2
edits
Changes
no edit summary
==About==
In June 2008 this organisation declared Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the Houston Bankruptcy courts. This was later converted to a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. The court appointed Trustee later (19 July 2008) put forward a motion to dismiss this bankruptcy citing a number of concerns, including that the named orgainisation did not exist in the US and that there were issues surrounding the declared assets. [http://www.thebookseller.com/news/61032-st-stephen-the-great-files-for-bankruptcy.html]
[http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2008/07/26/ssgspck-bankruptcy-filings/]
The union USDAW filed a number of employment tribunal cases for their members against SSG. [http://www.usdaw.org.uk/retailnonfood/news/1214296044_17364.html] this number increased after the chapter 11 filing when ssg sent an email terminating the employment of all staff and saying they would have to reapply to ENC Managment Company - a company which had been set up in March 2008 and to which both J. Mark and Philip W. Brewer were Directors. [http://spckssg.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/new-name-for-ssg/]
[http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2008/07/24/spck-owner-seeks-to-bankrupt-uk-charity-in-us-court/]
In late July 2008 Mr J. Mark Brewer, the Chairman of SSG, then issued a series of Cease and Desist Letters to blog sites that had been reporting on the SPCK/SSG shops and trust. This caused a Spartacus Action within the blog community of the internet [http://www.mattwardman.com/blog/2008/07/23/my-name-is-dave-walker-people-posting-about-mark-brewers-cease-and-desist-notice] that caused much questioning and ivestigation of SSG and its primary Trustee and chairman.
[http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2008/07/28/questions-for-j-mark-brewer/]
At this point the Employment Tribunals are still to held and the situation in regards to the Bankruptcy issues has yet to be concluded in the courts.
In this, its second year, the St Stephen the Great Charitable Trust (SSG) has succeeded in acquiring fee title to its second magnificent church building (both are listed buildings). In the years to come, it aspires to acquire at least 45 more. More importantly, a [[parish]] is being established in each of these churches. The Trust seeks to facilitate this through financial assistance, guarantees and the like.
==Purpose==
The St. Stephen the Great Foundation seeks to make this "Orthodox experience" more widely known in Britain through:
==SPCK Bookshops==
On [[November 1]], 2006, St. Stephen The Great Charitable Trust took over the running of the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK) Bookshops.
By November 2007, Bishop Michael Perham of Gloucester and Simon Kingston had resigned as SSG trustees, out of concern that there was now a 'conflict of interest' between the SSG management and the best interests of the SPCK. [http://www.thebookseller.com/news/47472-schism-develops-at-troubled-spck.html The Bookseller] The continued use of the SPCK name by the stores is now under review.
In June 2008 this organisation declared Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the Houston Bankruptcy courts. This was later converted to a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. The court appointed Trustee later (19 July 2008) put forward a motion to dismiss this bankruptcy citing a number of concerns, including that the named orgainisation did not exist in the US and that there were issues surrounding the declared assets. [http://www.thebookseller.com/news/61032-st-stephen-the-great-files-for-bankruptcy.html]
[http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2008/07/26/ssgspck-bankruptcy-filings/]
The union USDAW filed a number of employment tribunal cases for their members against SSG. [http://www.usdaw.org.uk/retailnonfood/news/1214296044_17364.html] this number increased after the chapter 11 filing when ssg sent an email terminating the employment of all staff and saying they would have to reapply to ENC Managment Company - a company which had been set up in March 2008 and to which both J. Mark and Philip W. Brewer were Directors. [http://spckssg.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/new-name-for-ssg/]
[http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2008/07/24/spck-owner-seeks-to-bankrupt-uk-charity-in-us-court/]
[http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2008/07/28/questions-for-j-mark-brewer/]
At this point the Employment Tribunals are still to held and the situation in regards to the Bankruptcy issues has yet to be concluded in the courts.
==SPCK==
Founded in 1698, SPCK is a registered charity and Christian mission agency. For over three hundred years, it has helped people to grow in the Christian faith, especially through the ministry of Christian education and literature. The SPCK Bookshops group is currently the second largest Christian bookseller in the UK with 23 stores in England and one in Wales.
*[http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=46788 The Church Times - Report on Mass Resignations]
*[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2661378.ece The Times - Report on Mass Resignations]
[[Category:Organizations]]
