Christ United was able to show that the deeds to church property were not in the name of the conference, but of members of the church, she said. For $25, it filed as a non-denominational church with the Texas Secretary of State, essentially disaffiliating from the denomination.
With Lawsuits
The National Center for Life and Liberty, a legal ministry with offices in California, Florida and North Carolina, claims to represent at least 2,000 churches that have sought to leave the United Methodist Church, working on legal strategy with the theologically conservative Wesleyan Covenant Association, according to United Methodist News.
Last month, the National Center for Life and Liberty won a lawsuit representing 185 churches in Georgia when a judge ruled the North Georgia Conference couldn’t just press “pause” on disaffiliations from the denomination by churches in its area until the next General Conference meeting happens in 2024.
Another prominent church in the same conference — Mt. Bethel Church in Marietta, Georgia — also successfully sued to disaffiliate from the denomination last year, following a dispute with the annual conference after its pastor was reassigned.
Not all suits have been so successful.
David Gibbs III. Photo courtesy National Center for Life and Liberty
Earlier this spring, judges dismissed two prominent lawsuits originally brought by more than 100 churches in Florida and 36 in Western North Carolina, both represented by the National Center for Life and Liberty, wishing to immediately disaffiliate from the denomination. David Gibbs III, president and general counsel for the National Center for Life and Liberty, said Florida is appealing that decision and that Western North Carolina is resolving its case with the annual conference.
Gibbs said he first began helping United Methodist churches disaffiliate around 2018. The “quickest, most efficient” way to do that is by following the disaffiliation plan, he said, but some churches, especially in urban areas, cannot meet financial obligations that have been added to the plan by their annual conferences, such as paying 50% of the church’s appraised value.
Gibbs said he believes the fees associated with disaffiliation, which vary per church and conference, has prevented many churches from leaving the denomination.
When churches cannot meet those financial obligations or feel the costs violate their conscience, he said, “that’s where litigation has become necessary.”
This article originally appeared here.
