State Sen. William Mims

Washington—A Virginia lawmaker has withdrawn a proposed bill that would have allowed churches to more easily leave their denominations with their property intact.

Critics said the bill, sponsored by state Sen. William Mims, would entangle the government in internal church disputes — especially churches where conservatives would like to break away over disputes on homosexuality.

Mims, a Republican and Episcopalian, sent the bill back to a committee that is no longer considering legislation, which effectively killed it. However, he said he would bring up the issue again next year.

“We are incapable of handling legislation that is exceptionally complex or on which there has been exceptional confusion,” Mims said, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Courts have traditionally ruled that local parishes hold their property “in trust” for their denominations and must leave it behind if they want to break away. Mims’ bill would have allowed churches to keep property if at least 10 congregations or 10 percent of a diocese voted to secede.

Mims’ parish, the Church of the Holy Spirit in Ashburn, VA, is a satellite branch of Truro (Episcopal) Church, a bulwark of opposition to an openly gay Episcopal bishop. Both churches have signed on as members of a conservative network of dioceses and churches.

Mims said secular judges should not defer to church laws on the matter, and said the state’s “archaic” laws need to be updated. Others, however, said the state has no business meddling in church disputes.

“There are some areas we should just stay away from,” state Sen. Edward Houck, a Democrat, said, according to the Times-Dispatch.