Thursday, December 18, 2008

EOP Speaks Out.

From Layman Letters: No one is helped by the reporting of misinformation. - Craig Hoster Attorney for Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery and elder, Presbyterian Church (USA)

From EOP website: (News/Kirk)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 15, 2008

KIRK OF THE HILLS SETTLEMENT CONCLUDED

The settlement agreed upon among Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and Kirk of the Hills Corporation was concluded today with the closing of the sale of the church property by Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery to Kirk of the Hills Corporation. The judgment entered by Judge Jefferson Sellers in the long-running litigation filed by Kirk of the Hills in Tulsa County District Court has been released, and the appeal filed in the Oklahoma Supreme Court is being dismissed, in accordance with the settlement agreement reached among the parties. The church property, including real estate valued at $7.8 Million, plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal property, was sold to Kirk of the Hills Corporation for $1.75 Million.

"We have said since the day Kirk of the Hills filed this litigation against us, that there are no winners until the matter is resolved," stated Craig Hoster, attorney for Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery. "Despite the fact that the Court granted judgment in favor of the Presbytery, we have continuously sought resolution. Today, resolution was achieved."

Dr. Gregory Coulter, General Presbyter for the Presbytery, said, "We are relieved that this legal process is concluded and that both the Presbytery and the Kirk of the Hills may now focus again primarily on sharing the Gospel with a world in need of Good News. We wish our brothers and sisters at the Kirk every blessing in their service."

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Gregory Coulter
General Presbyter
Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery
918.582.3077
eop-greg@sbcglobal.net


ED: I find Craig Hoster's letter to be accurate - as far as it goes. As a lawyer, he does not address the underlying cause of the trouble, which is ecclesiastic. The "law" has been misused at the national level (AI's). The GA is a broken process.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Had the PCUSA followed its own "official" policies in the BOO regarding Scripture and sexual conduct the Kirk and many other churches would have felt no need to withdraw.

It has become increasingly apparent that no matter what the Bible says or how the people in the pews feel, the leadership of the PCUSA is going to remain ultra-liberal and try to impose its views upon those who remain in its clutches. Those who disagree or want to leave will be threatened with the enforcement of the property trust clause.

In another decade or so when most of the small, aging congregations are no longer able to support a pastor and maintain their buildings perhaps the PCUSA will face reality.

The denomination can't continue to lose members at the rate of 50,000 or more each year. The PCUSA is bleeding to death at an alarmingly rapid rate.

WIth the Kirk gone, EOP has only one large church (1st Pres. Tulsa) and a few medium churches. When one looks at the stats only 2 churches in EOP averaged more than 200 in Sunday worship for 2007--1st Pres. Tulsa with 771 and 1st Pres. Bartlesville with 207. Good Shepherd in Bartlesville with 177 and St. James in Jenks with 169 were next.

Over half the EOP churches have fewer than 50 members and dismal attendance, and several listed on the EOP website have been dissolved.

The future looks pretty bleak for both the PCUSA and EOP. Both are definitely at a crossroads and could very well die out in the next couple of decades unless a dramatic shift toward preaching the gospel and evangelism becomes primary.

The PCUSA-EOP chapter of the Kirk's history has come to a close. It's time to more on. I know there are some bitter feelings on both sides and that some of the Kirk members wanted to continue the court fight, but the vote was to settle.

It's over, brothers and sisters. The past is behind us and can't be changed. Let's be about the carrying out of the Great Commission. That is our calling, that is our purpose--nothing is more important than telling those who are lost in sin of God's offer of forgiveness and eternal life in heaven through Jesus Christ.

May God pour out His healing Holy Spirit upon us all as we celebrate the birth of His Son next week.

Peggy A. Alexander
Kirk of the Hills

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

Usage: This information, including formatting/html,..., may be used by other sites, without limit. In Fact, I hope somebody would take over, with more time on their hands.

Blog Archive