Brownlow v. Richards

PRESIDING JUSTICE GALLAGHER

delivered the opinion of the court:

This appeal involves a dispute over control of the Bethlehem Healing Temple Church in Chicago and its nonprofit corporation, Bethlehem Healing Temple Church, Inc. (hereinafter Bethlehem and Bethlehem, Inc.). Because we find that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to enter its orders of September 7 and September 13, we vacate those orders.

The record on appeal establishes the following facts. At the time the litigation began, Bishop A.C. Richards served as Bethlehem’s pastor. In June 2001, several church members filed a complaint…