FRESNO, Calif. (AP) – The Episcopal Church expanded its civil lawsuit last week against a deposed California bishop who the national church’s attorneys claim is trying to make off with their property.

John-David Schofield was ousted from the U.S. denomination in March after leading his congregation through a secession movement prompted by the church’s ordination of women and gays.

Since then, Schofield has tried to transfer titles to at least three parishes in the Bakersfield area worth several million dollars to an outside holding company, a lawyer said June 4.

The church first sued Schofield in April, demanding that he vacate his offices and turn over financial accounts.

In an amended complaint filed June 2 in Fresno County Superior Court, the church and the Diocese of San Joaquin also asked the court to return to them any money the deposed bishop might have transferred from accounts held by Merrill Lynch.

Merrill Lynch froze the accounts in question on June 3.

Schofield defended his legal and financial officers’ actions, saying they had changed names on accounts and property to reflect that they rightly belong to his parishioners.

National church leaders removed Schofield as the head of the Fresno-based diocese after he led worshippers to align themselves with the conservative Province of the Southern Cone, an Argentina-based member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

In March, Jerry Lamb, a bishop loyal to the U.S. church, was elected to head the Episcopal diocese, and now presides over it from a Stockton parish.

Schofield, however, maintains he is an Anglican bishop of the Diocese of San Joaquin under the worldwide church, a global fellowship of churches that trace their roots to the Church of England. He and other theological conservatives believe the Bible bars gay relationships.

He still performs religious rites at the lush Fresno headquarters, a collection of Mission-style buildings surrounded by flowering fruit trees.

In a statement issued June 4, Schofield said his diocese had retitled accounts at Merrill Lynch but had not removed assets. The diocese had also taken actions to “secure ... property until a California court can rule on the issue of ownership.”

“The property in question is owned by the Diocese and its parishes and not the Episcopal Church,” the statement said. “The Diocese expects a favorable ruling.”

Similar property disputes have occurred across the country since the 2003 consecration of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. In the United States, dozens of U.S. parishes are either breaking with the national church or have lost most of their clergy over the controversy.

At least three more of the 110 Episcopal dioceses – Pittsburgh; Fort Worth, Texas; and Quincy, Ill.– have taken steps to align with an overseas Anglican leader.

Last week, the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia was in court suing to reclaim church properties worth tens of millions of dollars after 11 conservative church congregations voted to disaffiliate.

According to Lamb’s lawyer, some time this spring, Schofield’s attorneys filed a deed in the Kern County recorder’s office seeking to transfer a Bakersfield parish and two small churches to a holding company called the Anglican Diocesan Holding Corporation.

Attorneys suspect Schofield also changed the names on Merrill Lynch accounts worth up to $5 million to be controlled by that same entity, said counsel Michael Glass.

Glass’ team is investigating whether titles on any of the diocese’s other 43 parish and mission properties were changed, too.

The ongoing suit has raised the hackles of religious leaders on both sides of the dispute, and has divided the estimated 8,000 worshippers who were once united in prayer.

“Most parishioners would like to keep their church and worship there and not be involved in these problems,” said the Rev. Mark Hall, an assistant to Lamb. “Still, it’s pretty disruptive all around the church to have this kind of action going on, rather than focusing on what we’re supposed to be doing as a Christian community.”