Pittsburgh Presbytery honors four New Wineskins pastors
By John H. Adams, The Layman Online, October 27, 2006
In these days of property disputes and hardline tactics by some presbyteries to enforce the denomination’s property trust clause, an odd thing happened the other day during the meeting of the Presbytery of Pittsburgh.
The presbytery honored the pastors of four congregations that are in the New Wineskins Association of Churches for work in a covenant relationship. “Are you kidding?” asked one of the pastors when he was told to go forth and receive his award. He gratefully accepted.
The New Wineskins Association of Churches is an independent body whose constituents often cross swords with Presbyterians who believe unity is the one unbreakable commandment. The leaders of several New Wineskins congregations are discussing – privately, in most cases – plans for seeking dismissal from the denomination. The Kirk of the Hills Evangelical Church has already done so in a high-profile case in Oklahoma.
But Pittsburgh Presbytery and the New Wineskins Association have both adopted similar goals: to develop covenant relationship groups for accountability, encouragement and mutual mission. Both the presbytery and the association see those groups as a welcome alternative to business as usual.
Thus, the covenant group – called a New Wineskins network – was begun. Besides, as Jim Mead, the presbytery’s executive said before the honoring, he knows of no New Wineskins congregation in Pittsburgh Presbytery that has publicly announced its intention to leave the denomination.
Lowell Meek, the pastor of Round Hill Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth, Pa., was one of the pastors honored. Actually, Meek said, his covenant group has five ministers, including one whose congregation is not a member of the New Wineskins Association of Churches.
The ministers meet once a month. The Biblical theme for their gathering is Acts 16:5, “So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers” (NIV).
In addition, the four New Wineskins congregations have begun a second meeting involving the pastors and lay leaders. They intend to share resources for ministry and mission.
Working with non-New Wineskins congregations is well within the constitutional guidelines of the association. It was established first as an effort to bring renewal to the Presbyterian Church (USA).