Maryland Appeals Court Rules Against Churches in UMC Property Dispute

A three-judge panel of the Appellate Court of Maryland has ruled against 37 local congregations seeking to leave the United Methodist Church (UMC) without paying a 50% fee of their assessed property value. The court unanimously upheld a lower court decision, concluding that secular courts lack the jurisdiction to intervene in internal church governance and property disputes.

Writing for the panel, Judge Douglas Nazarian stated that resolving the churches' claims would require an examination of religious doctrine and resource management, which is prohibited by the First Amendment. The court affirmed that the UMC’s internal governing bodies hold the authority to resolve these matters, citing the denomination's long-standing trust clause that designates local church property as being held in trust for the broader denomination.

Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling of the Baltimore-Washington Conference welcomed the ruling, noting that it upholds the denomination's trust clause. While the conference stated it is currently in a period of prayerful discernment regarding the future of the properties, the legal dispute highlights ongoing tensions within the UMC regarding denominational policies and the departure of conservative congregations.