| 25-849 |
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops v. David O'Connell |
District of Columbia |
2026-01-15 |
Pending |
Amici (15)Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) |
church-autonomy constitutional-claims legal-defense neutral-principles religious-offering state-power |
For over 1,000 years, Catholics have given an annual offering to the Pope called Peter's Pence. A parishoner claims he was misled during Mass by an in… |
| 25-807 |
Will McRaney v. The North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Incorporated |
Fifth Circuit |
2026-01-08 |
Denied |
Amici (1)Response Waived |
church-autonomy civil-law-claims internal-affairs ministerial-exception religious-institution self-governance |
Does the church autonomy doctrine apply to, and foreclose, civil law claims which are not disputes about the internal affairs or self-governance of a … |
| 25-755 |
The Society of Apostolic Church Ministries Bishop, Elizabeth Gardner Corporation Sole and Her Successors v. United States |
Ninth Circuit |
2025-12-29 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
church-autonomy church-property first-amendment fourteenth-amendment government-interference ministerial-exemption property-seizure religious-freedom-restoration-act |
I. Whether the Ninth Circuit permitted the government to violate the First Amendment of the Constitution, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Estab… |
| 25-703 |
Calvary Chapel San Jose, et al. v. California, et al. |
California |
2025-12-17 |
Pending |
Amici (7) |
church-autonomy covid-restrictions excessive-fines free-exercise-clause religious-liberty strict-scrutiny |
At issue in this case is the ability of government to referee religious services in a house of worship. Government officials in California imposed COV… |
| 25-634 |
Family Federation for World Peace and Unification International, et al. v. Hyun Jin Moon, et al. |
District of Columbia |
2025-12-03 |
Denied |
|
church-autonomy church-leadership first-amendment neutral-principles property-dispute religious-entanglement |
Where necessary to resolve a church-property dispute, does the First Amendment prohibit courts from examining church-related facts to determine who le… |
| 25A329 |
Family Federation for World Peace and Unification International, et al. v. Hyun Jin Moon, et al. |
District of Columbia |
2025-09-22 |
Presumed Complete |
|
church-autonomy doctrinal-interpretation first-amendment hierarchical-organization judicial-review religious-freedom |
Whether the First Amendment forbids a court from deciding whether a denomination is hierarchical when it asserts that the church-autonomy doctrine mak… |
| 24A54 |
The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago v. Janay E. Garrick |
Seventh Circuit |
2024-07-17 |
Presumed Complete |
|
church-autonomy employment-discrimination first-amendment judicial-interference religious-liberty title-vii |
Question not identified. |
| 23A837 |
Centura Health Corporation, a Colorado Non-Profit Corporation, et al. v. Barbara Morris, M.D. |
Colorado |
2024-03-12 |
Presumed Complete |
|
church-autonomy declaratory-judgment employment-termination first-amendment pretext religious-organization |
(1) Under the church-autonomy doctrine, can a jury determine whether a doctor violated her employer's policies, where the doctor's underlying conduct … |
| 22-824 |
The Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, et al. v. Alexander Belya |
Second Circuit |
2023-03-01 |
Denied |
Amici (8)Relisted (3) |
church-autonomy defamation-claims first-amendment immunity internal-disputes judicial-interference liability ministerial-exception religious-leadership religious-liberty |
I. Whether the First Amendment's church autonomy doctrine and its "ministerial exception" should be understood as an immunity from judicial interferen… |
| 22-741 |
Faith Bible Chapel International v. Gregory Tucker |
Tenth Circuit |
2023-02-08 |
Denied |
Amici (12)Relisted (4) |
church-autonomy civil-rights due-process employment-discrimination first-amendment free-speech interlocutory-appeal judicial-immunity ministerial-exception religion-clauses religious-freedom standing |
I. Whether the First Amendment's "ministerial exception" should be understood as an immunity from judicial interference in church employment decisions… |
| 21-164 |
Trustees of the New Life In Christ Church v. City of Fredericksburg, Virginia |
Virginia |
2021-08-04 |
Denied |
Amici (6)Relisted (10) |
church-autonomy church-state-separation civil-authority civil-rights establishment-clause first-amendment free-speech ministerial-exception ministerial-exemption property-tax religious-doctrine religious-freedom |
Virginia law provides an exemption from property taxes for "[r]eal property and personal property owned by churches * * * and exclusively occupied or … |
| 20-261 |
Jeff Schulz, et al. v. Presbytery of Seattle. et al. |
Washington |
2020-09-02 |
Denied |
Amici (3)Relisted (3) |
church-autonomy church-property-disputes civil-procedure constitutional-law denominational-authority denominational-dispute first-amendment free-exercise property-ownership religious-freedom |
In a dispute between a local congregation and its former denomination over ownership of property to which the local congregation holds legal title, do… |
| 19-1253 |
Kenneth Shelton v. Anthonee Patterson |
Pennsylvania |
2020-04-28 |
Denied |
Response RequestedResponse WaivedRelisted (2) |
church-autonomy church-governance church-leadership civil-magistrate civil-rights first-amendment free-speech leadership-selection neutral-principles religious-freedom |
Whether a church's First Amendment rights are violated when, under the guise of "neutral principles," a civil magistrate selects the leadership of the… |
| 18A1261 |
Marcus Turner, Sr., et al. v. Alva C. Hines, et al. |
District of Columbia |
2019-06-04 |
Presumed Complete |
|
church-autonomy civil-courts ecclesiastical-abstention fiduciary-duties first-amendment religious-doctrine |
Question not identified. |
| 18-1441 |
Presbyterian Church U.S.A. v. Brian Edwards, Judge, Jefferson Circuit Court, et al. |
Kentucky |
2019-05-17 |
Denied |
Relisted (2) |
church-autonomy church-constitution civil-rights defamation ecclesiastical-abstention first-amendment free-speech ministerial-role religious-doctrine supremacy-clause |
Whether, under the Supremacy Clause, the First Amendment requires state courts, despite their own procedures, to dismiss suits immediately upon a show… |
| 18-1151 |
St. Augustine School, et al. v. Carolyn Stanford Taylor, in Her Official Capacity as Superintendent of Public Instruction, et al. |
Seventh Circuit |
2019-03-06 |
GVR |
Relisted (2) |
church-autonomy denominational-affiliation employment-division-v-smith faith-tradition free-exercise free-exercise-clause government-benefits religion-clauses religious-adherent religious-autonomy religious-liberty trinity-lutheran trinity-lutheran-v-comer |
1. Whether the Free Exercise Clause prohibits the government from requiring a religious adherent to choose between following his or her faith traditio… |
| 18-921 |
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Juan, Puerto Rico v. Yali Acevedo Feliciano, et al. |
Puerto Rico |
2019-01-16 |
GVR |
CVSGAmici (5)Relisted (16) |
church-autonomy church-hierarchy church-structure civil-courts civil-rights ecclesiastical-rights ecclesiastical-structure establishment-clause first-amendment free-speech religious-organization |
Whether the First Amendment empowers courts to override the chosen legal structure of a religious organization and declare all of its constituent part… |
| 18-826 |
Kenneth Shelton v. Anthonee Patterson |
Pennsylvania |
2019-01-02 |
Denied |
Response Waived |
church-autonomy first-amendment hosanna-tabor hosanna-tabor-v-eeoc intra-church-disputes intra-church-litigation jones-v-wolf judicial-scrutiny leadership-succession neutral-principles religious-dispute serbian-eastern-orthodox-diocese-v-milivojevich |
Whether this Court should clarify Jones v. Wolf and Hosanna-Tabor v. E.E.O.C., given the doctrinal uncertainty and unpredictability reflected in incon… |