A California appeals court has ruled that only some members of the Dwelling Place Church may sue the former Vineyard USA Church for suddenly leaving the denomination.
The nine people who brought the case to court do not have legal standing, according to the ruling, as reported by Christianity Today.
This follows a nearly three-year dispute between what are now two separate congregations after the split.
Court documents show that the nine individuals who filed the lawsuit said they attended services, participated in the life of the congregation, and tithed. However, they were not members of the board of directors.
Under the church’s bylaws, those in the congregation are considered “associate members,” while those on the board are “voting members.”
“Dwelling Place’s bylaws […] separate its members into two classes,” Justice Maurice Sanchez wrote. “Appellants contend they are members. But […] they are not corporate members within the statutory boundaries.”
Also citing the church’s bylaws, the court emphasized that the senior pastor has responsibility for all “ecclesiastical decisions” and that the decision to take the church out of the Vineyard is protected by the First Amendment.
The dispute began in 2022, when a group of former church members announced they were suing Pastors Alan and Kathryn Scott for fraud and the alleged misappropriation of $62 million.
Vineyard Anaheim, known as the “mother church” of the Vineyard movement, left the denomination without explanation in March 2022.
Senior Pastor Alan Scott told the church that the Holy Spirit had led them to split.
As Christianity Today previously reported, Pastor Scott said there were no major disagreements with the national organization, personal conflicts, or disputes.
The late Carol Wimber-Wong co-founded the church with her late husband, John Wimber, in 1982. She was one of nine plaintiffs who said she had remained an “active and tithing member” until the church left the Vineyard.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs accused the Scotts of fraud and claimed they knew they intended to leave Vineyard USA, but lied about it when applying for leadership positions at the Anaheim church. The plaintiffs alleged the separation was a ploy to take control of the $55 million mortgage-free building and $7 million in the bank.
Wimber-Wong did not live to hear the court’s ruling; she died in January at the age of 87.
A group representing the other eight plaintiffs said on X that they would consider an appeal to the California Supreme Court.
“The mission has never been about courts,” SaveVCFAnaheim stated on the social media platform. “SAVEVCFAnaheim will not stop until justice is served.”