Fight continues against between Dothan church and denomination after new ruling

Yahoo

26-03-2025

DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) — Another win has come for Dothan's Harvest Church after a Houston County judge ruled to continue to the fight between the church and its denomination.
On Tuesday, the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the Methodist Church went before Judge Chris Richardson, pleading with him to rule in their favor after years of battling in a courtroom.
This would have bypassed a trial between the conference and Harvest Church, and given the denomination a legal win.
However, Judge Richardson dismissed this request and its counterclaim, continuing the lengthy court battle.
He did take harvest's counterclaim under advisement, which asks the judge to dismiss other counterclaims brought by the AWFC, which includes a $14 million lawsuit.
Dothan church wants counterclaims thrown out in ongoing legal battle with denomination
The conference says they have every right to countersue for $14 million, which is close to the properties total value and be apart of this lawsuit while also having the ability to take, close, and sell property, while also defending the conference.
This has been going on for three years when harvest split from the AWFC and feared the denomination would seize their property.
The church then filed a lawsuit and protection order against the AWFC. It later led them to the state supreme court, where the conference tried to get the case dismissed, but the justices felt otherwise and decided it was a case for a county court.
Harvest was created in 1997, receiving over $400,000 to help buy the property and kickstart the church from the United Methodist denomination
For 25 years, Harvest was apart of the AWFC, participating in conferences and meetings across the southeast.
While also abiding by the denomination's rules and guidelines, which the AWFC claims includes the trust clause-which ensures that church's property will continue to be used for the purposes of the United Methodist Church.
Harvest Church In Dothan Speaks Out After Latest Alabama Supreme Court Ruling
This means that if Harvest wanted to leave, they needed 2/3's of their church body to vote to leave, which they got, and needed to pay the conference, which they did not do.
Harvest claims that the money from the conference was just a gift and that they have full ownership of the property and that the conference's name was not on the deed and were never aware or never agreed to a trust clause with the denomination.
Thousands of Methodist congregations split from the demonination over disputes involving the church's LGBTQ-related policies.
United Methodist rules forbid same-sex marriage rites and the ordination of 'self-avowed practicing homosexuals,' but progressive Methodist churches and regional governing bodies in the U.S. have increasingly been defying these rules.Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.