What May Church, Pastor Litigate in Court?
Church claims breach of contract and trespass; Pastor claims conversion, breach of fiduciary duty, etc.
The First Amendment prohibits courts from taking jurisdiction of church disputes involving ecclesiastical issues, but permits them to exercise jurisdiction where the questions can be resolved under neutral principles of law. The Supreme Court of Alabama has recently been asked to apply these concepts in a dispute involving a church in Clarke County.
The full text of this article is available to paid subscribers only. Login or subscribe to read more