Church Property – Part 3

A Tennessee court ruled that a local church retained control of its property following its withdrawal from a parent denomination, based on the wording of the deed to the property.

Church Law and Tax2002-07-01

Church Property

Key point 7-03.3. Most courts apply the "neutral principles of law" rule in resolving disputes over the ownership and control of property in "hierarchical" churches. Under this rule, the civil courts apply neutral principles of law, involving no inquiry into church doctrine, in resolving church property disputes. Generally, this means applying neutral legal principles to nondoctrinal language in any one or more of the following documents: (1) deeds to church property; (2) a church’s corporate charter; (3) a state law addressing the resolution of church property disputes; (4) church bylaws; or (5) a parent denomination’s bylaws.

State Court Rulings Regarding Church Property Disputes

* A Tennessee court ruled that a local church retained control of its property following its withdrawal from a parent denomination, based on the wording of the deed to the property. In 1940, a church member conveyed property to the trustees of his local church "in trust for the use and benefit of the [national church] and to their successors in trust forever." The deed also contained the following provisions, "In case of division or misunderstanding of any kind in the [national church] the serving trustees shall have governing power over the above mentioned property." In 1997 the church withdrew from the national church, and the national church asked a court to declare it the rightful owner of the local church’s property. A trial court ruled that the property belonged to the local church, and the national church appealed.

The appeals court began its opinion by observing that "as a general proposition, when property is conveyed to a local church having a connectional relationship to a central organization, the property belongs to the central organization." The court conceded that that national church was a "connectional church with a central organization presided over by a bishop overseer," and that the national church’s bylaws contained a provision treating local church property as the property of the national church. However, the court concluded that "the general rules are subject to the clear intent of the grantor in the deed manifesting a contrary purpose."

The court concluded that the language of the deed demonstrated an intent by the grantor that the locally appointed trustees "are to retain governing power over the property in case of a division or misunderstanding of any kind in the parent church." It concluded, "Although [the grantor] was not a literate man, he was careful to … make sure that the local trustees would always have the power to decide what to do with the property in case of a controversy." Emmanuel Churches of Christ v. Foster, 2001 WL 327910 (Tenn. App. 2001).

This content is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. "From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations." Due to the nature of the U.S. legal system, laws and regulations constantly change. The editors encourage readers to carefully search the site for all content related to the topic of interest and consult qualified local counsel to verify the status of specific statutes, laws, regulations, and precedential court holdings.

ajax-loader-largecaret-downcloseHamburger Menuicon_amazonApple PodcastsBio Iconicon_cards_grid_caretChild Abuse Reporting Laws by State IconChurchSalary Iconicon_facebookGoogle Podcastsicon_instagramLegal Library IconLegal Library Iconicon_linkedinLock IconMegaphone IconOnline Learning IconPodcast IconRecent Legal Developments IconRecommended Reading IconRSS IconSubmiticon_select-arrowSpotify IconAlaska State MapAlabama State MapArkansas State MapArizona State MapCalifornia State MapColorado State MapConnecticut State MapWashington DC State MapDelaware State MapFederal MapFlorida State MapGeorgia State MapHawaii State MapIowa State MapIdaho State MapIllinois State MapIndiana State MapKansas State MapKentucky State MapLouisiana State MapMassachusetts State MapMaryland State MapMaine State MapMichigan State MapMinnesota State MapMissouri State MapMississippi State MapMontana State MapMulti State MapNorth Carolina State MapNorth Dakota State MapNebraska State MapNew Hampshire State MapNew Jersey State MapNew Mexico IconNevada State MapNew York State MapOhio State MapOklahoma State MapOregon State MapPennsylvania State MapRhode Island State MapSouth Carolina State MapSouth Dakota State MapTennessee State MapTexas State MapUtah State MapVirginia State MapVermont State MapWashington State MapWisconsin State MapWest Virginia State MapWyoming State IconShopping Cart IconTax Calendar Iconicon_twitteryoutubepauseplay
caret-downclosefacebook-squarehamburgerinstagram-squarelinkedin-squarepauseplaytwitter-square