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In Property Dispute, Court Finds Assemblies of God Is Hierarchical Church

By Howard Friedman

In Leach v. Johnson, (Macomb Co. MI Cir. Ct, Jan. 25, 2008), a Michigan trial court held that the Assemblies of God is an hierarchical religious organization. Based upon this, the court concluded that the decision of the parent body to assert control over the property of the Gospel Lighthouse Church in Warren, Michigan is binding upon the courts. The parent body found that Gospel Lighthouse Church had defected from the Church's tenets of faith, and was therefore required to transfer its property to the District Council. Under the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, the court may not review the correctness of the parent body's decision. The court's decision followed a remand of the case last year by the Michigan Court of Appeals. (See prior posting.)

Full post as published by Religion Clause on February 08, 2008 (boomark / email).