Mason v. Lee

Decided October 15, 1909

Mississippi Supreme Court · decided 1909-10-15

FROM the chancery court of Holmes county. ”HoN. James F. IVIcCoox, Chancellor. Lee and others, minority members of a church congregation/ appellees, were complainants in the court below; Mason and! others, tbe pastor of tbe church and its trustees, appellants, were defendants there. From a decree in complainants’ favor, enjoining defendants from using the church property, defendants appealed to the supreme court.

Decided 1909-10-15

Smith, J.,

¶1delivered the opinion of the court.

¶2There is no sufficient evidence in this record to show that a “general council” was in fact ever legally organized, or that, if it was, it was invested with any authority over the local churches, either by direct action of the churches, or by the action of the duly authorized representatives thereof; and particularly is this true with reference to the local church at Lexington, known as the “St. Paul Ohurch of God.”

¶3The decree of the court below is therefore reversed and the ■muse remanded.