Two more county judges have ruled against United Methodist motions to dismiss cases by breakaway churches in rural south Alabama.

The churches, Elba Methodist in Coffee County and Crawford Methodist in Russell County, will be allowed to go forward with their lawsuits seeking clear title for their church properties.

The Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church had filed requests for dismissal of the lawsuits, arguing it owns the properties based on the denomination’s trust clause that says it holds “in trust” all properties churches in the denomination.

Coffee County Judge Henry T. Reagan II ruled in favor of Elba Methodist on May 6, keeping alive the church’s request for a clear deed to the property.

Russell County Circuit Judge Zack Collins ruled in favor of Crawford Methodist on May 5, also keeping alive that congregation’s request for a clear title to its property.

Those two rulings came after three similar rulings earlier this month.

On May 1, Dale County Circuit Judge William H. Filmore denied the denomination’s request to dismiss two lawsuits against the conference, one by the Westview Heights congregation and one by Daleville First Methodist Church.

On May 2, Coffee County Circuit Judge Shannon R. Clark denied the denomination’s request to dismiss a lawsuit by Ham Chapel Methodist Church in Elba seeking clear title to its property.

The continuing legal battles come after 44 churches had previously sued the conference as a group in an effort to force the conference to allow them to disaffiliate.

A round of lawsuits by individual churches were filed on Oct. 31 in seven different counties. Breakaway churches are seeking title to their property in more than a dozen ongoing lawsuits against the Alabama-West Florida Conference. In Mobile County, Theodore and Trinity churches sued. In Conecuh County, Baggett Chapel sued. In Clarke County, Coffeeville Church sued. In Coffee County, Elba Methodist Church sued. In Dale County, Pleasant Hill and Westview Heights churches sued. In Houston County, Highland Park Church of Dothan sued. In Lee County, Gold Hill Church sued.

They are making a similar argument, that the congregations own their own property, rather than the conference, which claims to hold it in trust.

The churches say property disputes are subject to civil court jurisdiction.

United Methodist leaders in Alabama say that insurance will cover most of the cost of legal battles that the denomination is involved with, as the Alabama-West Florida Conference resists efforts of churches hoping to leave the denomination and take their property with them.

“We are saddened by churches who seek legal action against the conference,” the conference said in an earlier statement about the ongoing legal action. “We are praying for all involved.”

While the conference is a defendant in many cases, it has also initiated lawsuits in cases where churches left without permission, such as Perdido Bay Methodist.