New Magnolia Baptist Church, Inc. of Branford v. Ellerker

This case involves a dispute between two factions of a congregational, as distinguished from a hierarchical church. (See Baldwin v. Mills, 344 So.2d 259 (Fla. 1st DCA 1977) and cases therein cited) Although civil courts may not constitutionally delve into matters of an ecclesiastic nature they have the right, indeed the duty, of applying and enforcing sterile principles of property law. (Baldwin v. Mills, supra).

The law is also well settled that it is the obligation of an appellate court to approve and affirm a final judgment of a trial court which achieves a correct result even though the…