Letter to members to Central Presbyterian Church Posted Wednesday, January 31, 2007 Editor's Note: This letter, on behalf of the session and the trustees of Central Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Ala., was sent to all members of the congregation Jan. 29. Dear Members of Central Presbyterian Church, This morning, Jan. 29, 2007, your trustees went to court on your behalf. The issue is clear title to church property and all assets. Under the direction of the session, the trustees of the corporation of Central Presbyterian Church in the United States of America of Huntsville, Ala., are seeking a declaratory judgment: a) that all property held by or for Central Presbyterian Church … is held without any trust in favor of a national denomination or any of its regional administrative units. … and b) that all property held by or titled in the name of our local church corporation is held by it in full and exclusive ownership; and c) that neither the PCUSA nor the North Alabama Presbytery has any right, title or interest in said property, nor right to determine ownership thereof. Why was this done? First, it is important to note what this action does not do: it is not an act of disaffiliation with the PCUSA. It is not an ecclesiastical action. Rather, it is a legal action related to our property rights. For many within our church it was assumed that the members, and the corporation they made up, held the title to all properties and assets commonly known as Central Presbyterian Church. There has been a quiet but ever growing debate within the PCUSA as to property ownership with the denomination claiming title to all local church property. As part of the fiduciary responsibility entrusted to this congregation by individuals and previous generations, the session deemed it an act of good stewardship to proceed in this fashion. There have also been discussions relative to the needs of our aging building and the potential for an addition to better serve future ministry opportunities. The session and trustees recognized that any capital campaign to fund these renovations and possible expansion would be greatly hindered by this local congregation not having clear title to the property. Because of the way our legal system works, pursuing this clarity required filing a lawsuit. The trustees have also taken the step of having a temporary restraining order prepared, but not filed, in the unlikely chance that some within our presbytery would take aggressive actions against this church. It is the hope of the session and the trustees that this claim will be resolved quickly and amicably. We believe that the facts and the law are so clearly in our favor that little argument needs to be, or can be, raised. Please pray for the session, the trustees and for our relationship with the presbytery during this process. You may have questions concerning this process, please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to answer them or direct you to the best source. In Christ, Rev. Dr. Randall T. Jenkins Writing on behalf of the session and trustees

Respond to this article

Home · Archives · The Layman · PLC Publications Presbyterian Lay Committee · Feedback · Links