Home Christian News Vineyard Co-Founder Sues Pastors for $62 Million After Controversial Split

Vineyard Co-Founder Sues Pastors for $62 Million After Controversial Split

The term “ecclesiastical” could be key to legal proceedings. Since an 1871 Supreme Court ruling, judges have abstained from deciding theological controversies or matters relating to church discipline and government. But plaintiffs in this case say the lawsuit concerns church “business operations,” making it “a secular and nonecclesiastical dispute.”

Because Vineyard churches act mostly independently, some observers say they aren’t surprised by denominational unrest. Former Vineyard Pastor Duke Taber defends the Scotts’ move, saying it’s actually a return to Spirit-led independence. “John Wimber talked about the need for the pastor to be autonomous and not board ruled and that a church should not be board controlled,” Taber writes.