The Grand Rapids Press reports that a state circuit court ruled on Friday it lacked jurisdiction to decide the disputed ownership of the historic Lamont, Michigan building housing the Lamont Christian Reformed Church. Instead, the issue must be decided by the congregation's parent body. In 2005, a majority of the church members broke away after their pastor-- convicted of drunk driving and obscene and disorderly conduct-- was deposed by the parent Christian Reformed Church. Those members sued claiming a right to the church building. However they failed to follow the parent church's guidelines for disaffiliation. The court held that the Christian Reformed Church has a hierarchical form of government. Property disputes "must be resolved through the denomination through its deliberative and adjudicative bodies." [Thanks to Brian D. Wassom for the lead.]
UPDATE: Here i s the full opinion in Lamont Community Church v. Lamont Christian Reformed Church, (MI Cir. Ct., April 4, 2007). [Again thanks to Brian Wassom.]
Meanwhile, yesterday's Rocky Mountain News reported that Colorado's largest Episcopal parish-- Grace Church and St. Stephen's in Colorado Springs-- has filed suit in state court asking a judge to declare that Colorado's Episcopal Diocese does not own the assets of the parish. Last month the parish-- upset over liberal rulings of the Episcopal church nationally-- voted to join the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, a missionary diocese affiliated with the Church of Nigeria. The Colorado Diocese than began to inform banks holding accounts of the parish that the break away members of the parish did not own the church's assets. Instead, it claimed, the bank accounts belong to members who remain loyal to the Episcopal Church USA and the Colorado Diocese.
