Court declares) that property ownership can only be decided by the dictates of civil law, rather than the constitution of a denomination.

Declaring that property ownership can only be decided by the dictates of civil law, rather than the constitution of a denomination, the Washington County (Pa.) Court of Common Pleas has again ruled in favor of Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church in Venetia, Pa.

This time the congregation won a challenge to its property rights by a minority of members, the group declared the “true church” by the Presbyterian Church (USA) when a majority of Peters Creek voted to join a more conservative denomination.

“The PCUSA has no authority under Pennsylvania civil law to declare that a civil corporation and a particular church i.e. the ‘true church,’ are identical,” the ruling states. “Therefore, while the PCUSA may determine who the ‘true church’ consists of, the provision within the PCUSA Book of Order declaring that the ‘true church’ automatically will retain property in dispute is inconsistent with Pennsylvania’s neutral principles of law approach and is non-binding.”

On March 31, the court denied all seven of the plaintiff’s charges, dismissed the case and awarded control of Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church’s corporation to the defendant.