Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church v. Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

PRESIDING JUSTICE ROMITI

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal by all parties from an order of the circuit court of Cook County declaring an option agreement to be valid and legally binding, but also declaring that a particular provision of that option agreement was unenforceable at law because such enforcement would necessitate an impermissible intrusion by the court into matters of religious doctrine and polity.

We affirm.

Appellant and cross-appellee, the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod (the Synod), a Missouri not-for-profit corporation, is the second largest Lutheran church…