Windwood Presbyterian Church, a 1000+ member congregation just northeast of Houston, Texas has voted to disaffiliate from the Presbyterian Church (USA) and join the ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. Windwood has been engaged in prolonged litigation with the Presbytery of New Covenant over church property issues. That dispute is not resolved by the congregation’s vote to realign with ECO.
A press release from the church verified that on May 18, 2014, Windwood Presbyterian Church held a congregational meeting and that 395 ballots were given out to verified active members, representing a 36 percent quorum of the 1,082 on the active roll of the church.
- Motion One asked each member to “approve” or “disapprove” of the following: “That in response to God’s leading, the congregation of Windwood Presbyterian Church terminate its voluntary affiliation with the PCUSA.”
- Motion Two asked each member to “approve” or “disapprove” of the following: “That Windwood join another Presbyterian denomination namely, ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.”
The result for Motion One (to disaffiliate from PCUSA) was 391 to 4 in favor of disaffiliation. The result for Motion Two (to affiliate with ECO) was 388 to 5 in favor of affiliating with ECO.
Prior to the vote, Elder Tad Bodeman, read from remarks prepared by the session.
Brothers and sisters,
As you know, at its March 25th meeting the Session of Windwood Presbyterian Church unanimously adopted a resolution to terminate its voluntary affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and seek affiliation with ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO).
For many years, the session has made it clear that the direction of the PCUSA is not one that we can follow and still remain faithful to the Lord and His Word. PCUSA has made changes in a number of areas that reflect a significant turning away from the traditional confessions of our faith and from the historically orthodox understanding of the authority and interpretation of Scripture. The session has been watching the situation carefully over the years and believes now is the time for us to make this move.
Three crucial aspects of our life as a congregation were at the center of the Session’s discernment of where God is leading Windwood:
1. Our Mission: Making Disciples of Jesus Christ: In the Great Commission, Jesus charges us, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” The PCUSA has rejected the sole Lordship of Jesus Christ in favor of “respecting” other religions as valid ways of reaching God. We no longer have a common goal with the PCUSA in making disciples of Jesus Christ.
2. Our Governance of Windwood: The constitution of the Presbyterian Church for centuries recognized that the constitution was itself subject and secondary to the inspired written Word of God. In 2010 and 2011, the General Assembly and then the majority of presbyteries affirmed the change of seeing Scripture, not as authoritative, but merely a guideline. We should not be under the authority of those who will not themselves be under the authority of Scripture.
3. Our Identity is rooted in Scripture with Jesus at the Center. In light of our concerns over the current state and trajectory of the PCUSA, we believe that if Windwood remains under the authority and influence of the institutional PCUSA the identity of Windwood as a church rooted in Scripture with Jesus at the center will be lost.
After many years of active questioning, praying and studying this issue, the session remains convinced that God is calling Windwood to remain part of a larger connectional body and not simply becoming an independent congregation. Being connected with other congregations who share a common commitment to the essentials of the faith is an integral part of being Presbyterian and of our faith at Windwood. We believe we are called by God into that kind of connection with other believers. The session believes that the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians (ECO) is the best fit based on a number of criteria we used to evaluate the various options.
The session and pastors unanimously agree, this is God’s calling for Windwood and as such I put the following 2 motions before the congregation of Windwood.
The press release indicates that “Windwood’s leadership is excited to move forward with ECO and feels blessed to join with others affirming Essential Tenets of the Faith and focusing on:
Covenant: Connecting leaders in accountable relationships; Encouraging collaboration; Ministering out of God’s unrelenting grace and covenant with His people
Order: Uniting around a shared theological core; Committing to a shared way of life; Nurturing gospel-centered leaders
Evangelical: Advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ; Planting new missional communities; Serving our communities and God’s world in Jesus’ name
Presbyterian: Standing within our Reformed and confessional heritage; Affirming the life of the mind; Embracing the value of representative government
Windwood Presbyterian Church celebrates its 50th anniversary this year; the church was established in 1964.
7 Comments. Leave new
It’s sad what is happening to a past great denomination
I made a quick search, without finding an answer: Is Windwood still in litigation with New Covenant Presbytery? Or did it make a financial settlement with presbytery in order to be released?
One of these Texas congregations has got to take property litigation all the way to complete victory, in order to free its sister congregations in the state from the chains of the trust clause. I continue to hope Highland Park will accomplish that important work, if someone else doesn’t do it first.
Carmen,
The PCUSA is an adulterous denomination. Noone denies that. But that doesn’t mean it’s not Biblically oriented. See 2 Sam. 11:4: “And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.” The Winwood statement counters: “Scripture with Jesus at the Center.” See John 4:18: “For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.” The Samaritan woman had five religions, and the one the Lord offered her was the icing on the cake!
Trustees charged with fiduciary responsibility for the Windwood (corporate entity) property remain in litigation with New Covenant Presbytery and the PCUSA. This action is in the First Court of Appeals , a Texas State court, awaiting further directions. Recent Texas State Supreme Court rulings in Episcopal Church cases indicate church property cases and trust cases will be handled in the same manner as other property and trust cases under the applicable Texas statutes. Prior judgments against Windwood no longer stand although New Covenant Presbytery and the PCUSA are seeking to overturn the present ruling.
In every instance, New Covenant Presbytery rebuffed efforts by Windwood to enter their dismissal process so the congregation chose to disaffiliate. The time of financial settlement seems to have passed. May the Spirit guide all parties.
I was ordained in the PCUS (Southern) in June of 1952. The present PCUSA is afar cry from the denomination that I was ordained in. The division in the PCUSA is understandable, but it make me so sad. At the present rate of loss of members and congregations, the PCUSA will hardly be able to survive and function in a few more years. The Rev. Dr. Matthew McGowan
Each departure from the PC[USA] is a sad moment because the Old Church was my natural home for many years. Yet I have seen the slow disintegration of the solid biblical and theological and constitutional underpinings of the Old Church and the consequences are
bearing fruit.
It seems to this outside but not casual observer that what remains is the corpse, that is,
the physical plants of these departing congregatios. The presbyteries, in some but not
instances, make the ransom demanded rather high. Or outragerous.
If the ransom is paid, what happens to the money? One may assume the bulk of the money
is in the presbytery treasury to fund operating expenses. Yet, one hopes, that a significant amount of the money would be devoted to new church development or support of missionaries in foreign and domestic lands.
When the history of the Presbyterian Church [in America], its major branches will be
shown to have destroyed the Temple as surely as the Romans did the walls and Temple
in Jerusalem, or as the Romans sacked and destroyed Carthage. In the case of our
Church, the present leadership will be those who sow the ground of the church with salt.
Thank you for this and any future updates on this litigation.