Anglican parish formerly at St. James finds a new home in Costa Mesa

The Anglican parish formerly associated with what is now St. James the Great Episcopal Church in Newport Beach will move to a permanent location in Costa Mesa in the fall.

The Anglican congregation has been holding services throughout Newport Beach since being forced to leave the St. James building in September 2013 after an Orange County Superior Court judge granted property ownership rights to the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

The ruling ended nine years of litigation between the Episcopal and Anglican churches over the rights to the building, at 3209 Via Lido. The legal battle stemmed from disputes between some St. James members and the Episcopal Church over the ordination of a gay bishop and other issues. The tensions led to a group of parishioners disaffiliating from the Episcopal Church and aligning with the Anglican Church.

The soon-to-be St. James Anglican Church building at 22995 Airway Ave. in Costa Mesa is being remodeled. The one-story space will include classrooms, a kitchen and pantry, a nursery, a multipurpose room, office spaces and a sanctuary. The congregation is expected to move into the building in October, according to a news release.

“St. James church is in a season of growth and new life that opens the doors for people of all generations to experience,” said the Rev. Richard Crocker, the senior pastor. “We are building upon our core strengths of strong ministries which continue to serve our parishioners, the local community and global needs as well.”

The Episcopal congregation at St. James was forced from the Newport Beach property in July while Bishop J. Jon Bruno of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles tries to sell the property to developers who plan to build town homes there.