Court Says District Council Wrongly Took Local Church's Property

In Iglesia Evangelica Latina, Inc. v. Southern Pacific Latin American District of the Assemblies of God, (CA App., April 27, 2009), a California appellate court held that a district council of the Assemblies of God Church improperly assumed corporate control of a local church and had no authority to take title to the local church's real estate. The district council took action against the Church after removing an assistant pastor who had been accused by one faction in the congregation of taking Church funds. The court concluded that it could apply neutral common law property principles to reach this conclusion, reversing the trial court whose decision had focused on the authority of an hierarchical church to adjudicate disputes. Yesterday's Los Angeles Metropolitan News-Enterprise reported on the decision, and the local church faction that prevailed in the appeal issued a lengthy press release describing the background and the implications of the court's holding.