Organize the web stories, info on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) troubles: Property Ownership, Church Withdrawals, Ordination Standards, Hierarchical vs. Connectional.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Info Wanted: Whole Presbteries Leaving PCUSA
Can anyone provide the names of the 2 Presbyteries who are thinking of leaving PCUSA wholesale? If publicly known.
FPC Orlando votes to leave denomination
Orlando Sentinel Story: First Presbyterian votes to leave denomination
- 1,759 to 185 (91%)
- 3,600 members (55% voted)
- First Presbyterian Orlando, Fla
- largest Presbyterian church in Florida and fourth largest in the nation.
- March 3 Presbytery Votes
- Central Florida Presbytery
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Mass exodus of churches continue to flee PCUSA into 2012
Layman Online Story: Mass exodus of churches continue to flee PCUSA into 2012
On a Side Note: Wikipedia entry on ECO is already a battleground between those who feel it is homo-phobia vs those who think this is about multiple issues.
Bruce Reyes-Chow blogs about ECO.
Bruce Reyes-Chow (former PCUSA Moderator) blog on Huffington Post:
My Thoughts on The Fellowship and The Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians
Ed: I've added some of his list of articles to mine.
Monday, January 23, 2012
PCUSA->EPC->ECO
News Stories about the "NEW" Presbyterian Denomination:
Evangelical Covenant Order Of Presbyterians (ECO)
- Wikipedia: ECO
- The New American Story: Conservative Presbyterians Announce Break From Liberal PCUSA NEW
- Huff Post:
Evangelical Covenant Order Of Presbyterians (ECO), Conservative Denomination Launched To Break Away From PCUSA
ED: Caution a lot of hate speech in the comments section. - Christian Post: New Evangelical Presbyterian Body Unveiled
- Houston Cronicle Blog: Believe It or Not: New Presbyterian body could divide denomination
- Louisville, Ky Courier-Journal Faith Blog: New Presbyterian denomination named
- Orlando Sentinel: Presbyterian denomination debuts Thursday in Orlando
- Gant Daily(Clearfield, PA): Group leaves Presbyterian Church to form ‘reformed’ denomination
- Christianity Today: New Presbyterian Body Aims for Orthodoxy with Less Bureaucracy
- Religion News Service: Conservative Presbyterians Launch New Denomination
- Rueters: Presbyterian Group Breaks Away Over Gay Clergy
- John Shore:
New Anti-Gay Presbyterian Denomination: Cowardly Lions
ED: Caution a lot of hate speech in the story and comments section. - Viola Larson: ECO is a sign of Christ's love for the PC (U.S.A.)
- Don Sweeting: Wishing the ECO Well: Another Turning Point in Presbyterian Church History
- Laura Ziesel: Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians
- Denis Maher: Irony Abounds with the Formation of the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians
- Ruth Hicks: I was there
- Katie Mulligan: Wipe the Dust
- Joanne Whitt: A Response to ECO
- David Williams: A Response to ECO
- Rocky Supinger: The Fellowship Theology Draft
- PCUSA News Service: 24 PC(USA) Leaders Issue ‘Letter of Reconciliation’
- ECO Retirement Plan Overview
- Evangelical Covenant Order (downloadable pdf of ECO’s vision and purpose)
- ECO Benefits
- ECO Benefits Presentation
- ECO Rate Sheet
- Polity
- Theology x
- Theology
- Press Release
- Peer review systems for churches
- Promoting leadership training
- Instituting a less hierarchical form of government
- Benefits have been defined, must be offered to all full time employees
- 2,100 Presbyterians from about 500 congregations attend the conference.
- Presbyterians have the option of joining the ECO or becoming an affiliate member while remaining in another denomination.
ED: I left out the stories full of hate speech, which is all the liberals can use.
ED: I don't think any of the stories brought up the fact that conservative churches in PCUSA, feel like prisoners or victims of blackmail. PCUSA is using the property clause as a ball and chain to keep churches in the denomination that want to leave as well as the power of an AC to summarily fire the pastor and elders.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Lebanon PC (Lebanon, Ohio ) dismissed to EPC.
Layman Online Story: Ohio presbytery unanimously agrees to church’s dismissal to EPC
- Lebanon Presbyterian Church (LPC)
- Presbytery of Miami Valley
- 205-year-old Lebanon, Ohio church
- 900-member church
- $34,148 to Miami Valley (per-capita payment for 2012)
- $15,000 to support an African medical mission
- Presbytery voted to dismiss Jan 13, 2012
- Layman Online Story: On Oct. 23, 2010, LPC voted 304-8 to leave
Friday, January 13, 2012
Gashland wins property-dispute appeal against Heartland Presbytery
Layman Story: Missouri church wins property-dispute appeal against PCUSA presbytery
- Gashland Presbyterian Church MO
- Heartland Presbytery
- September 2007, when Gashland requested dismissal
- After waiting four months, the church voted to disaffiliate from the denomination, leading Heartland to belatedly form an administrative commission to hold a dismissal hearing in April 2008.
- In November 2009, Heartland filed suit in circuit court.
- a 2009 lower-court dismissal
Federated congregation leaves PCUSA and is now an American Baptist church
Layman Story: Federated congregation leaves PCUSA and is now an American Baptist church
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Saddlerock EPC (WA) celebrates dismissal from PCUSA
Layman Online Story: Washington church celebrates dismissal from PCUSA
- Saddlerock Evangelical Presbyterian Church (FPC of Wenatchee)
- Presbytery of Central Washington
- 507 members in 2010 and brought in $795,557 in offerings
- Terms:
- That we give $175,000 as a mission/church development gift to the Presbytery;
- That we give $47,892 for three years of presbytery per capita;
- That we give up to $5,000 in reimbursable expenses from the [administrative commission];
- That we incur all costs associated with the legal transfer of our property, assets, and corporation;
- To concur with the requests of the Rev. Patrick McElroy and the Rev. Paul Pankey [the church’s associate pastor] continue in their current pastoral positions and to have their ordination credentials transferred in good standing from the Presbytery of Central Washington of the [PCUSA] to the Presbytery of the Pacific of [EPC], a recognized Reformed body in relationship with the PCUSA;
- That all records of the First Presbyterian Church of Wenatchee PCUSA and its predecessors be converted into microfiche at First Presbyterian’s expense for the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia.”
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Fort Scott Kansas Pastor leaves First Presbyterian
Fort Scott Tribune Story: Citing theological and differences in personal beliefs, Mansour Khajehpour has resigned his post as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Scott.
This is the opposite of yesterdays story of a pastor leaving. He is a "member" of Fellowship of Presbyterians which is conservative.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Pastor breaks away to start own church
Petaluma Patch StoryFirst Presbyterian Pastor to Start Own Church.
- Dave Weidlich, 56
- New Church: The Vine
- Supports Occupy Movement
Ed: Looks like a far left pastor, left a moderate church.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review story: Ligonier church sued over withdrawal
- Presbytery of Redstone
- voted to seize the keys of the church
- Covenant Presbyterian Church
- allegedly ignoring internal procedures for withdrawing from the presbytery.
- Ligonier, Pennsylvania
- 425 members
- The congregation of St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church near Somerset split off in 2008 and, more recently, members of Fort Palmer Church in Fairfield left the presbytery.
- Church lawyer says they followed procedure.
PCUSA pastors leaves to start new church instead of fighting.
Delaware Online Story: New paths for many as church diverges
- Presbyterian Church of the Covenant
- Wilmington, Delaware
- more than 300 members
- Pastor Kathi Busch is leaving to start a new church: River Crossing Fellowship.
- "To fight in court did not seem the loving thing to do," Busch said.
- New Castle Presbytery
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