News for Week Ending 12/28/2009

Anti-gay bill in Uganda continues to spark controversy

The anti-homosexuality bill before the Uganda parliament continues to draw fire from outside Uganda, including from such conservative organizations as Focus on the Family. Opinion within Uganda, including from Ugandan churches, has been mixed. (See earlier Pittsburgh Update story here.) It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of who has said what and even more difficult to discern the significance of what has been said. The pro-gay Web site Box Turtle Bulletin has done a particularly good job of tracking commentary on the Ugandan legislation, however, and has provided a useful summary here. “Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate” is dated December 15, 2009, but it is updated through December 26.

Briefs filed with Va. Supreme Court in church property dispute

Supporting its appeal of lower-court findings in favor of congregations that left the Diocese of Virginia to join the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA)—see Pittsburgh Update story here—the Diocese of Virginia and The Episcopal have filed briefs with the Virginia Supreme Court. Supporting briefs have also been filed by other religious denominations. All these briefs can be found here on the Diocese of Virginia Web site.

Moyer case takes surprising turn

David Virtue reported December 21, 2009, that David L. Moyer, the Anglo-Catholic priest deposed by Diocese of Pennsylvania bishop Charles E. Bennison in 2002, is suing his lawyer for malpractice.

When he was deposed, Moyer was rector of Good Shepherd, Rosemont. Although Moyer has now been consecrated a bishop in the Anglican Church in America, he is still rector of Good Shepherd. He recently lost a suit against Bishop Bennison and is engaged in litigation in which the diocese is trying to reclaim the Good Shepherd property.

Moyer has now charged John H. Lewis, Jr., and his law firm, Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads, with malpractice in his dispute with Bennison. The defendants have argued that Moyer’s suit has been brought in bad faith. The Virtue Online story provides substantial details about the client-attorney dispute.

The Moyer saga has several connections to Pittsburgh. After his deposition, Moyer, for a short time, was claimed by Bishop Robert Duncan as a Pittsburgh priest. Also, Lewis and his law firm currently represent Duncan and other defendants in the Calvary litigation.