A historic church in downtown Oklahoma City is having trouble leaving its denomination.The two sides are disagreeing over what’s at the center of the fight. Now, First Church is suing the Oklahoma Annual Conference — a branch of the United Methodist Church — over the battle.| MORE | 55 United Methodist churches will sever ties with denominationA 94-page petition by the First Church in downtown OKC detailed how they believe they’re being singled out by the conference in slowing their disaffiliation, but the conference claimed there are concerns about the church they want to look into.First Church said they’ve been in the process of leaving the United Methodist denomination for months. The majority of their congregation voted to leave the UMC, but now, they are waiting for an official vote that’s been postponed by the conference."Churches have done this seamlessly, so what’s the hold up with First Church? There has to be some other ulterior motive behind why we’re not being allowed to proceed," said Hardy Patton, a member of First Church who serves on the trustee committee.The conference said they have “legitimate concerns” about First Church’s financial and ministerial viability, and they have the right to investigate these things before approving an official vote to take place and leave the conference. The church said they have a clean track record."The conference can choose to close us if they want to, based on reasons they call viability. However, this church has been an active, vibrant church for 134 years, paying all of our bills, doing ministry on a daily basis with the community," Patton said.Now, the church believes greed could be the driving factor of the deal, calling the slow process a property dispute and claiming the conference wants their building, one that’s historical and in the heart of downtown.| MORE | OKC church's congregation votes to disaffiliate from United Methodist Church"We can’t see another true motive for this. We just don’t understand why else they wouldn’t allow us to proceed through the normal disaffiliation process and they do stand they gain the building and thus all the historical nature of that building, if we’re forced to close or not allowed to move forward as we had hoped," Patton said.The conference combatted this claim, with Bishop James Nunn saying, "The issue is not about property. It is about ensuring we are responsible to the conference and following the processes that are in place."He goes on to call the lawsuit a distraction. A court will hear it in July.Top HeadlinesPolice investigating possible murder-suicide linked with motorcycle crash along OKC interstateOHP: 20-year-old Oklahoma City man killed in motorcycle crash involving semitrailer in Lincoln CountyTwo arrested after over 100 animal carcasses found on Muskogee County propertyPolice respond after OKC resident finds believed artillery shell in gardenTwo dead after vehicle submerges into Lake of the Arbuckles off boat ramp