Local News in Brief : Church Asset Sale Vote
The dwindling congregation of the debt-ridden Church in Glendale will vote Sunday on whether to sell all of the church’s property in order to repay loans from former parishioners and court-ordered penalties.
The U.S. District Court of Appeal last year upheld a $1.2-million award against the Rev. William Steuart McBirnie, the church and other organizations he founded. As much as $3.7 million is owed to about 380 creditors, according to court documents.
The church, previously called the United Community Church, was founded in 1961 by McBirnie, a nationally syndicated radio and television evangelist known for his anti-communist sermons.
McBirnie stepped down as senior minister at the church in 1986 after a flurry of suits were filed. Three organizations founded by McBirnie--the church, the California Graduate School of Theology and the Concord Senior Housing Foundation--are all in bankruptcy proceedings.
McBirnie, who continues his “Voice of Americanism” radio show and the televised “Trumpets in the Morning” show, has said that he does not control the bankrupt organizations and is not responsible for their finances.
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