Thursday, March 29, 2012

Churches Joining EPC Presbytery of the Mid Atlantic

Story from Website: Mid-Atlatic EPC Presbytery

Churches joining EPC from PCUSA

  • Asbury Presbyterian (Westfield, NC)
  • Darlington Presbyterian (Darlington, SC)
  • McBee Presbyterian (McBee, SC
  • Westminster Presbyterian (Florence, SC)
  • Norton Presbyterian (Norton, VA)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

As spring opens, more PCUSA dismissals bloom

From a Layman Story: As spring opens, more PCUSA dismissals bloom

Does anyone know which churches have RETURNED to PCUSA in the last 20 years?

Reuters Story: Presbyterian synod approves parish split with property The Rev. Gradye Parsons, the highest-ranking official in the church general assembly, said some congregations that have left the fold during the past 20 years have rejoined.

Did a whole church return? or just a small portion (so called "true church")?

ED: I found a new link to the same Reuters Story. for now.

Monday, March 26, 2012

I redid the statistics to base CPI adjustment to 2000 Dollars instead of 2010. (Click on pics to enlarge)

Sacramento Presbytery drives Fremont church to lawyers

Layman Story: Sacramento Presbytery drives Fremont church to lawyers

Churches Departing/Departed Presbytery of Sacramento.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Pennsylvania church joins eight others seeking dismissal from Shenango

Layman Story: Pennsylvania church joins eight others seeking dismissal from Shenango

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Monday, March 12, 2012

Statistics charts - Click for better image

Adjusted data - adjusted by CPI to all be in 2010 Dollars

2 Colorado Churches vote to split from PCUSA, 6 more evaluating

Pueblo Chieftain Story: A faith divided Rift over gay ordination threatens local churches

Chapel Hill of Gig Harbor, Wash accepts Dismissal

Layman Story: Washington church agrees to presbytery terms in latest dismissal ‘A sense of inevitability’
  • On March 1 voted unanimously to accept a dismissal agreement
  • Presbytery of Olympia
  • 1,600-members
  • Church keeps its property
  • $283,908 in four annual payments of $70,977
  • Expects to join Evangelical Presbyterian Church in June
  • Presbytery voted down 10A by a vote of 39-78
  • Presbytery to vote at April meeting

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Oregon Supreme Court: Hope Presbyterian Church of Rogue River v. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Lewis & Clark Law School Podcast: Oregon Supreme Court: Hope Presbyterian Church of Rogue River v. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Questions from the Audience Following Arguments The Oregon Supreme Court held a session at Lewis & Clark Law School to hear two cases. This case is Hope Presbyterian Church of Rogue River v. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). On review, the issues are:
  1. Whether Oregon follows the majority of states, which apply the “neutral principles” approach to church property disputes, or instead follows the minority of states, which apply the “hierarchical deference” approach to church property disputes.
  2. Whether the Court of Appeals correctly held that, based on the appropriate legal approach, a trust was created over all of plaintiff’s real and personal property, in a legally cognizable form.
  3. Whether the Court of Appeals erred in disregarding the distinction between the corporate owner of a church’s real and personal property, and a church congregation.
  4. Whether ORS 130.505(1) permits a corporation-settlor of an alleged trust to revoke that trust, when the terms of the trust do not expressly provide that it is irrevocable.
  5. Whether the effect of the decision of the Court of Appeals is to create a special class of religious trust, in contravention of Article I, Sections 2 and 3, of the Oregon Constitution..

More Colorado Presbyterian churches consider split

Gazette Story: More area Presbyterian churches consider split from organization

Eight churches in the region have expressed an interest in splitting from Presbyterian Church (USA), said Ronald Anderson, executive presbyter for the region that is based in Pueblo and spans much of southern Colorado. Those eight churches account for almost a fourth of the total churches in the Presbytery of Pueblo and make up more than half of the region’s total members.

Central Florida Presbytery says not so fast to First Presbyterian of Orlando

Central Florida Presbytery says not so fast to First Presbyterian
  • Central Florida Presbytery as postponed its decision until June.
  • First Presbyterian Church of Orlando
  • Jan 29 Vote: 1,759 to 185
  • unresolved issues:
    • 61 Members want to form their own church
    • on the division of personal property, such as hymnals
    • continue to use church facilities and resources
    • Senior Pastor David Swanson said his church has offered the members who want to remain with the PC(USA) space in the downtown campus, but the offer was declined.

Colorado Springs church votes to split PCUSA

Colorado Springs Gazette Story: Springs congregation votes to divorce Presbyterian sect

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Texas presbytery expels pastors from Hispanic churches

Layman Story: Texas presbytery expels pastors from Hispanic churches
  • Mission Presbytery immediately vacate church premises.
  • all three congregations had voted to be dismissed to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)
  • Mission Presbytery
  • El Principe de Paz Church in Mercedes (67)
  • Iglesia Presbyteriana Getsemani in San Benito (123)
  • Iglesia Presbyteriana San Pablo in Brownsville (30)

Colorado Springs 1st PCUSA considers split

First Pres considers split from national organization
  • One of the first in Colorado Springs, was founded in 1872.
  • about 4,000 members it is one of the largest in the country
  • It may seek to join the conservative Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO).
  • a non-technical vote at 3 p.m. Sunday in the downtown sanctuary
  • A team from Pueblo Presbytery will be at the meeting.
  • The session voted in January to recommend that the congregation request dismissal from PCUSA.

Presbylaw temporary site.

Announcement Policy

If you have comments, corrections, or updates to this website please email me: PRESBYLAW webmaster or leave a comment.

If you wish to make a church announcement of a vote or lawsuit, I will need to verify. You either need to send it via a email that I can publicly verify belongs to the church, or point to a website with a news story, or official church website. Contacting the layman may be a better route.

LINKS

TypeNameDescription
FEED PCUSA List Feed Atom Feed of Blog Posts
EMAIL PRESBYLAW webmaster Comments, corrections, updates
NEWS PRESBYWEB: Viewpoint PCUSA Property Trust History Disputed By Jeffrey C. Francis
PDF Memorial Park on Seperation Bulletin Insert for May 6th
Web Kirk's Legal Docs (pdfs) Kirk Of The Hills, Tulsa, OK
PDF PCUSA Articles of Incorporation Churches can't be a member of the PCUSA according to its own articles of incorporation
PDF Legal Strategy #1PC(USA)'s Legal Strategy for churches wanting to leave
PDF Presbyteries Process #2 PC(USA)'s Process for churches wanting to leave
Doc Secret Document #3 News about a third secret document
PDF Process Administrative Review Process from the Synod of the Northeast
PDF Presbytery Of New Covenant Process For Addressing Churches Seeking To Withdraw From PC(USA)
PDF Wabash Valley Presbytery Separatist Task Force
Doc PC(USA): Constitutional Musings: Note 12 Responding Pastorally to Troubled Churches
Doc PC(USA): Advisory Opinions: Note 02 Dissent and Defiance
Doc PC(USA): Advisory Opinions: Note 03 Administrative Commission
PDF PC(USA): Advisory Opinions: Note 11 Church Property
Doc PC(USA): Advisory Opinions: Note 17 Schism
Doc PC(USA): Advisory Opinions: Note 19 Implementing the Trust Clause for the Unity of the Church
Web Presbyterian Outlook Statement about resources prepared by the Constitutional Services Department and the Office of Legal Services at the General Assembly level of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Web Stated Clerk, GAC chief urge churches not to defect from PC(USA) We are better together in Christ's Unity
TypeNameDescription

PC(USA) News Service

Presbyterian Google News

IRD Presbyterian News

The Christian Post

Denominations

Denomination NameParentLocationSizeYear
United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. - UPCUSA(N) PUSA & UPCNA New York City8,909/2,342,4411958-1983
Presbyterian Church in United States (Confederate) - PCUS(S) Presbyterian Church in United States Atlanta, Ga.4,250/814,9311861-1983
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) PC(U.S.A) UPCUSA(N) & PCUS(S) Louisville, Kentucky11,596/3,122,213June 10, 1983
Evangelical Presbyterian Church EPC UPCUSA(N) & PCUS(S) Livonia, MI67/19,000 (1982)1980/1981
Presbyterian Church of America PCA PCUS(S) Lawrenceville, GA260/41,232May 18, 1973
Orthodox Presbyterian Church Presbyterian U.S.A. Willow Grove, PA 300/20,417 1936
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church Associate Presbytery/Reformed Presbytery Greenville, SC 250/40,392 1782

Links

LINKS

TypeNameDescription
News Crosswalk The Intersection of Faith and Life
News Church Report National business news magazine
NewsPC(USA) NewsPresbyterian Church (U.S.A.) News Service
NewsSave Hollywood PresLinks to news about PC(USA) Troubles
NewsThe Layman OnlineTHE News Source about PC(USA)
NewsLayman - propertyThe Layman - Property Issues Archive
Blog Reformed Pastor EPC Pastor - Church Planter
BlogFull Court PresbyPastor Lance's Blog to his Congregation about PUP etc.
BlogClassical PresbyterianBlogging for the Reformed Resistance in the PC(USA)
BlogAnderson SpeakCommentary on Faith, Christianity, and the PCUSA by Noel K. Anderson
BlogBayou Christian Bill Crawford, Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Thiboduax
Blogblog 137Pastor Dave Moody, Trinity United Presbyterian Church, Sparta, IL.
BlogTruth in Love NetworkA group of Presbyterian elders who are concerned with the direction of the PC(USA).
BlogMark D. RobertsProfessor & Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, CA
BlogInstitute on Religion and Democracy25 years of working to reform the social and political witness of American churches
Blog The Berkley Blog James D. Berkley, Director of Presbyterian Action
BlogTom's ThoughtsTom Gray, Co-Pastor, Kirk of the Hills, Tulsa, OK
WebStand to ReasonChristian Ambassadors for defense for classical Christianity
WebPresbyterian ForumWorking for reformation through overt political action
WebWiki:PresbyterianWikipedia's Presbyterian Overview
WebKirk Of The Hills, Tulsa, OKChurch in Tulsa, OK - Fighting for its Property.
WebKirk's Legal Docs (pdfs)Kirk Of The Hills, Tulsa, OK
WebKirk Docs (text)Kirk Of The Hills docs, Converted to text
PDFLegal Strategy #1PC(USA)'s Legal Strategy for churches wanting to leave
PDFPresbyteries Process #2PC(USA)'s Process for churches wanting to leave
DocSecret Document #3News about a third secret document
PicPresby Chart 1Chart showing the history of breakups and mergers (standard)
WebPresby Chart 2Presbyterian Church History-Lesson 13-An Overview of Contemporary American Presbyterianism
WebPresby Chart 3 (text)History of the Presbyterian Church (USA)
Web Presby Chart 4 Denomination Family Trees (Interactive)
WebPresby Chart 5 ARPC Denomination Family Tree
WebMaps of ReligionsList of Many Maps of 2000 Census Data on Religion
PicMap: CountyMap of Denominations by County
Pic Map: Presbyterian Map of Presbyterian's as percentage of Population
Web ARDA Association of Religion Data Archives
PPTReport on PUPNew Wineskin's Report on PUP
PDFReport on PUPNew Wineskin's Report on PUP
PDFBook of OrderOfficial PDF Copy of Book of Order for PC(USA)
PDFBook of ConfessionsOfficial PDF Copy of Book of Confessions for PC(USA)
WebAdvisory OpinionsPC(USA) Stated Clerk Advisory Opinions (not binding, nor authoritative)
WebPC(USA) Constitutional MusingsOffice of Constitutional Services - Unofficial Thoughts
WebPC(USA) Amicus Curiae BriefsStated Clerk & AC on Litigation - Friend of the Court Briefs
WebGAPJC PC(USA)PC(USA) General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission Decisions
WebPension Board PC(USA)PC(USA) Board of Pensions
WebFoundation PC(USA)Presbyterian Foundation, New Covenant Trust and New Covenant Mutual Funds
WebPC(USA) BOO AnnotatedPC(USA) Book of Order - Annotated
WebPresbyterian CoalitionWorking for a Revitalized Church
WebConfessing Church Movement1,314/434,697
WebNew WineskinsNew Wineskins Association of Churches(2001)
TypeNameDescription

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