Nevada Appeal staff report
First Presbyterian Church members in Carson City voted Sunday to leave Presbyterian Church (USA) and affiliate instead with ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
Charlene Rodman, church administrator, said Monday the decision was made with about 90 percent of those voting in favor of the change. The Rev. Bruce Kochsmeier, the congregation’s senior pastor who previously said the probable change was designed to continue supporting Biblical authority, cast the new affiliation in a positive light Monday.
“Our biggest hope is that this will be inclusive for everyone,” he said, as well as “a step toward greater inclusivity.”
Before the vote, he explained earlier, the decision to consider change came in the aftermath of Presbyterian Church (USA) easing its outlook on gay clergy and marriage. He said then that there is nothing in the local congregation’s anticipated decision that should be viewed as homophobic, but it relates to essential tenets and Biblical authority rather than taking direction from the culture in general.
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“First Presbyterian Church of Carson City (the Church) was in need of tremendous repair estimated to be in excess of $5,000,000 with additional liability regarding dangerous buildings and their surroundings.”
“To protect the interest of the Presbytery it was determined that financial compensation would best be determined through continued mission and per-capita giving.”
After reading the terms on the church website I get the impression the presbytery was more than happy to walk away from the trust clause, but still with all the repairs needed, they still managed to get money from them. Just Incredible.
Yet even then pcusa was drifting away from the Bible, and many pastors were saying there are other ways to get to God besides Jesus. The organization has been one degree from true north for too long. One degree off in one mile is a vast difference!
It is with a great deal of joy and thankfulness that I have learned that my home church has voted to leave the PCUSA for the ECO! Regardless of other issues affecting the decision, upholding Biblical Authority is more than enough to justify the move to the new denomination!