MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Supreme Court of Alabama has affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by 44 Methodist churches against the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC). The churches sought to disaffiliate from the UMC over doctrinal disagreements concerning human sexuality and retain their properties under a specific provision in the UMC’s Book of Discipline.
The churches’ request was based on ¶ 2553, a clause that allows congregations to leave the UMC with their properties if they disagree with the church’s stance on issues such as the ordination of gay clergy. However, the Conference added a requirement for additional eligibility statements, which it subsequently rejected, prompting the churches to seek legal redress.
The Montgomery Circuit Court dismissed the case, citing the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which restricts courts from intervening in religious matters. The Alabama Supreme Court upheld this decision, emphasizing that resolving the dispute would necessitate interpreting ecclesiastical doctrine–something civil courts are not permitted to do.
Justice Bryan, concurring specially, expressed sympathy for the churches but reiterated that the case’s ecclesiastical nature precluded judicial intervention. Justice Cook, in a separate concurrence, echoed these sentiments, voicing concerns over the fairness of the Conference’s actions but maintaining that the court must stay within its constitutional bounds.
The decision underscores the limitations of civil courts in adjudicating church property disputes that are deeply intertwined with religious doctrine, reinforcing the necessity for such issues to be resolved within the church’s own judicial framework. This ruling could have significant implications for other religious property disputes, particularly those involving denominational schisms over doctrinal issues.
For the congregations involved, the path forward remains unclear as they navigate their future within the broader structure of the UMC and its internal processes.