Long v. Harvey

Citations

• 177 Pa. 473
• 35 A. 869
• 1896 Pa. LEXIS 1007

Syllabus

<p>Church law — Power of the courts.</p> <p>The power of the courts to adjudicate disputes between warring church parties is limited to an examination of the rules of the church organization only for the purpose of ascertaining the church law, and if that be not in conflict with the law of the land, all they can do is to protect the rights of parties under the law which they have made for themselves.</p> <p>church laxo — Majorities.</p> <p>A majority of a church organization may direct and control church matters consistently with the particular and general laws of the organization or denomination to which it belongs, but not in violation of them.</p> <p>Church law — Equity—Congregational government.</p> <p>Plaintiffs and defendants in a bill in equity were members of a congregation of a religious denomination known as “Disciples of Christ,” in which denomination every congregation is practically independent. The defendants were officers of the church, and their term, of office was indefinite. Against the protest of the defendants, delegates and ministers from other congregations met with members of the congregation outside the church, and by a vote deposed the defendants, and elected in their places the plaintiffs. Held, (1) that the plaintiffs were wrongly elected officers, and that they had no right to the control or possession of the church property ; (2) other congregations of the denomination may advise, but there is no superior tribunal of appeal.</p>