After agreeing to pay $1-million, First Presbyterian Church (FPC) in Houston now has clear title to its property. The settlement agreement between FPC and New Covenant — reached on May 10, 2016 — ended two years of civil litigation between the two parties. The church filed its civil lawsuit on May 29, 2014 seeking to…
A lawsuit between a local church and the Presbyterian Church (USA) has been dismissed after the PCUSA “disclaimed any and all interest” in the church’s property. As a result, First & Calvary Presbyterian Church (FnC) in Springfield, Mo., has obtained a clear title to its property without having to pay John Calvin Presbytery (JPC) any…
By Steve Salyards, The GA Junkie. As I have often commented in this space, I really don’t want to go chasing church property cases in the civil courts as they can vary so widely by jurisdiction. I am going to take this opportunity to update one situation I have previously covered in detail and use…
By Steve Salyards Last weekend (May 3-4) the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) heard a remedial case brought against the Presbytery of New York City (PNYC) concerning details and process related to their Gracious Dismissal Policy (GDP). The complainants filed the case against the Presbytery concerning irregularities in the…
By Mary Holder Naegeli One of the fascinating features of child development is the growing sense of self and ownership. What lesson do moms and dads try to teach their two-year-old children? “Share your toys!” But it is a learning process occurring in a phase during which a child is egocentric and unable to differentiate…