Top court postpones ruling over Hispanic church closure

Key points:

• The United Methodist Judicial Council will continue deliberations on Nov. 16 concerning a decision of law by California-Pacific Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank.
• The bishop’s decision is regarding the closure of La Trinidad United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. 
• The church court issued memorandums on two other matters during its fall meeting Oct. 21-23.

The United Methodist Judicial Council has postponed a ruling related to a dispute over a church closing in California, but issued two memorandums on other agenda items during its Oct. 21-23 fall meeting. 

The denomination’s top court did hold a scheduled Oct. 22 oral hearing on Zoom concerning a decision of law by United Methodist Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank, who leads the denomination’s California-Pacific Annual Conference, regarding the closure of La Trinidad United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. 

But Judicial Council members agreed Oct. 23 to continue deliberations at 10 a.m. Nov. 16.

The Judicial Council continues its review of this matter and is not yet in a position to issue a decision, the council stated. The council will reconvene on Nov. 16 for further consideration of the parties’ submissions and statements at the oral hearing. A ruling may not be issued on that date but will be sent to all parties promptly once the decision is reached.

In other business, the Judicial Council gave further direction, in Memorandum 1524, to the Southeastern Jurisdiction Committee on Appeals related to the membership case in the Western North Carolina Annual Conference. 

The council’s earlier Memorandum 1522 had asked the appeals committee to provide a more complete ruling on the procedural fair process issues raised in the appeal and determine whether the right of appeal had been forfeited. 

In Memorandum 1524, the Judicial Council asks the committee on appeals to comply with Memorandum 1522 by issuing a new decision on the procedural fair process issues within three months.

Memorandum 1525 responds to a request for a declaratory decision submitted by the New England Annual Conference regarding the resident bishop’s handling of two complaints received in February 2025.

Judicial Council stated it does not have jurisdiction to decide the issues in the request for declaratory decision. 

Bloom is a retired assistant news editor for UM News. She lives in New York.

News media contact: Julie Dwyer at newsdesk@umnews.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.