Texas Church Suing PCUSA to Keep Property after Leaving Denomination
- Updated Oct 29, 2014
A Presbyterian church in Houston is suing to keep its property after the church disaffiliated from the Presbyterian denomination over the issue of homosexuality.
Windwood Presbyterian Church of Houston left the Presbyterian Church earlier this year.
"We have been involved in a lawsuit over the ownership of the property since 2008 and that suit is still in process," said Rev. Kevin C. Rudolph, pastor at the church.
"Our congregation has approximately 1,100 members and we had more than 30 percent of the congregation present for the vote and the vote to disaffiliate and move to ECO received more than 99 percent of the vote."
According to the lawsuit, Windwood Presbyterian is arguing that the “trust clause” does not apply. The clause means that any church that disaffiliates from PCUSA must pay a fee to the denomination to keep the property.
Windwood voted to disaffiliate earlier this year after the PCUSA General Assembly voted to allow presbyteries to ordain non-celibate homosexuals.
Windwood is not the only church to try to keep their property after leaving the PCUSA.
Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas also voted to leave and filed a lawsuit to keep their property without paying a sum. In September, Highland Park settled with the PCUSA and will pay $7.8 million to PCUSA.
Publication date: October 29, 2014
