By Nate Monroe, The Florida Times-Union
Two Jacksonville Presbyterian congregations could become the most recent cracks in a national denomination increasingly divided over questions of Scripture and church policy, including a 2011 change that paved the way for gays and lesbians in same-sex relationships to be ordained as ministers.
For more than a year, First Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville in downtown and Mandarin Presbyterian Church have explored whether they can cut ties with the largest Presbyterian denomination in the country, Presbyterian Church (USA).
The dismissal process is one church leaders say is sensitive and trying for members of a faith that value unity and connectedness.
And if the congregations do ultimately leave, church officials will face both spiritual and potentially vexing material questions, including whether valuable property stays with the local congregation or remains in trust with the denomination. That property includes First Presbyterian’s $1.7 million historic downtown building on East Monroe Street as well as Mandarin’s $2.3 million east campus and $5.2 million west campus buildings off Mandarin Road.
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Read the article, and eventually you come to the part about the trust clause. It has become by far the most important part of the Book of Order: Either the glue that is (barely) holding the denomination together, or the shackles preventing congregations faithful to The Word from escaping. I subscribe to the latter view.
The trust clause isn’t the only thing binding our little congregation to the PCUSA. We are without a pastor and the presbytery is intent on ensuring that only its approved liberals fill our pulpit as interim or otherwise. Is there a PCUSA pastor out there who would shepherd our congregation out of the denomination at the same time he or she is making that transition?