I've seen this kind of thing in the past -- a deed for the church property in the pastor's name. I'm not sure why this is done; perhaps its customary in some denominations. In order to answer this question, you'd need to have someone review the deed to see how it lists the actual owner. If the property is truly in your father's name only, probably an estate needs to be opened for your father in order to convey the property to anyone, including members of your family. The church may have some type of "claim" as well to the property depending on the circumstances of it's use of the property. This really necessitates seeking out and retaining an attorney.
Answered on Apr 22nd, 2016 at 8:41 AM