A Texas appeals court has temporarily halted proceedings in a high-profile lawsuit alleging defamation by Gateway Church, saying it will consider arguments that the case intrudes into constitutionally protected church autonomy.
If ultimately successful, those arguments could have wide implications for how far courts can go in reviewing interior communications inside a church relating to child abuse.
The Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas issued the stay Nov. 21, pausing the lawsuit between plaintiffs Cindy Clemishire and her father, Jerry Clemishire, and defendants Gateway Church and three of its independent elders…