to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA)
For more information on property issues within the PCUSA, visit The Layman Online's Property Index.
For court documents related to property cases involving congregations, visit The Layman Online's Legal Resource Databank.
For a list of churches seeking clear title to property, visit The Layman Online's chart.
| Date of church vote |
Church name | City, state | Member- ship* |
Presbytery | Action(s) taken | Affiliate with |
| 12/2/01 | Norcrest | Findlay, OH | 491 | Maumee Valley | congregation voted 209-19 leave PCUSA; Pastor fired 1-21-02 and church property confiscated | EPC |
| Dec-02 | Circleville | Circleville, NY | 100 | Hudson River | congregation voted 72-2 to leave PCUSA; pay $112,500 – 10 % of property value | EPC |
| 2000 | Hephzibah | Bessemer City, NC. | 50 | Western N.C. | 2002 congregation vote to leave; civil case on appeal | |
| Jul-03 | Rivermont | Lynchburg, VA | 911 | Peaks | congregation voted 95% to leave PCUSA; exit toll of 30% of the $3,775,498 value of property | EPC |
| Apr-04 | First | Charleston, MS | 102 | St. Andrew | congregation voted 75-1 to leave PCUSA; paid presbytery $75,000 to leave with property | PCA |
| 4/24/04 | First | Warsaw, IN | 721 | Wabash Valley | congregation voted 325-0 to leave PCUSA; leave with its property upon payment of $95,743 | EPC |
| Jan-05 | First | Laredo, TX | 40 | Mission | congregation voted 33-0 to renounce jurisdiction; dismissed; property undecided: $66,500 proposed | EPC |
| Jan-05 | Serone | Artesia, CA | 33 | Hamni | congregation decided to leave PCUSA and keep property; confidential settlement reached in 2006 | |
| Jan-05 | Ephrata (Community) | Ephrata, WA | 202 | Central Washington | congregation voted 75-24 to leave; majority formed Community Pres.; minority is Ephrata Pres. | EPC |
| 1/10/05 | Church of Ridgebury | Ridgebury, NY | 29 | Hudson River | congregation voted to leave the PCUSA; NY Supreme Court ruling congregation owns property; joined EPC in 1/27/07. | EPC |
| 4/10/05 | Riverside | Sartell, MN | 161 | Minnesota Valleys | congregation voted 84-24 to leave the PCUSA | EPC |
| Apr-05 | First | Torrance, CA | 2,700 | Hanmi | congregation voted 781-144 to leave the PCUSA | Korean Pres. Church in America |
| 5/16/06 | Third | Dubuque, IA | 160 | John Knox | presbytery vote 54-7 let church join EPC 6/1/06; church gave monetary 'gift' to keep property | EPC |
| 7/30/06 | Olivet Evangelical | Evansville, IN | 170 | Ohio Valley | 116 out of 118 voted to request presbytery to let church leave w/property, finances; presbytery dismissed church in Dec. 2006 and filed suit for the church property on 7/2/07 in Vanderburgh County Circuit Court in Evansville, Ind. | EPC |
| 8/1/06 | First (Evangelical) | Cedar Grove, WI | 68 | Milwaukee | congregation pay $150,000 settlement to keep property; was First, now First Evangelical | EPC |
| 8/10/06 | French Camp | French Camp, MS | 94 | St. Andrew | session ask to leave w/property. Presbytery voted 5/1/07 to dismiss w/property for $30,000 | ARP |
| 8/13/06 | Windsor | Des Moines, IA | 170 | Des Moines | congregation voted 53-26 to separate from PCUSA | independent |
| 8/27/06 | Riverside | Linn Grove, IA | 124 | Prospect Hill | congregation voted 83-0 to petition for membership in the PCA; presbytery filed lawsuit for property | PCA |
| 8/30/06 | Kirk of the Hills | Tulsa, OK | 2,800 | Eastern Oklahoma | congregation voted 96 % (967-36) to leave the PCUSA | EPC |
| 10/8/06 | Stow | Stow, OH | 262 | Eastminster | congregation vote upheld unanimous session vote to leave PCUSA. The church and presbytery reached an agreement -- approved by presbytery commissioners at at a 5/13/08 meeting -- that the church be dissolved as a congregation within the denomination. It will retain its name, property and assets. In exchange, the church will give $40,000 to several presbytery mission projects over the next five years. | not decided |
| 11/5/06 | Hudson | Hudson, OH | 502 | Eastminster | congregation voted 162-61 for disaffiliation. A magistrate in Summit County Common Pleas Court ruled on Oct. 26, that the property at Hudson Presbyterian Church belongs to the congregation, rejecting the argument of the presbytery that all property of the church is held in trust for the denomination as outlined in the PCUSA constitution. On 5/23/08 Judge Mary F. Spicer upheld the magistrate's ruling. | EPC |
| 1/21/07 | Montreat | Montreat, NC | 438 | Western N.C. | congregation voted 311-27 to leave PCUSA with 3 abstentions; presbytery voted to dismiss; property unsettled | EPC |
| 1/28/07 | Signal Mountain | Signal Mtn., TN | 1,965 | East Tennessee | congregation voted 1,172-10 to leave the denomination and 1,138-14 to join the EPC; presbytery voted to dismiss church with property. "The presbytery accepted the following covenant from the church: 'That after dismissal, Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church will, without condition, continue to provide mission support to the Presbytery of East Tennessee in the amount of $500,000, payable over a period of five years.'" | EPC |
| 2/25/07 | Covenant | Omaha, NE | 706 | Missouri Valley | congregation voted 469-9 to join EPC; 10/4/07
presbytery voted unanimously to let church leave. On 10/4/07, the
presbytery unanimously voted to approve Covenant's affiliation with
the EPC and the settlement agreement. The agreement states:
|
EPC |
| 2/25/07 | Middle Sandy | Homeworth, OH | 132 | Muskingum Valley | congregation voted 60-2 to leave PCUSA; second congregational vote on 6/3/07 was 95-2 for dismissal; presbytery dismissed church with property on 7/12/07; church will honor its 2007 mission commitments to the presbytery and take up a "love offering" for the presbytery | EPC |
| 3/11/07 | Central | Huntsville, AL | 280 | North Alabama | congregation voted 142-9 to leave PCUSA; church pay $250,000 to presbytery by end of 2010 | EPC |
| 4/22/07 | Beverly Heights | Mount Lebanon, PA | 343 | Pittsburgh | congregation voted 195-4 to leave the PCUSA; 10/18/07 presbytery voted 174 to dismiss church, with 73 against, and two abstentions, effective immediately; church keeps its name and property, valued at more than $1 million; it will pay presbytery $250,000 over 10 years and forfeit $46,655 in a trust account. | EPC |
| 5/6/07 | Murphy | Murphy, NC | 63 | Western N.C. | congregation voted 37-7 for dismissal from PCUSA; presbytery voted 7/31/07 to dismiss property in exhchange for $10,000 – $2,000 each year for five years | EPC |
| 6/3/07 | Memorial Park | Allison Park, PA | 1,675 | Pittsburgh | congregation voted 951 (91.1%) - 93 (8.9%) to be dismissed from PCUSA; 4 abstentions. Congregation filed a complaint for a declaratory judgment and quiet title Jan. 3 in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. On 1/20/08, voted 664-25 to sever ties with the PCUSA. On 4/17/08 presbytery voted 152-82 to accept a $575,000 settlement from the church that will allow it to leave the denomination and maintain control of its name and the property and buildings | EPC |
| 6/10/07 | Hillsdale | Hillsdale, KS | 109 | Heartland | congregation voted 77-5 to seek dismissal from PCUSA; presbytery's administrative commission rejected the request stating in its report, that it did not complete its consideration of the Hillsdale Church's request "because the stated clerk issued an opinion that stated dismissal could not be made to a transitional presbytery. The Hillsdale Church session was so advised in a meeting on Sept. 9." Congregation paid $90,000 to presbytery in exchange for ownership of the building in Hillsdale. | EPC |
| 6/9/07 | Faith | Brownsville, TX | 54 | Mission | congregation will give presbytery 10% of the proceeds from expected sale of the church property in next 10 years | EPC |
| 6/24/07 | First | Quincy, IL | 400 | Great Rivers | 215 voted;162 (75%) voted to seek dismissal; 53 (25%) voted to remain; following a recommendation from the presbytery's administrative commission to dissolve the church and retain church property, the congregation voted 124-17 on Aug.12 to immediately disaffiliate with PCUSA, join EPC; the church paid the presbytery $196,000 on Jan. 9, a figure that allows the church to be sole owner of the property and facilities and voted 12/23/07 to change name to Faith Presbyterian Church. | EPC |
| 6/24/07 | Kishwaukee Community | Stillman Valley, IL | 407 | Blackhawk | 253 voted; 251-2 to request dismissal, 252-1 membership in the EPC | EPC |
| 6/24/07 | Forks of the Brandywine | Glenmoore, PA | 207 | Donegal | 139 voted 136-3 for immediate disaffiliation; filed lawsuit for property | EPC |
| 6/24/07 | Great Valley | Malvern, PA | 221 | Donegal | 181 voted 179-2 for immediate disaffiliation; filed lawsuit for property | EPC |
| 6/24/07 | Upper Octorara | Parkesburg, PA | 268 | Donegal | 124 voted 113-11 for immediate disaffiliation; filed lawsuit for property | EPC |
| 6/24/07 | First | Paola, KS | 566 | Heartland | congregation voted 200-81 to seek dismissal from PCUSA; presbytery's administrative commission rejected the request stating in its report that, "After careful consideration of the facts and provisions of the Book of Order that are applicable, it is the decision of the administrative commission that the request of First Presbyterian Church … be denied." On 12/18/07 presbytery voted to defrock the Rev. Kirk Johnston. In November, a group of congregation members left First Presbyterian to create the Lighthouse Presbyterian Church. 315 people became official members of the new church and the EPC on 1/27/08. Johnston is pastor. | EPC |
| 6/24/07 | North Benton | North Benton, OH | 189 | Eastminster | 116 voted: 81 (70%) - 29 to seek dismissal; 78 (67%) - 28 seek membership EPC | EPC |
| 7/8/07 | Hope | Rogue River, OR | 88 | Cascades | congregation voted 65-3 to "realign its membership" to EPC; first test of church working with presbytery's new process to address withdrawing churches | EPC |
| August, 2007 | Grace Chapel | Madison, Miss. | 220 | Mississippi | The church voted to immediately leave the PCUSA. The Madison County Chancery Court ruled in March the church held a clear title to its property. The church was seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent the presbytery from violating a final declaratory judgment that resolved a property ownership lawsuit. Mississippi Presbytery moved the church's request to U.S. District Court, saying there was a federal question about the free exercise of religion under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan III said there was no such question. His ruling sends the church's motion back to Madison County Chancery Court. | EPC |
| 9/9/07 | Peters Creek | Venetia, PA | 595 | Washington | 361 voted; 273-86 to leave the PCUSA; presbytery's administrative commission recommended that the church be dismissed from the PCUSA to join the EPC; presbytery vote has not been scheduled; on 11/4/07 voted 207-26 with five abstentions to leave the PCUSA without presbytery approval, and to immediately affiliate with EPC. Majority filed a lawsuit in 2007 to keep church property. The presbytery filed a countersuit against the Rev. Howard, pastor of the majority, and Robert Elmes, the treasurer, asking for return of property ranging from the sanctuary to the handbells, and funds, financial instruments and pledges estimated to total about $3 million. | EPC |
| 9/23/07 | Gashland | Kansas City, MO | 575 | Heartland | 333 voting in favor requesting dismissal from PCUSA with its property and 22 voting against; 2 abstentions and 5 ballots being checked on; The presbytery authorized an administrative commission for the church in June. | EPC |
| 9/23/07 | First | Waynesville, NC | 164 | Western North Carolina | voted 68-65 not to request dismissal from PCUSA to the EPC. The church's pastor, the Rev. Josh Cole and five of the church's seven session members, as well as the church treasurer, resigned after the vote. Cole began a start-up EPC church the following Sunday, taking 46 members of the PCUSA congregation with him. By unanimous voice vote on 10/26/07, presbytery commissioners approved the administrative commission's original-jurisdiction powers over the remaining PCUSA church | EPC |
| 9/30/07 | Londonderry | Londonderry, NH | 446 | Northern New England | voted 208-86 to immediately leave the PCUSA. The tally for disaffiliation represented 71% of those voting and 47% of the church's total membership of 446 that is reported on the denomination's Web site. The motion to join New Wineskins Presbytery of the EPC passed by overwhelming majority; church has filed a property ownership lawsuit against Northern New England Presbytery. According to the terms of a tenative settlement, Londonderry Presbyterian Church (USA) will keep the historic building and name, while the conservative congregation will receive an unimproved 15-acre parcel adjacent to the church. The EPC congregation will also be able to take a Unity Fund, some Bibles, handbells and some recently acquired furniture and equipment. The value of the two pieces of property has not been determined. According to one person familiar with real estate values in Londonderry, the 15 acres would be worth more than $1.5 million as residential property | EPC |
| 10/14/07 | Fair Oaks | Fair Oaks, CA | 2,286 | Sacramento | 1,179 voted to request dismissal and 39 voted to stay in the PCUSA; 3/5/07 church filed a lawsuit against the presbytery seeking quiet title to the church property, along with declaratory and injunctive relief. At 12/4/07 meeting, presbytery voted 146-18 to dismiss church. The church must pay either $250,000 by Jan. 31, 2017, or a "discounted early payment option" totaling $180,000 by June 30, 2008. Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sacramento filed a notice of appeal and request for a stay with the Synod of the Pacific. The stay will be enforced until the synod's Permanent Judicial Commission addresses the Westminster Church filing. There is no time frame. | EPC |
| 10/14/07 | First | Roseville, CA | 1,143 | Sacramento | 750 voted to seek dismissal and 10 voted to remain in the PCUSA; 3/5/07 church filed a lawsuit against the presbytery seeking quiet title to the church property, along with declaratory and injunctive relief. At 12/4/07 meeting, presbytery voted 153-11 to dismiss church. The church must pay $160,000 by Jan. 31, 2015. Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sacramento filed a notice of appeal and request for a stay with the Synod of the Pacific. The stay will be enforced until the synod's Permanent Judicial Commission addresses the Westminster Church filing. There is no time frame. A judge ruled 4/8/08 in favor of the church. | EPC |
| 10/29/07 | First | Baton Rouge, LA | 1,592 | South Louisiana | voted 422-60 to leave the PCUSA. The vote to join the EPC was 420-60 with two abstentions. In a 55-13 vote Nov. 4, 2006, the presbytery agreed to a stipulated judgment that said the church "holds all property titled in its name in full, complete and unfettered ownership" and that neither the presbytery "nor any person, entity, administrative unit, agency, commission, committee or governing body action on behalf of the Presbytery of South Louisiana or in its stead, or claiming by, through or under the Presbytery of South Louisiana, has any right, title or interest in or to the property, whether in trust or otherwise, nor any right to determine control, directly or indirectly, the use or ownership of the property." | EPC |
| 11/18/07 | Bay | Bay Village, Ohio | 2,072 | Western Reserve | 1,309 ballots were cast. Of those, 1,196 or 91 percent voted for dismissal and 113 or nine percent voted against dismissal. The ballot read "That Bay Presbyterian Church ask to be dismissed from the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Presbytery of the Western Reserve to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church's New Wineskins Presbytery; and that the session be authorized on behalf of the congregation to take all actions necessary and appropriate in seeking dismissal, including, but not limited to, entering into binding agreements related to pastors, property, mission, per capita, and amending and restating the by-laws." Presbytery voted 135 to 13 with eight abstentions to dismiss the congregation with its property. Church agreed to give the presbytery $100,000 a year for seven years. | EPC |
| 11/25/07 | Timberridge | McDonough, GA | 350 | Greater Atlanta | 219 (62.5% of members) voted. 205 members (94%) voted for immediate disaffiliation from the PCUSA and 14 (6%) voted against leaving. Church has offered to settle the litigation – if the presbytery first will consider dismissing the church with its property. Presbytery's administrative commission approved at the presbytery's stated meeting Nov. 27, held its first orientation meeting Dec. 12. | independent |
| 12/9/07 | Heritage | Houston, Texas | 512 | New Covenant | 299 members – or 58 percent of the church's 512 members – voted in favor of seeking dismissal and 63 members – or 12 percent of the church membership – voted against the request | EPC |
| 12/16/07 | St. Paul’s | Somerset, PA | 332 | Redstone | voted 173-10 to request dismissal from the national church with its property. Presbytery voted 48 to 41 on 3/29/08 to grant the church’s request to dismiss the congregation with all its property. The vote lets the church leave with all of its property – real and personal – without paying any money to presbytery. | EPC |
| 12/23/07 | First | Corinth, Miss | 465 | St. Andrew | More than 250 members attended. Of those 246 members or 94% voted to request dismissal, 14 members or 5% voted against the request, and two members abstained. Presbytery commissioners approved -- without a dissenting vote -- a settlement agreement: in exchange for being dismissed with its property, the church will pay $150,000 to the presbytery. The first $25,000 installment is due within 30 days, with five more $25,000 payments to be made annually by the anniversary of the first payment. | EPC |
| 1/27/08 | Sierra | Nevada City, Calif. | 508 | Sacramento | 342 or 68 % of the church membership, were in attendance and cast ballots. Of those, 332 members or 97.2 % voted for seeking dismissal and 10 members or 2.8 % voted against asking the presbytery to let it leave the PCUSA with its property for the EPC.. | EPC |
| 2/3/08 | Covenant | Fort Myers, Fla. | 1,300 | Peace River | 76%, or 762 people, of the 1,000-plus active members of the church present voted to request dismissal because they believed the PCUSA was taking an anti-Biblical direction. Presbytery voted 2/14/08: 1. Everyone except a handful of Covenant's leaders voted to declare the church was divided. 2. A vote to dismiss the entire congregation from the denomination failed 98-16. 3. voted unanimously to form an administrative commission to work with pastors, elders and members of the church who want to leave the denomination and those who wish to stay. More than 300 PCUSA supporters will remain at Covenant and those individuals who no longer agree with the PCUSA denomination are free to leave. The Rev. Dr. Bill Stephens, senior pastor and head of staff , most of the elders, virtually the entire staff and more than 1,100 of the church's 1,340 members left the church and the denomination March 21. Stephens led the inaugural worship services for New Hope Presbyterian Church on Easter Sunday, March 23. Approximately 1,150 members formed New Hope Presbyterian Church and approximately 500 remained at Covenant. | EPC |
| 2/17/08 | Fourth | Friendship, PA | 40 | Pittsburgh | voted 27-2 to ask the presbytery for permission to leave the PCUSA for the EPC. The church didn't ask to keep its property, and the pastor, the Rev. David Schrader, will stay in the PCUSA instead of leaving with the congregation. | EPC |
| 5/4/08 | First | Thibodaux, La. | 91 | South Louisiana | Forty-seven of the 91 voting members were in attendance. All 47 members voted unanimously by ballot to have the church leave the PCUSA and by voice to seek EPC membership. The church was received into the EPC the next day and assigned to the New Wineskins transitional presbytery. | EPC |
| 6/1/08 | College Corner (aka First United) | College Corner, Ohio | 130 | Whitewater Valley | voted 80 (or 82 %) to 17 (18 %) to request dismissal; about 77% of the membership took part in the vote. the church has filed a property ownership lawsuit and obtained a temporary restraining order against the presbytery. | EPC |
| 2008 | Oreland | Oreland, Pa. | 416 | Philadelphia | 97 percent of voting church members supported dismissal. Officers of the Presbytery of Philadelphia visited Oreland and conducted careful fact-finding. On May 20, the regional court authorized his church's dismissal from the denomination - church property and all. | EPC |
| 6/8/08 | Woodland | New Orleans | 300 | South Louisiana | decided by a 93 percent majority (150-6, with six abstentions) to disaffiliate from the PCUSA and by a 97 percent majority (157-3, with two abstentions) to affiliate with the New Wineskins transitional presbytery of the EPC. | EPC |
| 6/8/08 (unofficial vote) | Chippewa | Beaver Falls | 176 | Beaver-Butler | voted unofficially, 117-9, to seek dismissal from the PCUSA and to apply for membership in the EPC. Conditional agreement with presbytery -- in exchange for leaving with its property, the Chippewa session agreed to pay the presbytery $11,200 for three years to support PCUSA missionaries and other programs. Terms must still be approved in an official vote by the congregation. No date has been set but it is expected to precede the presbytery's scheduled meeting in late September. | EPC |