In Ex parte Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, Inc., (AL Sup. Ct., Oct. 31, 2025), the Alabama Supreme Court issued a writ of mandamus ordering the trial court to dismiss a suit brought by certain members of the Auburn United Methodist Church (AUMC) who wanted to disaffiliate from its parent body, the United Methodist Church, because of disagreement with the UMC’s position on human sexuality. Those members sought a court order to require a vote of all the members of AUMC on whether the congregation should disaffiliate and a declaration that the parent Conference lacked any interest in the congregation’s property. The Court held in part:
Under the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine, Alabama courts may not adjudicate disputes that are ecclesiastical in nature, including matters of church doctrine, polity, or internal governance…. Generally, the process of disaffiliation is governed by ecclesiastical rule…. Thus, a dispute concerning disaffiliation is typically considered an ecclesiastical matter — not a civil one.
The Court went on to hold that an Alabama statute on church control of its real property does not require a congregational vote on denominational disaffiliation. AL.com reports on the decision. [Thanks to Thomas Rutledge for the lead.]