Last month, Houston County Circuit Judge Christopher K. Richardson ruled for Harvest Church, which had asked to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church without paying a penalty.
DOTHAN, Ala. - United Methodist Church leaders appear poised to appeal a Houston County judge’s decision that favored a Dothan congregation that pulled from the denomination.
Last month, Houston County Circuit Judge Christopher K. Richardson ruled for Harvest Church, which had asked to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church without paying a penalty.
Court records show UMC leaders have retained two attorneys with appellate experience—Mary Kathryn Mangan and Thomas “Tommy” Buck, both stakeholders at the Birmingham-based firm Maynard Nexsen. “Tommy has extensive experience as an appellate lawyer,” the firm’s website said of Buck which describes Mangan as member of the Firm’s Appellate and Post-Verdict Practice Group.
Richardson’s decision on March 25 came roughly three months after a two-week trial that put Harvest and the denomination head-to-head in a dispute that began in 2022.
In court filings, Harvest said it feared denominational leaders could seize church property as many congregations—Harvest argued—left the UMC amid social divisions, including disputes over same-sex marriage.
Attorneys for the denomination argued the conflict should be treated as an ecclesiastical matter, resolved within the church. But Harvest urged courts to treat it as a legal dispute and won an early round decision when the Alabama Supreme Court sided with Harvest.
At trial, witnesses differed over whether the UMC had a continuing interest in Harvest’s Fortner Street campus. Some testified they were unaware of any denominational stake. Others pointed to the UMC’s $270,000 donation used to help seed the campus, arguing the money reflected an ongoing interest in the property.
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