No Jurisdiction Over Suit Against Church Claiming Governance Problems

In Fesseha v.Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Debre Meheret St. Michael's Church in Dallas, (TX App., July 12, 2011), a Texas appellate court held that the trial court lacked jurisdiction over a suit by former church members against the church and its trustees for improperly conduction elections, meetings and improperly amending the bylaws and establishing a $30 per month membership fee. The court refused to apply the "neutral principles of law" approach.  A claim that the church failed to follow its bylaws on internal matters involves internal church governance and ecclesiastical concerns that civil courts cannot decide.