Legal Opinion
Graffam v. Wray
Supreme Judicial Court of Maine
Decided December 2, 1981PublishedCited by 21 opinions
1Opinion of the Court
NICHOLS, Justice.
These consolidated appeals arise out of a schismatic dispute within the Congregational Church of Limington, Maine, over the control of church funds and property.
Cognizant though we are of the wall of separation between church and state, erected by our organic law 1 , we recognize that there are certain circumstances where the courts may intervene in church schisms which affect church property. The cases at bar present such an occasion. 2
A dispute between two groups of members within the unincorporated Congregational Church of Limington resulted in the call of a special church…
2Cases cited30 opinions
- Watson v. JonesSupreme Court of the United States · 1872
- Serbian Eastern Orthodox Diocese for United States and Canada v. MilivojevichSupreme Court of the United States · 1976
- Presbyterian Church in US v. Mary Elizabeth Blue Hull Memorial Presbyterian ChurchSupreme Court of the United States · 1969
- Jones v. WolfSupreme Court of the United States · 1979
- Maryland & Virginia Eldership of the Churches of God v. Church of God at Sharpsburg, Inc.Supreme Court of the United States · 1970
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3Cited by21 opinions
- Swanson v. Roman Catholic Bishop of PortlandSupreme Judicial Court of Maine · 1997
- Bishop and Diocese of Colorado v. MoteSupreme Court of Colorado · 1986
- Tisei v. Town of OgunquitSupreme Judicial Court of Maine · 1985
- First Baptist Church of Glen Este v. State of OhioDistrict Court, S.D. Ohio · 1983
- International Paper Co. v. United Paperworkers International UnionSupreme Judicial Court of Maine · 1988
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