sad conflict in Colorado Springs is on a major fault line in an international theological schism within the Anglican Communion worldwide,” said Jon Wroblewski, senior warden (chairman) of the vestry. “Fundamentally, this dispute is about the Episcopal Church leaving us. It has been drifting away from traditional Christian beliefs and teaching for decades. Its continuing fellowship in the 74 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion is tenuous at best -- 22 of the 38 Provinces are in broken or impaired communion with the Episcopal Church for its departure from Christian ethics. The membership of Grace Church & St. Stephen’s simply wants the religious freedom to believe what they have always believed, to worship in the way they have always worshiped, and to stay in the building which they have built and maintained over the last 115 years.”

Anglican worship has been established in Colorado Springs from the founding of the City in the 1872. City founder General William Jackson Palmer attended Grace Church’s first worship service in 1872 and donated its initial property. Grace Church’s 1874 incorporation predates the 1887 organization of the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado making their claims to ownership disputable. The North Tejon Street property dates back to 1893. Construction of its present structure dates back to 1894.

In 1973 Grace Church & St. Stephen’s was reorganized as an independent non-profit corporation in the State of Colorado. Since 1987, under the leadership of Father Armstrong, $6 million have been spent in renovations and improvements on the North Tejon Street property. All monies raised have been from the membership of the local congregation and Colorado Springs community, not the Episcopal Diocese of Colorado. Currently the insurance replacement value of the church property is estimated at $17 million.

“The vestry and membership of Grace Church & St. Stephen’s have confidence in our county and state courts, and we hope for a just resolution on the matter,” Wroblewski said.