The Church Suits

These cases are here on appeals from final decrees dismissing ten bills in equity alleging misuse of respondents' corporate funds. All cases raise the same legal questions;

Complainants in their bills asserted that they were members in good standing and communicants, pew holders or contributors of the several churches.

The respondents in each case were the Bishop and Vicar General of the Diocese of Providence together with the pastor and two lay members of the local church, "in their capacity as members of the Board of Trustees of respondent church, a church corporation, incorporated under the…