A real friendly church, heh?

Loislaw Federal District Court Opinions
NUNN v. BLACK,
(1981)Civ. A. No. 80-0065
(D).January 14, 1981.

The plaintiffs in the present litigation are dissident members of the Church of God of Prophecy in Collinsville, Virginia. They bring this action against the General Trustees, the General Overseer of the Worldwide Church Organization, the State of Virginia General Overseer, the local church trustees, and the local minister, alleging that the plaintiffs were denied rights secured by the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments under color of state law. The jurisdiction of the court is invoked under 28 U.S.C. § 1343, with the plaintiffs seeking relief from alleged violations of their constitutional rights as provided by 42 U.S.C. § 1983. In general, the plaintiffs assert that they were unlawfully expelled from church membership at a congregational meeting and that they were later arrested for trespassing after having been warned to stay off the property.