By Lilly Fowler, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Exterior view of Bonhomme Presbyterian Church in Chesterfield, as photographed at sunset Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015. Photo by Sid Hastings
The second-oldest Presbyterian church west of the Mississippi River, Bonhomme Presbyterian, is struggling to hang on to its historical roots — and its lavish Chesterfield property.
The problem stems from the church’s recent decision to break from its former denomination — the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Presbyterian Church (USA) is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country, with about 1.8 million members. The denomination supports abortion rights. In 2011, it lifted its longtime ban on gay clergy, and its stance against same-sex marriage is under debate.
Bonhomme Presbyterian Church (Chesterfield, MO) disagrees with the denomination’s views on these and other issues.
The Rev. Tom Pfizenmaier, senior pastor of the church, calls Bonhomme a “theological outlier.”
Rather than continue to have disagreements, Bonhomme has opted to join a new, more conservative denomination: Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, sometimes referred to as ECO, which has grown rapidly since its launch in 2012. Currently, 177 congregations and 270 pastors belong to the denomination.
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders, however, argue that whatever theological direction the congregation chooses, the church property remains theirs.
“The Presbyterian church is becoming more and more hostile toward churches that are trying to leave,” Pfizenmaier said one recent afternoon in his office.
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Comment from James H.:This is settled law in Missouri, we can all thank Colonial Pres for that, they must be trying a new angle, the presbytery quotes the Book Of Order, what a joke, the only part of the BoO they adhere to is the trust clause, the rest of it can go to hell as far as they’re concerned, this is all about the money.
I hope the presbytery loses big and has to pay all the legal bills of Bonhomme Presbyterian.
Comment from FL: Didn’t the Memorial Pres case in the 1980s settle this, too?
Comment from TAH: All issues considered across the board in regards to the PCUSA organization from mass exoduses of Presbyterian churches to meeting with terrorists, its clear that PCUSA is an organization in crisis. In my view, this is what happens when an organization starts leading by and supporting a progressive political agenda. An agenda in direct contradiction with biblical teaching and foundation. directly