Resurrection Lutheran Church’s leadership lawsuit ends, questions about its social services remain
- Mark Sabbatini
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Judge upholds finding by church’s governing body that new congregation council that ousted pastor was properly elected; dispute fueled by extent of help offered to homeless
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
A lawsuit between two groups claiming leadership of Resurrection Lutheran Church was brought to an end Monday by a judge, who upheld the removal of a former pastor and church president by a newer congregation council elected last year.
However, questions about what the dispute will mean for the church’s food assistance and other social services remain, parties involved in the litigation said Tuesday. RLC has in past years had a high community profile as a host of one of Juneau’s main food pantries and a former winter warming shelter for people experiencing homelessness, which has generated controversy among church members and neighbors.
The lawsuit was essentially nullified by a higher power — specifically, a finding in favor of the newer group by the Synod Council in Alaska for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, state Superior Court Judge Larry Woolford declared in an order Monday. The synod determined the election of a new congregation council and subsequent actions by its members were properly conducted, contrary to claims of former leadership alleging irregularities in the process.
"No neutral principle permits the court to ignore the procedure set out in the church's own governing documents, and no conceivable conception of this court's power allows it to regulate the mission and policies of this church in crisis," Woolford wrote.
"The parties must now follow the abiding and eternal commands of their shared faith, not the fleeting, worldly demands of this secular court."
The lawsuit was filed in the church’s name by Lisa Brendle, who asserted she replaced Karen Lawfer as the congregation president in a vote by the council in February of 2024. That vote and subsequent actions extending through June also resulted in Karen Perkins being removed as the pastor of the church, but the lawsuit claimed Perkins and Lawfer were continuing to perform their former roles after being removed.
A counterclaim was filed by Perkins, challenging her dismissal, against Brendle and other officials.
"There is clearly a substantive disagreement between congregational factions," Woolford wrote in a summary of the case facts preceding his ruling.
The competing court filings also contain a multitude of allegations against Brendle’s group such as theft of church funds, vandalism of church property and threats involving congregation council members. Woolford, in his ruling, stated "all, or nearly all, of the facts in (the accusors’) Statement of Facts are either explicitly contested, or unsupported speculation."
"The court can no more enforce a disputed vaguely worded anti-bullying provision than it can require the parties to follow the golden rule," he wrote.
Jeffery Troutt, an attorney representing Lawfer and Perkins, said in an interview Tuesday he disagrees with the judge’s assertions about the validity of the accusations and the synod’s determination about church leadership, but it is not known yet if the ruling will be appealed.
Perkins, whose husband Bradley remains active in the church’s social ministry activities and was also a party in the lawsuit, expressed similar uncertainty about future plans in a text message Tuesday.
"I was in shock and brokenhearted yesterday, and not ready to consider what’s next," she wrote. "We’ll have more clarity tonight after conversations with the many other people injured and/or involved."
Attempts by the Juneau Independent to contact Brendle on Tuesday were unsuccessful. Her attorney, Joe Geldhof, said in an interview Tuesday some legal and practical matters such as who has access to bank accounts and personal property at the church still need to be addressed. Church leaders also intend to continue scheduled upcoming events such as a free community meal scheduled Thanksgiving evening.
A years-long dispute about the church’s social ministry was at the heart of an ongoing dispute that resulted in the lawsuit. The church operates a weekly food pantry that currently provides groceries and hot meals to up to 300 people a week — one of the largest in Juneau, although its grocery offerings have been reduced and hot meals expanded during the past year due to shifts in supplies and staffing.
The church also operated a cold-weather winter shelter under a contract with the city for two years, before a bitterly divided congregation voted in 2023 not to seek a contract for a third winter. Some church members said the facilities were falling into disrepair due to abuse from shelter occupants — putting a strain on the church’s financial health — and some neighbors complained about vandalism and other trouble caused by people staying there.
The clash within the church was detailed by Alaska Synod Bishop Shelly Wickstrom in an "assessment and recommendations" report in March of 2023 that noted a decline in active membership, financial challenges, and the need for "clarity of vision and purpose."
"There is a false dichotomy festering between those who are energized by social ministry and those who hunger for more reverent worship who are assumed to be the bigger financial donors," Wickstrom wrote. "This is unhealthy for the congregation and reveals a lack of spiritual grounding."
The Synod Council would ultimately meet in September of 2024 "to adjudicate disagreements among members of the church," issuing the finding favoring Brendle, according to Woolford’s ruling.
Troutt said he worried about the impacts the ruling may have on people besides the participants in the lawsuit.
"I guess my main concern is going forward what's going to happen with my clients, especially the Perkins, and what's going to happen to the people that after Thanksgiving are not going to have a place to eat?" he said.
Brendle and other church officials also don’t intend to disrupt any upcoming events that people such as Lawfer may be involved in, Geldhof said.
"My instructions from…the legitimate council was if they've got something scheduled around Christmas don't be a jerk and say you can't do it," he said.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
