Diocese of Southwestern Virginia of Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States v. Buhrman

By JUDGE ROSCOE B. STEPHENSON, JR.

This is a suit brought by The Diocese of Southwestern Virginia of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (the Diocese), by a trustee of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church of Clifton Forge, Virginia (St. Andrew’s), and by twelve members of St. Andrew’s against the remaining four trustees of St. Andrew’s and the Parish Rector (now deceased) to obtain a judicial determination of the status of the St. Andrew’s Parish real and personal property.

The undisputed material facts are as follows.

The trustees of St. Andrew’s, one of whom is a…