(January 30, 2017, 10:28 AM EST) -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an initial brief filed Jan. 17 with the U.S. Supreme Court, the petitioners in consolidated Employee Retirement Income Security Act “church plan” cases say three circuit court rulings against them must be overturned because courts and federal agencies for decades have recognized that church agency organizations are exempt under ERISA’s church plan exemption (Saint Peter’s Healthcare System, et al. v. Laurence Kaplan, No. 16-86, Advocate Health Care Network, et al. v. Maria Stapleton, et al., No. 16-74, Dignity Health, et al. v. Starla Rollins, No. 16-258, U.S. Sup.; 2017 U.S. S. Ct. Briefs LEXIS 174)....