Braswell v. Purser

MOORE, Justice.

The courts of the State have no jurisdiction over and no concern with purely ecclesiastical questions and controversies. There is a constitutional guarantee of freedom of religious profession and worship, as well as an equally firmly established principle of separation of church and state. However, the courts do have jurisdiction as to civic, contract and property rights which are involved in or arise from a church controversy, including the right to determine the type organization of a particular church. Reid v. Johnston, 241 N.C. 201, 85 S.E. 2d 114 (1954), and cases therein…