Term Limits OKd for Church Elders

A Superior Court judge sided Friday with parishioners who voted last month to set term limits for their church’s elders.

Judge Richard W. Luesebrink ruled against four elders of Bethel Korean Church, who had sought to nullify the congregation’s vote amending the church’s constitution. Among other things, the changes would limit elders to two three-year terms.

Luesebrink’s ruling, said Micheal Fitzgerald, an attorney for the church and senior pastor Peter Sohn, means the elders will be removed from their positions, since all have served more than six years.

Lawyers for the elders said the judge’s decision is only a setback. His clients will take the case to trial, said attorney Robert Younger.

The elders--similar to a company’s board of directors--have collected letters from more than 600 congregants who said they disagreed with last month’s vote, Younger said.

Luesebrink’s decision “now, hopefully, has eliminated any discord within the church,” Fitzgerald said. “The church can now concentrate on church’s business, now that the authority . . . has been returned to the congregation.”

Bethel is one of the largest Korean churches in the county, with more than 3,000 members. The church has experienced an internal tug-of-war since April, when members voted 919 to 42 to amend its constitution. Last month, the congregation voted again--679 to 201--to limit the terms of the elders.

Under the old constitution, elders can serve an indefinite number of terms.

The elders contend the vote was illegal, under the old constitution, because it was passed without the required two-thirds of the six-member governing board, which includes the elders.

Friday’s hearing upheld the May vote.