Findlay church draws 517 to worship service in exile
The Layman Online, February 4, 2002
Norcrest Presbyterian Church in Findlay, Ohio, began its exile from the Presbyterian Church (USA) with more people attending the first worship service than there were official members.
Greg Jewett, one of the 10 elders leaving Norcrest after the Presbytery of Maumee Valley fired the minister, Ben Borsay, and confiscated the property, said 517 people attended two worship services Jan. 27 in temporary quarters – the Humane Society building in Findlay.
During those services, the congregation changed its name to Findlay Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
“We then voted to apply for admission into the Midwest Presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Pastor Ben was called to be the pastor and the ten former elders of the Norcrest Presbyterian Church were elected to be the elders of the Findlay EPC. Pastor Ben, of course, will apply for ordination into the EPC,” Jewett said.
Meanwhile, one of the leaders of the presbytery wrote a letter defending the firing of Borsay and taking over the property.
Former Maumee Valley moderator Doug Nagel said, “The Norcrest Presbyterian Church congregation has been and continues to be a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (USA), irrespective of the size of the dissenting party which wishes to leave the denomination. Local congregations of the Presbyterian Church (USA) hold all church property in trust for the denomination. Church property does not belong to the local congregation.”
Norcrest’s leaders never disputed that policy. The Norcrest congregation had voted 209-19 to ask the presbytery to allow its members to leave the PCUSA with their property and affiliate with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
Presbyteries are empowered to release congregations with their property, but they are not required to do so.
Nagel took issue with Borsay’s report that the congregation had voted 90 percent – 209 to 19 – to leave the PCUSA.
“This statement is misleading,” Nagel said. “It is true that on the day of the vote, over 90 percent of those voting voted to request dismissal to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. However, at that time, there were 417 members of record at Norcrest Presbyterian Church. Of those 417 members, 209 members voted to request dismissal, 19 members voted against requesting dismissal, 2 members abstained and 187 members did not vote.”
While Nagel said Norcrest had 417 members, official membership data maintained by the denomination listed Norcrest’s membership as 491 in 2000, an increase from 327 in 1990.
Nagel also claimed that records submitted by Norcrest to the presbytery showed a decline in membership over the last three years. The denomination’s official data shows otherwise, with membership rising from 479 in 1998 to 497 in 2000.