Virginia judge rules against breakaway Episcopal parishes

Seven congregations that broke with the Episcopal Church in 2006 over
its liberal policies on homosexuality are not entitled to keep parish
property estimated to be worth millions, a Virginia judge has ruled.  

The
ruling by Fairfax County Judge Randy Bellows in January reverses a
decision he made in 2008—and hands a major victory to the Episcopal
Church and the Diocese of Virginia, which had fought hard to keep the
property.

One of the churches, the Falls Church, traces its roots
to colonial times and has counted among its members a former CIA
director, a onetime White House speechwriter, members of Congress and
numerous media mavens. Several of the congregations meet on valuable
real estate in Washington's booming Northern Virginia suburbs.