AUBURN — The feuding founders of a Turner church turned to the courts Tuesday to seek a temporary fix for their ongoing dispute. The judge's answer: Divide the church's weekend religious service hours between the two opposing factions.

Androscoggin County Superior Court Justice MaryGay Kennedy brokered the deal shortly before the closing of the courthouse by conducting a hearing via audio conference.

The majority of members and trustees of the Historic Seventh Day Bible Fellowship had filed a motion with the court for a preliminary injunction to allow them access to the church building at 106 Weston Road in Turner. Their attorney, John Conway, said there was a split, and one faction seized control of the church building by changing the locks and erecting barricades to keep others at bay.

"The majority of members and trustees have been denied access to their church," Conway told Kennedy. He said John Gray had sent a notice to other church members, including its pastor, to say he was evicting them from the building.

Reaching a decision on a motion without both parties present is "something we are loathe to do," Kennedy said. Conway later reached Gray by phone, allowing the audio conference.

Kennedy said ownership of the church building likely would be debated at a later date. The documents included in the court file didn't make it clear who had authority to exclude others from worship there. She said she hoped a mediator for the church at the regional or national level might help resolve issues around church leadership.

In the meantime, Kennedy told Conway and Gray that they had to reach a temporary compromise over church use or she would resort to a Solomonic solution: "I'm going to make an order to split that church right down the middle."

Conway and Gray settled on sharing use of the church to hold services at times when only one faction has exclusive occupancy of the building. Kennedy said she planned to sign an order on Wednesday that would allow Conway's clients to hold services there on Friday from 4 to 8 pm. and on Saturday from 12:30 to 5 p.m.

Gray offered to unlock the building for Conway's clients, but Conway balked at that suggestion. At Kennedy's suggestion, Gray is expected to give Conway a key to the new locks Friday.

"This is a temporary fix," Kennedy reminded both parties.

Conway said the congregants had fractured as of the middle of November, but the reason was not made clear Tuesday.

Jose Leiva/Sun Journal

The Historic Seventh Day Bible Fellowship Church in Turner.

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