Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits Archives - Page 3 of 16

Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits

Make sure your local church is legally protected after disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church

any churches that have disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church have done so without legal counsel. The choice to leave without the assistance of an attorney may have been due to timing, cost or simply a decision by leaders that they could complete the process on their own. While the local church may have saved money on legal fees through the process, they may not have set themselves up for success in the future. Considering this, now may be the right time to review your corporate documents with legal counsel to see if your local church is fully protected.

January 15, 2024 No Comments

Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits

Donors to local religious entities have a legal path to successfully sue religious denominations for return of donations based on fraud.

In a potentially groundbreaking case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a church member may proceed with a lawsuit to recover donations when a denomination fraudulently told its members that it was using tithes and offerings for charitable means, when in fact the funds were used for a commercial enterprise.

January 8, 2024 No Comments

Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits

Options for the Local Methodist Church who wish to disaffiliation after January 1, 2024

Now that the window of time for permissive disaffiliation has been closed, many local churches who have been prevented from leaving have asked is there are any options for them to leave. The answer is generally, yes.

January 2, 2024 No Comments

Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits

Local Methodist Churches Successfully Disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church

Disaffiliation is the process of a church leaving a denomination. In the case of the UMC, disaffiliation means that a church is no longer bound by the UMC’s Book of Discipline. This means that the church is free to set its own theological policies on biblical issues .

November 26, 2023 No Comments

Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits

Wayne Law Review Symposium on the Evolution of Religious Liberty

On Friday October 13, 2023, the Wayne Law Review of Wayne State University School of Law is hosting a symposium on the Evolution of Religious

October 10, 2023 No Comments

Church Mergers

A brief review of the impact of the proposed relationship between the Episcopal Church and United Methodist Church to be voted on at the UMC General Conference, 2024 – and one theory as to why the proposal is moving forward.

One of the more interesting questions to be voted on at the 2024 United Methodist Church, General Conference, is the request for “full communion” with

October 3, 2023 No Comments

Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits

Young-Nak Church of Los Angeles retains its property in a Religious Property Dispute against the Korean Presbyterian Church, Abroad

The Session of Young-Nak Church of Los Angeles, California, a 9000-member congregation – prevailed in a religious property lawsuit filed against it by the Korean Presbyterian Church, Abroad (KPCA), a denomination it was formally affiliated with, resulting in the local church retaining its $110 million dollar property.

July 17, 2023 No Comments

Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits

The July 2023 post Annual Conference season update of the United Methodist Church

Over 6000 churches have left the United Methodist Church denomination, the bulk of which occurred this past June 2023 through the Annual Conference season. In

July 11, 2023 No Comments

Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits

Supreme Court Paves Way For Religious Charter Schools As Religious Schools Continue To Confront Zoning Barriers

In case after case, the Supreme Court has protected religious schools from various forms of government discrimination. In 2002, the Supreme Court held in Zelman v.

June 16, 2023 No Comments

Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits

Local Church retains its property in denominational dispute in California

On May 5, 2023, The Honorable Terry Green, Los Angeles Circuit Court Judge entered a judgment dismissing a religious property lawsuit filed by the Korean Presbyterian Church Abroad denomination (“the KPCA”), against the individual session / board of director members of Young-Nak Church Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles, California and Young-Nak Church. This religious property dispute over a 9,000-member congregation having vast real estate holdings near downtown Los Angeles was largely premised on Young-Nak Church’s disaffiliation from the KPCA and its subsequent efforts to maintain rights to control its own property.

May 8, 2023 No Comments

Category: Church Property Disputes/Denominational Splits

Make sure your local church is legally protected after disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church

Donors to local religious entities have a legal path to successfully sue religious denominations for return of donations based on fraud.

Options for the Local Methodist Church who wish to disaffiliation after January 1, 2024

Local Methodist Churches Successfully Disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church

Wayne Law Review Symposium on the Evolution of Religious Liberty

A brief review of the impact of the proposed relationship between the Episcopal Church and United Methodist Church to be voted on at the UMC General Conference, 2024 – and one theory as to why the proposal is moving forward.

Young-Nak Church of Los Angeles retains its property in a Religious Property Dispute against the Korean Presbyterian Church, Abroad

The July 2023 post Annual Conference season update of the United Methodist Church

Supreme Court Paves Way For Religious Charter Schools As Religious Schools Continue To Confront Zoning Barriers

Local Church retains its property in denominational dispute in California

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