The Historical Roots of Maryland Church Law
Maryland’s law concerning Churches and Religious Corporations grows out of the State’s history of religious freedom, which is the oldest such tradition in the Nation. The General Assembly of Maryland, meeting in St. Mary’s City, adopted The Act of Toleration (formally “An Act Concerning Religion”) on April 21, 1649. This Act secured religious freedom for all Christians “inhabiting, residing, trafficking, trading or commercing within this Province.” The Act established both policy and protection for religious worship: And whereas the enforcing of the conscience in matters of religion hath frequently fallen out to be of dangerous consequence in those commonwealths…