Faith Facts

• The Virginia Supreme Court declined to halt a lawsuit brought by longtime members of McLean Bible Church over the 2021 elder election.
• Church leaders sought to dismiss the case, arguing that civil courts lack authority over internal church governance.
• The decision allows the plaintiffs to continue their legal challenge regarding transparency and adherence to church bylaws.

The Virginia Supreme Court has refused to end a lawsuit filed by longtime members of McLean Bible Church concerning the 2021 elder election and related governance issues.

The justices denied the church’s appeal, allowing the case to proceed in lower courts.

“We are disappointed that the Court declined to hear our appeal,” said a spokesperson for McLean Bible Church in a prepared statement. “We remain confident in our position and committed to defending the autonomy of local church governance.”

The lawsuit, brought by members who joined the congregation years earlier, questions whether the 2021 elder selection process followed the church’s own bylaws and whether proper notice and voting procedures were observed.

Legal observers note that Virginia courts have historically been reluctant to intervene in purely ecclesiastical matters, yet they will sometimes examine whether organizations have followed their own established rules.

“This ruling does not decide the merits of the case,” the court’s order stated. “It simply recognizes that the plaintiffs have stated a claim that may proceed under Virginia law.”

Church leaders maintain that the elder election was conducted lawfully and with appropriate congregational input.

Critics within the congregation argue that changes in leadership direction have shifted the church away from its historic doctrinal stance.

“Our concern has always been about fidelity to Scripture and to the church’s founding documents,” one plaintiff said in an earlier interview. “We simply want the process to be fair and transparent.”

The case now returns to the trial court, where both sides will continue to present arguments over governance and membership rights.

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Faith Facts

• The Episcopal Church has listed its twelve-story headquarters in midtown Manhattan for sale after four months of seeking a buyer.
• The building is valued at nearly fifty-two million dollars, according to church leaders.
• Proceeds from any sale will support the denomination’s mission and ministry work nationwide.

The Episcopal Church has identified a prospective buyer for its midtown Manhattan headquarters just four months after announcing plans to sell the twelve-story property. Church leaders report the building carries an estimated value of nearly fifty-two million dollars.

The decision to divest reflects a broader effort by the denomination to align its physical assets with current ministry priorities and stewardship responsibilities. Church officials have emphasized that any proceeds would be reinvested in gospel outreach and service initiatives across the country.

Real-estate experts note that the Manhattan commercial market remains competitive, particularly for well-located institutional properties. The headquarters’ central position continues to draw interest from both nonprofit and commercial entities exploring long-term space solutions.

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Faith Facts

• ChatGPT receives 70 million religion-related requests each week.
• Nearly half of those queries focus on Islam.
• Just over a third center on Christianity.

Artificial intelligence continues to shape how people seek answers to life’s deepest questions. OpenAI reports that its popular chatbot ChatGPT is handling tens of millions of religion-related questions every week.

Of the 70 million weekly religion-related requests, nearly half focus on Islam while just over a third concern Christianity. This pattern raises questions about the sources of information that users trust in an increasingly digital world.

Christian families and churches are being called to provide clear, biblical answers in homes and communities. The rise of AI tools makes it more important than ever for believers to ground their faith in Scripture and sound doctrine.

Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.