Hudson River takes over congregation that declares independence from PCUSA
The Layman Online, June 2, 2005
The Presbytery of Hudson River has assumed original jurisdiction of a small church after the congregation’s leaders declared their independence from the Presbytery of Hudson River and the Presbyterian Church (USA) – warning the two higher governing bodies not to try to take their property.
The Ridgebury leaders have not provided a list of reasons for leaving the denomination but, in a letter to the presbytery, they compared their situation to the presbytery’s unwillingness to take action against congregations that openly defy the “fidelity/chastity” clause in the Book of Order. The Presbytery of Hudson River long has been a center for defiance against the constitutional ordination standard. Sixteen of the presbytery’s congregations have publicly stated that they would not abide by the ordination law.
The congregation’s leaders wrote that any move by the presbytery or the PCUSA to take over the property “will be deemed slander of title, compensable by damages, and any entry onto Ridgebury Church property by any officer and/or agent of the Presbytery of Hudson River shall be deemed criminal trespass.”
The letter also stated that the congregation has left the denomination “and all your efforts and expense will not bring us back. What have we to do with you? And what have you to do with us? The law of the State of New York has given us as Trustees of our Church the charge of ‘the estate and property belonging to such Church.’ The law of the State of New York does not permit you to arrogate our property to the PCUSA,” adding:
“You appear to have difficulty grasping the reality of the situation. We cannot be held as slaves to Presbytery. We have cited chapter and verse of our scriptural and legal position and you respond only with a generality. If it is closure you want, feel free to dismiss us.”
In response, in what it called a “dialogue” with the Ridgebury leaders, the presbytery appointed an administrative commission that sent the following letter, dated May 26 and signed by the commission’s chair Dr. Richard M. Spierling, to the congregation’s session:
“The Presbytery of Hudson River, in stated meeting on Saturday, May 21, 2005, at the First Presbyterian Church of Wappingers Falls, New York, appointed an Administrative Commission to assume original jurisdiction over the First Presbyterian Church of Ridgebury in Slate Hill, New York. The Presbytery further empowered the Moderator of the Presbytery to institute civil and legal proceedings as necessary.
“It is quite clear that many members of the Presbytery, and all members of the Administrative Commission, have a strong desire that further conversation take place between the Ridgebury church and the Presbytery. We all heard very clearly during the May 21 Presbytery meeting of your long-accumulating sense of hurt and alienation. We seek further opportunity to listen to your grievances and your reasons for wanting to separate from us, in order that, by the grace of God, we may effect a reconciliation between us. Such a reconciliation could well open a way to explore future possibilities for mutual ministry, as we seek to be faithful stewards of God’s gifts for the purpose of spreading the gospel in this region of Orange County.
“With the Westminster Confession, we acknowledge that “particular churches. . . are more or less pure,” and that even “the purest churches under heaven are subject to both mixture and error.” [s143 and 144] We write, however, in the spirit of Psalm 133, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” [v. 1]. The teaching of 2 Corinthians 5.18 concerning God’s gift of the ministry of reconciliation also guides us, as does the Confession of 1967’s vision of the church as a “reconciling community.” [E.g., 9.31]
“We would appreciate your response to our request for another meeting as soon as possible, and we deeply hope that we shall be able to arrange further conversation with you. If you are agreeable to our proposal, the Administrative Commission will actively work to include one or two of the Presbytery’s more conservative evangelical ministers in the conversation in order to facilitate mutual understanding.
“We look forward to hearing from you quite soon, and we continue to hold you in our prayers.”