By Jerry L. Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service
A prominent Nashville attorney has been hired by the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board’s (PMAB) Executive Committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the unauthorized establishment of an independent corporation in southern California. The corporation was designed to benefit the 1001 New Worshiping Communities movement of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
George Crawford III—a PC(USA) ruling elder—and relevant partners of the Butler Snow LLP law firm of Nashville will be conducting the investigation. Until their inquiry is complete, the four Presbyterian Mission Agency employees implicated in what the PMAB’s Audit Committee concluded “violated the [PMA] ethics policy” have been placed on paid administrative leave. The four are Roger Dermody, deputy executive director for mission; Eric Hoey, director of Evangelism and Church Growth; Philip Lotspeich, then coordinator for church growth and the staff person directly responsible for the 1001 New Worshiping Communities initiative; and Craig Williams, western regional deployed staff member for the 1001 program, based in San Clemente, California.
Of Crawford, PMAB chair Marilyn Gamm said: “We wanted someone who is familiar with Presbyterianism and whose firm understands complicated corporate matters.” The minutes of the November 14 Executive Committee meeting, where the actions were taken, say the investigation should be completed “by early 2015.” The committee recommended the four suspended staff members cooperate with Crawford’s inquiry.
“We are seeking ways to begin to restore trust in [PMA executive director] Linda Valentine and the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board,” Gamm said. “Since the Audit Committee report went public responses have been mixed, but trust has been broken with a significant part of the church.”
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This situation from the PMAB is one of the biggest cover ups in Presbyterian history, they need to clean house in louisville before anyone I know will ever trust louisville again.
Fisrt the AE at the GA, and a poke in the eye to any church wanting to leave with their property, the leadership is out of control and accountable only to themselves. This however is unlikely to change. No one in the corporate world have kept their jobs if they pulled what these four did, even if they had the best of intentions. This just shows how out of control things are there.
The only reason they are now hiring outside an investigator is cover up for the inept and corrupt leadership that louisville has become. You can’t leave with your property unless you give up your firstborn, but you can commit fraud and keep your job.
James,
Perhaps you should be aware that the individuals involved are mostly self-identified evangelicals, some coming from prior assignments at PFR/FOP churches.
Pres,
It does not matter where they came from, the fact is that it took months for this to even be discovered, and it was without anyones knowledge, and again, even if they had the best of intentions. At best perhaps they thought they had the authority to do this, but clearly they did not run this up the flag pole as you would at any corporation.
Months … compared to what might have been years (or never, as it seemed the individuals intended) for some organizations to discover this sort of behavior. And before funds were spent, instead of what might often happen in this sort of situation.
Months … compared to what might have been years (or never, as it seemed the individuals intended) for some organizations to discover this sort of behavior. And before funds were spent, instead of what might often happen in this sort of situation. And of course, it would also seem that the individuals were attempting to escape oversight of the leadership in “louisville,” hardly the case that they are complicit with the leadership.
Pres, ‘were attempting to escape oversight of the leadership in “louisville,” hardly the case that they are complicit with the leadership’.
That maybe true, but given the hostile climate from louisville to departing churches and even evangelicals who are staying, this problem is from the top down and the 1001 New Worshiping Communities is frankly a joke, to replace preaching the truth, by catering to the culture. This is just the sum of it.
You people need to get together and agree on one scenario. Others from the usual “bash the PCUSA” gang seem to want to spin this as some church growth enthusiasts being forced to take extraordinary action in setting up a separate venture to escape the “interference” from the Louisville leadership.
Pres,
I’m not saying that at all, not even close. This situation is just part of the bigger picture of what’s wrong with the louisville leadership. The 4 involved may have good intentions, but the way they did it was dead wrong. As far as bash the PCUSA gang, I’m not bashing the entire church, but I’m calling a spade a spade, that all the hostility being shown churches that are leaving and staying, is that they tow the louisville line, or else. There was nothing Christian about HPPC having to $7.8 million to keep there own building. And the kindred spirits crowd in California that held those churches hostage, that was greed not Christian. And louisville is doing NOTHING to stop or change it.
Pres:
Rumors of your demise have been greatly overstated. When did you learn Russian?
Frankly, I thought the Russian comment was from Parsons