Warren sheaf., 1915-12-01
SUPREME COURT DECIDES
sTRANDQUIsT. CHURCH CASE.
In Favor of Swedish Lutheran Con
gregation, Sustaining Decision of
Judge Grindeland.
From Minneapolis Journal:

f
Deciding a legal battle between two
factions of a country church in Mar
shall county the state supreme court
held that the majority of a church
congregation cannot divert the church
from the purposes set forth in the
articles of Incorporation. The church
property, it is held, takes on the ma
ture of trust. The supreme court
sustains the decision of Judge Andrew
Grindeland in giving certain plaintiffs
possession of the church, built by the
Mamrelund Swedish Evangelical Lu-
theran congregation in the town of
Lincoln, Marshall county.
Minority Wins Suit.
Five members of the church, four
OF them among the 21 members of
the congregation, Brought suit against
S. p. Nastrom, president and N. O.
Strandquist, secretary of the corpora
tion, and leaders of the faction in con-
troll of the church. The testimony
shows that the church was built and
incorporated in 1906, using the form
established by the Augustana synod,
but not directly affiliated with the
synod. However, the articles provided
that the church should adhere to the
orthodox doctrine" of the Lutheran
church.
Early in 1911 the schism began to
develop, after Rev. C. G. Gronberg
had been called as pastor. The dis
senting faction, the plaintiffs claim,
locked the others out of the church on
March 26, and again on May 7, and
finally assumed possession of the pro-
perty, barring Mr. Gronberg and
bringing in Rev. John Olson, Rev.
John t. Pohlhammar and Rev. Werner
Drotts at various times as preachers.
Barred With Firearms.
Testimony was given that when the
dissenting members held the church
and excluded the .Lutherans, the men
who held the church were armed with
firearms and other weapons"
The ministers brought in are mem
bers of the Evangelical Mission Cove
nant of North America, also known as
Mission Friends, a strong denomina-
tion represented in Minneapolis by the
Swedish Mission tabernacle and other
Ichurches. This sect, it's alleged, does
not adhere to certain doctrines Of the
Lutheran church. Therefore the court
holds that the officers of the church
have violated the act of incorporation
and have been guilty Of an ttunwar-
ranted diversion of the church proper
ty."
Though all but 4 Of the 81 members
of the church corporation side with
the Mission Friends, they are requir-
ed to yield possession of the church
to adherents and pastors of the Lu-
theran belief.
Courts Decision.
ions Lindstrom, ct al, respondents VS.
Lars M. Tell, ct. al. appellants.
Syllabus: First Defendant church
corporation was formed to establish
and maintain church which should
adhere to the orthodox doctrines of
the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran
church. The society Of Mission
Friends rejects many of these ortho-
dox doctrines. The individual& defen-
dants, though members Of defendant
church, are adherents Of the society
of Mission Friends. The court found
that they wrongfully excluded from
the church regularly called pastor of
the Lutheran faith and those who de-
sired to hear him. The finding is sus-
tained by the evidence.
| Second-The evidence also sustains
a finding that these defendants placed
in the pulpit Of the church'as its reg
ular pastors, ministers, of the dcncm-
iration of Mission Friends, who
taught it's teachings and adhered To
its forms, and rejected many of the
teachings and ceremonials Of the Lu-
theran church. Such acts constituted
an unwarranted diversion of the
church property.
Third Where a church corporation
is formed for the purpose of promot-
ing certain defined doctrines of reli-
gious faith which are set forth in it's
corporate articles, the church proper
ty which it acquires is impressed with
a trust to carry out that purpose and
a majority of the congregation can
not divert the property to other in
consistent uses against the protest OF
a minority, however small
Fourth-The court found that the
action of defendants constituted a
/ schism in the church and that defen.
dants had separated themselves there
/ from. The evidence sustains the find
ing. In the event of a schism in a
church, any church property devoted
to the propagation of particular doc.
trines remains with the organization
that remains loyal to those doctrines