The Washington Post's Under God blog lays out the background for today's hearing in the Virginia Supreme Court, a dispute between the Episcopal Church and several of its congregations over who controls church land and buildings after a denominational split.
A Fairfax County Circuit Court judge ruled in 2008 in favor of the breakaway churches, agreeing with their argument that there was a "division" in the churches under a Civil War-era law that governs such breaks and says the majority gets the property. But those who remained with the Episcopal Church argue that the state law is unconstitutional meddling with a religious issue and that there was no legal division, but rather a small rebellion in the larger Communion…
The Baptist Joint Committee filed a friend-of-the-court brief in this case, arguing that the state law in question is unconstitutional.
