West Virginia Supreme Court Blocks Lawsuit by 33 Churches Seeking to Leave the United Methodist Church
The Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia ruled on November 4 to block a lawsuit by 33 congregations seeking to leave the United Methodist Church and keep their church property, holding that the dispute is an ecclesiastical matter that civil courts may not decide.
The court granted a writ of prohibition sought by trustees of the United Methodist Church's West Virginia Conference, barring the Mercer County Circuit Court from reopening the 33 churches' lawsuit. The circuit court had first dismissed the suit for lack of jurisdiction, then reversed itself in March 2026 and reopened the case. Justice Charles S. Trump IV wrote the court's opinion.
The case stems from the United Methodist Church's 2024 changes to its Book of Discipline removing bans on same-sex marriage and gay clergy. A provision that had allowed congregations to disaffiliate with property expired on December 31, 2023. The 33 churches sued, alleging fraud and related claims, saying conference officials had indicated they could leave with their property.
In its opinion, the state supreme court held that deciding those claims would require courts to interpret church law, in violation of the religious-freedom protections of the U.S. First Amendment and the West Virginia Constitution, and that the circuit court's original determination — that the dispute was an ecclesiastical matter outside its jurisdiction — was correct.
The West Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church said it remains committed to supporting the churches. Similar disaffiliation lawsuits have arisen in several U.S. states in recent years, and the West Virginia ruling offers a new precedent for such cases.
Source: Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：西弗吉尼亚州议会大厦。CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston. CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
