Indiana court rejects PCUSA property claim

By Parker T. Williamson, The Layman
Friday, March 12, 2010

Citing conflicting interpretations of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Book of Order, and affirming that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibits civil court interpretations of ecclesiastical documents, Indiana Judge Carl Heldt of the Vanderburgh Circuit Court has rejected PCUSA claims to a local church’s property.

At issue was an attempt by the Presbytery of Ohio Valley and the Synod of Lincoln Trails to seize property belonging to the Olivet Presbyterian Church, a former PCUSA congregation in Evansville, Ind., that left the denomination in order to join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Heldt rejected claims based on a “trust clause” in the PCUSA constitution and based his ruling in favor of the local church on “neutral principles of law.” the rest