Isabelle Collins v. The Greater True Love Baptist Church of Baton Rouge & Jerry Ewing Chariman of the Deacon Board

STATE OF LOUISIANA
COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

ISABELLE COLLINS NO. 2026 CW 0629
VERSUS PAGE 1 OF 2

THE GREATER TRUE LOVE

BAPTIST CHURCH OF BATON

ROUGE & JERRY EWING CHAIRMAN AUGUST 28, 2026
OF THE DEACON BOARD

In Re: The Greater True Love Baptist Church of Baton Rouge and
Jerry Ewing, applying for supervisory writs, 19th
Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge, No.
753954.

BEFORE: McCLENDON, C.J., WOLFE, HESTER, MILLER AND STROMBERG, JJ.

WRIT GRANTED IN PART AND DENIED IN PART. The trial court's
April 24, 2026 judgment denying the peremptory exception of lack
of subject matter jurisdiction filed by defendants, The Greater
True Love Baptist Church of Baton Rouge and Jerry Ewing, is
reversed, in part, as to plaintiff’s claims that defendants denied
her access to the pastor's study and improperly unveiled the
pastor's chair, thereby causing her emotional distress.

The protections afforded by the First Amendment to the United
States Constitution and article I, section 8 of the Louisiana
Constitution prohibit civil courts from resolving disputes that
require interpretation of religious doctrine or interference with
matters of internal church governance. Fairfield Pentecostal
Church v. Johnson, 2015-68 (La. App. 3d Cir. 6/3/15), 170 So.3d
357, writ denied, 2015-1531 (La. 10/23/15), 179 So.3d 607.
Accordingly, civil courts are prohibited from adjudicating
ecclesiastical matters, including those concerning religious
discipline, rule, custom, or law. LeBlanc v. Davis, 432 So.2d 239,
241 (La. 1983). This prohibition, however, is not absolute. Where
a dispute may be resolved through the application of neutral
principles of law without interpreting or evaluating religious
doctrine or practice, Civil courts retain subject matter
Jurisdiction. Id.

Resolution of plaintiff's claims, alleging that she was
denied access to the pastor's study and that defendants improperly
unveiled the pastor's chair causing plaintiff emotional distress,
require judicial inguiry into matters of internal church
governance, administration, and custom, rather than the
application of neutral principles of law. See Glass v. First United
Pentecostal Church of DeRidder, 95-1442 (La. App. 3d Cir. 6/12/96),
676 So.2d 724. Therefore, we find that the trial court has no
subject matter jurisdiction over these claims. Accordingly, the
exception of lack of subject matter Jurisdiction filed by
defendants, The Greater True Love Baptist Church of Baton Rouge
and Jerry Ewing, is granted, in part, as to these claims, which
are dismissed without prejudice.

STATE OF LOUISIANA
COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

No. 2026 CW 0629

PAGE 2 OF 2

Plaintiff's claim that defendants made defamatory statements
about her, thereby causing emotional distress, however, may be
resolved through the application of neutral principles of law
without requiring interpretation of religious doctrine or church
governance. Accordingly, the writ is denied as to this claim.

PMc
EW

CHH

TPS

Miller, J., dissents and would deny the writ, finding that
the exception of lack of subject matter jurisdiction should not be
granted in part.

COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

CLERK OF C
FOR THE COURT