Individual church deacons are not personally liable for the alleged wrongful termination of the pastor, a federal District Court in Pennsylvania has held. The employment contract was with the church as an organization and not with the deacons individually, the Court said in granting a motion to dismiss the individual defendants. Rev. Dr. William David Lee sued for breach of a written contract of employment, naming the Sixth Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Pittsburgh and 11 individual deacons as defendants. The individuals moved to dismiss the claim against them. “The existence of a contract between Lee and the individual defendants is required under Pennsylvania law for Lee to...