Opinion by
11 Plaintiff/Appellant Todd Trice (Plaintiff) seeks review of the trial court's order granting the motion for summary judgment of Defendants/Appellees Jeff L. Burress and Wesley United Methodist Church of Shawnee (individually, Burress and Wesley, or collectively, Church) on Plaintiff's defamation (slander) claim. In this proceeding, Plaintiff asserts the trial court erred as a matter of both fact and law in so disposing of his claim. Having reviewed the record, the order of the trial court is affirmed.
T2 Burress served as Senior Minister at Wesley. Plaintiff was a member of the Wesley congregation and Wesley employed him as Youth Director. On or about August 21, 2002, Wesley's governing board voted to terminate Plaintiff's employment.
T3 On August 21, 20083, Plaintiff filed his petition to commence the instant action. In the petition, Plaintiff alleged that he "was employed as the Youth Director at Wesley until August 21, 2002 when he was terminated for reasons which are not clear to him;" but, that "[slubsequent to that time, Burress, acting in his capacity as Senior Minister of Wesley, told persons in the Church and in the community that [Plaintiff] was terminat*1256ed from his job because he was questioning his sexuality." Plaintiff asserted Burress' statements constituted slander and claimed actual and punitive damages for defamation.
T4 Church answered, denying the statements were made. Alternatively, Church asserted the statements were true or made on a conditionally privileged occasion.
T5 Church then filed a motion for summary judgment. To the motion, Church attached evidentiary materials showing Plaintiffs continued membership at Wesley after his termination, and the deposition testimony of Lauren Heer, a young member of Wesley, allegedly the only person to whom Burress published the "questioning his sexuality" statement some six months after Plaintiff's termination.
T6 In support of its motion, Church asserted, inter alia, that the statement by Bur-ress concerned the internal discipline of an existing member, and that the statement was published by Burress to only one member of the Church, all other publications having been by Plaintiff. So, said Church, it was shielded from liability by the free-exercise-of-religion clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. See, Hadnot v. Show, 1992 OK 21, ¶ 26, 826 P.2d 978, 9871; Guinn v. Church of Christ of Collinsville, 1989 OK 8, ¶ 21, 775 P.2d 766, 774.2 Alternatively, Church argued, the alleged statement by Burress to other member(s) of the congregation regarding Plaintiff's termination constituted privileged communication(s) on matters of common interest. See, 50 Am.Jur.2d, Libel and Slander, § 340.3 See also, Restatement of Laws, Second, Torts 2d, § 596 (1977), comment (e)4
T7 Plaintiff responded, objecting to Chureh's motion for summary judgment. Plaintiff contested the allegation of a single publication by Burress, pointing to the deposition testimony of Ms. Heer which arguably showed the presence of one or two other young members of the congregation at the time Burress made the alleged defamatory statement. Plaintiff also adduced notes from the meeting of Wesley's governing board arguably demonstrating his termination for *1257breach of policy and procedure governing the conduct and financing of youth outings, and further argued that Burress' statement did not consequently concern the imposition of discipline for violation of any ecclesiastical doctrine of the Methodist Church. So, said Plaintiff, Burress's statement stood outside First Amendment protections. Guinn, 1989 OK 8, ¶ 34, 775 P.2d at 779, fa. 48.
8 On consideration of the parties' submissions and argument, the trial court granted judgment to Church, finding:
... [Als a matter of law, the alleged statement attributed to Defendants is not slander per se; and ... the alleged statement attributed to Defendant Rev. Jeff Burress was allegedly made to a church member about a terminated staff member, who was also a church member; accordingly, the alleged statement is constitutionally protected. See Guinn v. Church of Christ of Collinsville, 1989 OK 8, 775 P.2d 766.
Plaintiff appeals,5 and the matter stands submitted for accelerated review on the trial court record.6
19 "Summary judgment is appropriate only where there are no material facts in dispute and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Wathor v. Mutual Assur. Adm'rs, Inc., 2004 OK 2, ¶ 4, 87 P.3d 559, 561. "As this decision involves purely legal determinations, our standard of review of a trial court's grant of summary judgment is de novo." Id. That is, "this Court will examine pleadings and evidentiary materials to determine what facts are material and whether there is substantial controversy as to one material fact," and "[wle review all inferences and conclusions to be drawn from underlying facts contained in evidentiary materials in a light most favorable to the party opposing the motion." Sperling v. Marler, 1998 OK 81, ¶ 3, 963 P.2d 577, 579; Wathor, 2004 OK 2, ¶ 4, 87 P.3d at 561. "If substantial controversy as to a material fact exists," or "[1lf the uncontroverted facts support legitimate inferences favoring well-pleaded theory of the party against whom the judgment is sought or if the judgment is contrary to substantive law, the judgment will be reversed." Sperling, 1998 OK 81, ¶ 3, 963 P.2d at 579; Wathor, 2004 OK 2, ¶ 4, 87 P.3d at 561.
110 "In order to recover for defamation, a private figure must prove (1) a false and defamatory statement, (2) an unprivileged publication to a third party, (3) fault amounting at least to negligence on the part of the publisher; and (4) either the actionability of the statement irrespective of special damage, or the existence of special damage caused by the publication." Mitchell v. Griffin Television, L.L.C., 2002 OK CIV APP 115, ¶ 5, 60 P.3d 1058, 1061. "A publication is actionable per se only when the language used is susceptible of but one meaning, and that an opprobrious one." Krebsbach v. Henley, 1986 OK 58, ¶ 18, 725 P.2d 852, 856. If the statement "has no overt opprobrious connotations," and "[ainy defamatory meaning ... come[s] in the form of insinuation from the language," "[this places the allegation in the realm of slander per quod," requiring the pleading and proof of special damages. Krebsbach, 1986 OK 58, ¶¶ 18, 19, 725 P.2d at 856.
111 In the present case, Burress denied he ever made the complained-of statement, but Plaintiff presented evidentiary materials demonstrating a publication of the allegedly defamatory statement to at least one parishioner. But, Plaintiff neither plead nor presented evidentiary materials arguably demonstrating actionable special damages to support a claim of defamation per quod.7 *1258For purposes of the following discussion only, however, we assume the statement was published and constitutes slander per se.
112 The free-exercise-of-religion clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees a church the right, without fear of judicial interference, to impose on its members discipline for breach of ecclesiastical doctrine so long as the member remains a member of the church. Guinn, 1989 OK 8, ¶ 21, 775 P.2d at 774.8 Consequently, "[tlhe First Amendment will protect and shield the religious body from [tort] liability for the activities carried on pursuant to the exercise of church discipline," and "(whithin the context of ecclesiastical discipline, churches enjoy an absolute privilege from serutiny by the secular authority." Hadnot, 1992 OK 21, ¶ 26, 826 P.2d at 987; Guinn, 1989 OK 8, 121, 775 P.2d at 774. Only where the imposition of ecclesiastical discipline poses an immediate threat to "the public safety, peace or order" is the mantle of absolute constitutional privilege shed. Guinn, 1989 OK 8, ¶¶ 14, 18, 775 P.2d at 770-771, 773.
{13 Plaintiff argued, however, that the First Amendment offered no protection to defamatory statements unrelated to church discipline. In support, Plaintiff pointed to both Guinn and Hadnot recognizing that, "'Tulnder the banner of the First Amendment provisions on religion, a clergyman may not with impunity defame a person, intentionally inflict serious emotional harm on a parishioner, or commit other torts," and that, "(alt the point when the church-member relationship is severed through an affirmative act either of a parishioner's withdrawal or of excommunication by the ecclesiastical body, ..., the absolute privilege from tort liability no longer attaches." Guinn, 1989 OK 8, ¶ 34, 775 P.2d at 779, fu. 48; Hadnot, 1992 OK 21, 182, 826 P.2d at 989. So, said Plaintiff, because Burress's statement came six months after the termination decision and did not accurately convey the governing board's professed reasons for his termination, the First Amendment bar recognized in Guinn and Hadnot did not apply.
114 We disagree. The statement of which Plaintiff complained related to the ostensible reason for his termination, conveyed from the pastor to a member of the congregation concerning the conduct of another member. At least one court has specifically held that statements by and between church members "relat[ing] to the Chureh's reasons and motives for terminating [parishioners'] membership" "require an impermissible inquiry into Church disciplinary matters," and that the First Amendment precludes a member's defamation "claim [which] clearly involves an internal conflict within the Church." Schoenhals v. Mains, 504 N.W.2d 233, 236 (Minn.App.1998). We are persuaded that examination of Burress's statement in the present case likewise requires an impermissible inquiry into Church disciplinary matters, barred by the First Amendment.
115 Even if not absolutely barred by the First Amendment, Church is shielded from tort liability by a conditional or qualified privilege. In addition to the absolute immunity afforded by the First Amendment, a church or other religious organization ordinarily bears no tort liability for statements by or between church officers or members concerning the conduct of other officers or members, because "communications between members of a religious organization concerning the conduct of other members or officers in their capacity as such are qualifiedly privileged" as matters affecting a common interest or purpose. 50 Am.Jur.2d, Libel and Slander, § $40; Restatement of Torts 2d, § 596, comment (e). This is especially so where "the publication is made in response to a request rather than volunteered by the publisher." Restatement of Torts 2d, § 595(2)(a). So, where the alleged *1259defamatory statements are exchanged by or between members of the congregation during or as result of either a church's decision to employ, retain or terminate a clergyman or lay employee, or a church's review of the performance of a clergyman or lay employee, the conditional privilege shields the church from lability for defamation. See, eg., State ex rel. Gaydos v. Blaeuer, 81 S.W.3d 186 (Mo.App.2002)9; Singleton v. Christ the Servant Evangelical Lutheran Church, 541 N.W.2d 606 (Minn.App.1996)10; Joiner v. Weeks, 383 So.2d 101 (La.App.1980) 11; Rankin v. Phillippe, 206 Pa.Super. 27, 211 A.2d 56 (1965)12; Slocinski v. Radwan, 83 N.H. 501, 144 A. 787 (1929).13
' 16 In the present case, a member of the congregation asked Burress, the congregation's minister, why Plaintiff had been terminated, or, in other words, requested information concerning Plaintiffs conduct or qualifications for office. The complained-of statement occurred in the course of Bur-ress's response to his parishioner's inquiry, that is, during an exchange between one member of the congregation and another member of the congregation concerning the acts of a third member of the congregation. The uncontroverted evidence thus demonstrates publication of the complained-of statement occurred on a conditionally privileged occasion, and the record contains no evidence even remotely suggesting the destruction of the conditional or qualified privilege by abuse or malice. See, Restatement of Torts 2d, § 599, comment (a)14; Wright *1260v. Haas, 1978 OK 109, ¶ 8, 586 P.2d 1093, 1097 15; Beshiers v. Allen, 1915 OK 182, ¶ 0(1), 148 P. 141.16
{ 17 We consequently hold neither Burress nor Wesley bear any liability in tort for defamation, Church enjoying either the First Amendment's absolute protection of ecclesiastical discipline, or the qualified protection of comments on matters of common concern. The trial court did not err in granting judgment to Church. The order of the trial court is therefore AFFIRMED.
BELL, P.J., concurs, and HANSEN, J., concurs in result.