Court Order Issued to Stop Sale Of Historic Round Top Church

A temporary restraining order was filed last week to stop the sale of City of Refuge Holiness Church in Round Top.

Early last month the Record reported that the church was listed for sale at $2.2 million. City of Refuge Pastor Dorothy Shelby declined to discuss the sale with the newspaper. Nor would she say what will happen to the congregation or proceeds of the sale.

The 1.66 acres of prime real estate lies within the City of Round Top just across SH 237 from Round Top Mercantile.

According to court records, David Collins and Theresa Gonzales filed a lawsuit against Dorothy Shelby in the 155th District Court on Aug. 23.

The City of Refuge Church dates back to the 19th century. At that time it was known as Concord Missionary Baptist Church. It is one of the oldest African-American churches in Fayette County and the surrounding area. The Plaintiff’s Original Petition states that the land for the church was purchased by Collins’ relatives in 1882.

The lawsuit alleges that Shelby does not hold ownership interest in the land nor does she have the right to sign any deeds.

The petition states: “Plaintiff’s … believe that if the land is not used for church purposes, it reverts back to the original owners.”

District Judge Jeff Steinhauser signed a temporary restraining order on Aug. 26. The order temporarily stops any sale of the property until a hearing, which is set for Sept. 9 at 9 a.m.