A group of 55 congregations that split last year from the Episcopal Church announced today that they will appeal a court ruling that awarded all centrally held diocesan assets to the 27 congregations that remained in the Episcopal Church.

"We believe we have to make this stand," said the Rev. Jonathan Millard, rector of Church of the Ascension in Oakland and chair of the Alliance for an Anglican Future.

The group also announced that it was changing its name to The Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh. It was formally known as the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican). The group they split from is known as the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church of the United States.

The split between the groups was created on Oct. 4, 2008, when the majority of clergy and laity at a convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh voted to follow Bishop Robert Duncan out of the Episcopal Church, which they believed had failed to uphold biblical doctrine on matters ranging from salvation to sexuality.

On Oct. 6, Allegheny County Judge Joseph James ruled that, in accordance with a 2005 agreement, the Episcopal diocese in which 27 congregations remained was entitled to centrally held diocesan property, such as endowments.

The Anglican diocese said it was appealing that decision because it feared it would set a precedent that would allow the Episcopal diocese to take not only $6 million of centrally held diocesan assets but also $14 million of diocesan assets that are held in trust for local parishes.

Rich Creehan, a spokesman for the Episcopal diocese, said the total value of diocesan assets is estimated at $16 to $18 million, but he said he could not divide that into centrally held assets and parish assets until an inventory by a court-appointed special master is completed.

In a statement released this afternoon, the Episcopal diocese said it was "disappointed" in the decision to appeal the court ruling.

"We had hoped that they would not [appeal], because Judge James' ruling was so explicit," said Mr. Creehan. He said that the Episcopal diocese had been ready and willing to negotiate the division of parish assets within the parameters of the 2005 agreement, which provided a process for doing so.

But the Anglican diocese said it feared the court ruling set a perilous balance of power for those negotiations.

If the Anglican diocese were to lose parish assets, the communities that benefit from church programs like food pantries and outreach to the homeless would suffer, said the Rev. Karen Stevenson, rector of Trinity Church in Washington, Pa.

Rev. Millard said the Anglican diocese thought an equitable split would involve "sharing assets, not winner-takes-all."

"That just seems manifestly unfair," he said.

Archbishop Duncan of the Anglican diocese said he had not yet spoken with Episcopal Bishop Kenneth Price, Jr., about the decision to appeal, but he hoped to "open those conversations" soon.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.