New Wineskins outlines its future
By Edward Terry, The Layman, June 24, 2009
BRIGHTON, Mich. – The New Wineskins Transitional Presbytery began a transition of its own Tuesday, introducing a plan that will phase out the organization while its members move toward full membership into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Story update
On June 26 the Evangelical Presbyterian Church’s General Assembly in Brighton, Mich., accepted the report from the New Wineskins/EPC Transitional Presbytery Commission. The next action for the “Becoming One” proposal, which calls for members to join an EPC geographic presbytery by 2012, will be at the Oct. 4-6 convocation of the New Wineskins Association of Churches in Signal Mountain, Tenn.
The proposal, entitled “Becoming One: The Process for the NWEPC Transitional Presbytery/Support Network for the Next Three Years,” was outlined during the group’s fourth stated meeting Tuesday at Cornerstone Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brighton, Mich. The presentation included three break-out sessions in which New Wineskins and EPC officials answered questions, sought input, offered a timeline and explained technical aspects such as the reception of teaching elders and ruling elders.
The proposal encourages New Wineskins member congregations and those who will become members to enter into full membership into the EPC by June 2012. Though some New Wineskins congregations already are members, while many others remain independent of further affiliation, the hope is to set all on a path to EPC membership beginning immediately.
The Rev. Dean Weaver, co-chair (representing New Wineskins) of the joint commission and senior pastor of Memorial Park Presbyterian in Allison Park, Pa., said that there’s a desire to become one and likens it to a marriage.
“We believe God wants us to do this Presbyterian, Reformed and missional thing together,” Weaver said, referring to the organizations’ common vision. “There is greater strength, there is greater ministry, there is greater mutual encouragement and support by joining together as one body than by being distinctly separate.”
The New Wineskins churches joining the EPC will have three options moving forward, said the Rev. Bill Meyer, co-chair of the joint committee and representative of EPC. They will be asked if they want to join a geographic EPC presbytery, a transitional presbytery or be an independent EPC congregation.
Other details outlined in the proposal include:
- Congregations and pastors received into New Wineskins will have the option of becoming joint members of the transitional presbytery and their geographic presbytery. For those churches and pastors, the geographic presbytery will be responsible for their governance matters while both presbyteries will help with the missional goal. Signal Mountain Presbyterian was cited as an example of successful joint membership.
- The primary focus of the “Becoming One” process is development of missional practices, not governance responsibilities.
- Recognizing that it’s a potentially troublesome issue, the proposal affirms presbyteries’ responsibility in determining the level of each teaching elder’s qualifications for office. One attendee expressed concern that a female candidate for ordination would not be allowed under the current geographic presbytery’s rules, if the church were to join. EPC Stated Clerk Jeff Jeremiah spoke to the gathering and assured them that “the EPC is not monolithic on the issue” and the denomination is working hard to affirm differing viewpoints.
- Recognizing the financial strains on transitional congregations that left their former denomination and the EPC’s General Assembly, which has received and helped them. The proposal calls for transitional congregations to fully pay or fairly divide their financial support (per member askings) among the transitional presbytery, the GA and, when they become members, their new geographic presbyteries.
The presbytery voted unanimously to receive the report, following the feedback sessions, and to place it on the docket of the fifth stated meeting of the presbytery Oct. 6 in Signal Mountain, Tenn., for further discussion and action. The proposal also will be presented the EPC General Assembly, which starts June 24 at the same location. A New Wineskins-EPC joint commission will present a report to the EPC General Assembly later in the week outline how the committee believes both should move forward. No decisions are expected before the Oct. 6 New Wineskins meeting. Until then, Weaver said the commission wants feedback.
One of the advantages Weaver cited was having the support system and availability of resources that geographic presbyteries offer. According to the proposal, “Uniting with congregations in the EPC will increase the critical mass necessary for ministry networks to function effectively.”
Still, several attendees expressed concern about moving back into a denomination after fighting so hard to leave the mainline Presbyterian Church (USA). One speaker referenced a feeling of fear present at the meeting.
During reports from the break-out sessions, Rus Howard, chairman of the Transitional Presbytery/Support Network judicial committee, acknowledged the fear that some are feeling, but encouraged them to have trust in God as the process continues.
“We got this far by faith,” he said.
Other attendees asked about women’s ordination, examinations of elders and the risk of losing the mission-focused spirit that defines the New Wineskins.
Weaver said he too has concerns, but reassured those with similar fears that the similarities, especially in orthodox theology and seriousness about the Gospel, far outweigh the differences.
“If we have the same heart, wouldn’t it make perfect sense that God would want to join us together as one,” Weaver said. “The closer I get to my brothers and sisters in the EPC, the more I realize they are us and we are them.”
In other business, the New Wineskins Transitional Presbytery:
- Heard a report from the Rev. Andy Curtis, National Ministry Network facilitator, on his work. He highlighted mission work in Joplin, Mo., and reported on a training retreat in Quincy, Ill.
- Accepted the retirement of Ken Mulder, minister of outreach at Sunset Presbyterian Church in Portland, Ore.
- Installed Jerome Marroquin as pastor of Fallbrook Presbyterian Church in Fallbrook, Calif. He had served several years as an associate before answering the new call.
- Concluded the meeting with an impromptu testimony session of successful missions occurring throughout the presbytery. Testimonies ranged from inter-denominational community partnerships to overseas missionary work in Egypt and Cameroon.