Since May 15, two more judges in Conecuh and Houston counties have ruled against motions by the United Methodist denomination to dismiss lawsuits by breakaway Alabama churches that want to keep their property.

That brings the total to seven rulings this month by six different circuit court judges dismissing motions by the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, which asked the court to dismiss lawsuits by those seven churches seeking clear title to their property.

Breakaway churches are seeking title to their property in more than a dozen ongoing lawsuits against the Alabama-West Florida Conference.

On May 15, Houston County Circuit Court Judge R. Todd Derrick ruled against a motion by the conference to dismiss the lawsuit by Highland Park Methodist Church in Dothan seeking clear title to its property.

On May 21, Conecuh County Circuit Court Judge Jack B. Weaver ruled against a motion by the conference that asked the judge to dismiss a lawsuit by Baggetts Chapel Methodist Church in Repton seeking clear title to its property.

The conference claims it owns the properties based on a trust clause that it says means the denomination holds every church property in its own name.

Another lawsuit was filed on May 20 by Sunflower United Methodist Church in Washington County, seeking clear title to its property. Sunflower, at 14189 Highway 43, was founded in 1909 and has held property at that location since 1910. The United Methodist denomination dates to a 1968 merger from predecessor denominations.

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.

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

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

On March 10, Lee County Circuit Judge Mike C. Fellows denied the conference’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Auburn Methodist Coalition contesting the conference’s control and ownership of the Auburn United Methodist Church property.

A group of 44 churches previously sued the conference as a group in an effort to force the conference to allow them to disaffiliate according to previous church rules.

The state supreme court ruled it couldn’t interfere in internal church matters. Then a round of lawsuits by individual churches were filed on Oct. 31 in seven different counties, arguing on secular grounds as a property dispute.

In Mobile County, Theodore and Trinity churches 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 Lee County, Gold Hill Church sued.

The churches that are suing say in court filings that 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.

Because of a feud over the denomination’s former ban on same-sex marriage and ordination of openly practicing gay clergy, the General Conference had adopted guidelines for churches to leave the denomination and take their property with them after meeting financial requirements.

The Alabama-West Florida Conference tightened rules on leaving before the Dec. 31, 2023 disaffiliation deadline, denying many churches a path to leave. The special provision allowing disaffiliation due to disagreement over issues such as gay marriage expired at that point.

In 2024, the United Methodist Church General Conference repealed its longstanding ban on same-sex marriage and ordaining openly gay and lesbian clergy.