Mike Romkey, associate managing editor of The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus, and member of Trinity Anglican Church, Rock Island, IL, spent a day in the recent two-week trial between the Anglican Diocese of Quincy (ACNA) and The Episcopal Church. His notes have appeared in Quad Cities Online. A taste:
This trial will determine who owns the Anglican Diocese of Quincy’s churches and endowments — the local Anglicans or TEC.
…
[TEC lead attorney] Beers spent time questioning his expert witness, Bruce Mullin, Ph.D. Mullin teaches church history at General Theological Seminary in New York City, a seminary accredited by the Episcopal Church. …
Mullin’s testimony centered on a central question: Is the Episcopal Church a hierarchal church? If it is, TEC’s argument runs, individuals are free to leave, but the constituent organizational parts — parishes or, in the case of this trial, a diocese — may not.
…
During later questioning by Quincy representative Alan Runyan, a lawyer from the Diocese of South Carolina, Mullin confirmed he had been paid $900,000 for testimony going back to 2007, adding that he has an arrangement to be paid $15,000 per month to even out the payments.
…
…Judge Ortbal said at one point with certain resignation while ruling on an objection, “This trial has been nothing but opinions.”
You can read it all here.