Church Litigation News 05/21/2023

(May 19) A Catholic Bishop Took Actions Of "Pure Evil" According To A Lawsuit Filed Against Him By A Small Order Of Nuns In Arlington | Arlington, TX

The suit says Bishop Michael Olson of the Fort Worth Diocese seized computers and a phone from the Discalced Carmelite Nuns, interrogated the sisters and claimed the monastery was shut down.

He has stopped priests from performing daily mass at the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity and barred as many as 50 to 60 parishioners from regular attendance. The dispute, which started April 24, has caused emotional trauma and psychological distress, according to an affidavit from Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes.

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(May 17) Cobb Hearing Scheduled For Lawsuit Pitting 185 Methodist Churches Against Denomination

The first hearing in a lawsuit between 185 Methodist churches and their local governing body is scheduled for Tuesday morning in Cobb Superior Court.

The churches, which include nine Cobb-based congregations, are suing the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. The dispute stems from the conference issuing a pause in the process through which local churches can leave the UMC denomination.

United Methodists are in the midst of a schism over social issues, namely same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBTQ people. UMC churches can disaffiliate from their denomination and retain assets, if they do so for reasons of conscience related to LGBTQ issues.

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(May 17) Former Vineyard Staff Accuse Alan Scott Of Abuse, Manipulation And Lies | Anaheim, CA 

With church attendance plummeting in 2020, Alan Scott, the new pastor of what was then Vineyard Anaheim, reportedly instituted salvation quotas for staff with spreadsheets recording how many people key staff had led to Christ.

Former Vineyard Anaheim College Pastor Cynthia Andrews told The Roys Report (TRR) that Scott required her to spend more than half her work hours evangelizing, and expected a conversion rate of three people an hour. Unable to meet the conversion quotas, Andrews said she’d often stay at Walmart until late at night, trying to get people to pray a salvation prayer, her anxiety mounting.

“I would spend hours praying, begging God to let me see people come to faith,” she added. “I knew if I didn’t, Alan was going to be mad at me.”

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(May 17) Nashville Pastor Scott Sauls Indefinitely Suspended By Regional Authority Over Toxic Work Culture | Nashville, TN

In a significant disciplinary action, the Nashville Presbytery, a regional governing body for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), has indefinitely suspended Scott Sauls, the senior pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church, due to his oversight of a toxic work culture.

Voting members of the Nashville Presbytery, comprising pastors, teaching elders and ruling elders from local churches, held a special meeting solely to review Sauls' case. The PCA's official magazine, byFaith, announced the result of the disciplinary action on Twitter Monday.

“On Friday, May 12, Nashville Presbytery met and voted to indefinitely suspend Scott Sauls from ministry,” it said. “The presbytery also appointed a committee for Scott's care and shepherding and sent a letter to Christ Presbyterian Church notifying the church of its actions.”

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(May 17) Saddleback Church Appeals Southern Baptist Convention Ouster Over Woman Pastor

Saddleback Church, the California megachurch long known for its former pastor, bestselling author Rick Warren, has appealed the decision by the Southern Baptist Convention to oust it for naming a woman to its pastoral team.

Stacie Wood, wife of Andy Wood, who replaced Warren as lead pastor last summer, has the title of “teaching pastor.”

Of the eight congregations removed from official affiliation by the denomination’s Executive Committee since last year’s annual meeting, three are appealing the decision.

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