Church can continue its ministry despite dropping “United Methodist” from name
Former Northside United Methodist Church in Jackson reaches financial, property settlement with United Methodist Church following denominational split
Media Contact: Dan Dalton: Dalton + Tomich; ddalton@daltontomich.com; 248.229.2329; Barbara Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466
Jackson, TN —September 28, 2020 —Northside Church, formerly known as the Northside United Methodist Church, reached a settlement with the United Methodist Church on Saturday, September 26, following its January 2020 decision to disaffiliate with the denomination.
Under the terms of the settlement, Northside Church, which for decades was the second largest church in the Memphis Conference of the United Methodist Church, will retain its property at 2571 North Highland Road in Jackson so that it can continue its ministry to the 1,800 members of the Church and the greater community of Jackson.
Northside Church was represented by Daniel Dalton, a nationally sought-after attorney with Detroit-based Dalton & Tomich, who focuses on helping local churches leave denominations and keep their property. Dalton also represents religious institutions of all faiths in Federal Court on matters related to land use and zoning disputes through the Religious Land Use & Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
“Denominational splits can be extremely emotional and complex from a business and property perspective. Speaking on behalf of Northside Church, we are grateful for the speedy and favorable outcome of this process, which will now allow Northside Church to move forward solely focused on its spiritual mission,” Dalton said.
About Dalton + Tomich
Established in 2010, Dalton + Tomich PLC is comprised of religious liberty, land use, denominational trust law, and business law attorneys. Learn more about our services at https://www.daltontomich.com/.
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In my role as Administrative Bishop for the Church of God, quite often we are faced with issues that involve local governments and municipalities. Many of these issues that arise in dealing with entities are land use related. I have found Dalton & Tomich’s experience and expertise in this area to be a valuable resource and asset in every situation.
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