Presbytery of the Covenant v. First Presbyterian Church of Paris, Inc.

CORNELIUS, Justice.

This controversy arose when a majority of the members of the First Presbyterian Church of Paris, Texas, sought to withdraw from the Presbyterian Church in the United States and affiliate with another group. The Presbytery of the Covenant, which had jurisdiction of the church at Paris, sought to prevent the withdrawing faction from taking possession and asserting ownership of the church property, and filed suit for declaratory judgment. The withdrawing faction, through its corporate entity, First Presbyterian Church of Paris, Inc., filed suit against the Presbytery of the…