Article April 22, 1985 Issue

FROM THE DIRECTORS

The Mother Church will appeal the "Plainfield case" decision

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

In mid-1983 the Chancery Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey ruled that a church not affiliated with The Mother Church cannot use the term "Christian Science" as a primary part of its name. (For more background on this so-called Plainfield case see "From the Directors" in the Christian Science Sentinel of August 8, 1983, p. 1357.)

In a split decision (two to one) an intermediate appellate court in New Jersey has now reversed this decision, holding that "Christian Science" is a "generic" term in the public's mind, not necessarily implying affiliation with The Mother Church.

The one dissenting judge in the appellate court emphasized that there is substantial evidence to support the conclusion of the earlier trial judge that Christian Science is "not a generic term but rather one which denotes a relationship with the mother church and that the use thereof by defendants [the Plainfield organization] is likely to cause confusion as to the relationship between the two groups."

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