EPC wants face-to-face talks on PCUSA charges
By Edward Terry, The Layman, June 30, 2009
BRIGHTON, Mich. – The Evangelical Presbyterian Church, during its 29th General Assembly June 24-27, again denied accusations that it’s recruiting members from another Presbyterian denomination, and asked for face-to-face talks with its accuser.
The Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest of the U.S. Presbyterian denominations, is in the midst of investigating unproven accusations that the EPC is “pursuing a strategy to persuade Presbyterian Church (USA) congregations to disaffiliate … and be dismissed to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.” In the spring, PCUSA announced membership of the task force and plans to meet with representatives of nine presbyteries that have seen congregations leave for the EPC.
The investigation is occurring amidst PCUSA reporting a membership loss of 172,869 in 2008, its largest drop in 25 years. In the same period, PCUSA gained 103,488 members for a net loss of 69,381. Also in 2008, the EPC reported that its membership rolls had grown by 15,382 members and 40 new congregations.
In its official action, the EPC’s 29th General Assembly standing Fraternal Relations Committee recommended that the permanent Fraternal Relations Committee continue to communicate with PCUSA according to Biblical principles and encourage face-to-face talks. Standing Committee Chairwoman Candace McCune asked the assembly to pray for all who are affected by the charges.
“We struggle with this,” she said of her committee’s deliberations, which included small-group prayer. “We reminded ourselves as people reconciled to God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we believe we are called to respond to conflict in a way that is very different to the way the world responds to conflict.”
Prior to bringing the recommendation to the floor, General Assembly Moderator Nate Atwood added that the EPC is conducting its own probe and continued denying the accusation’s validity.
“The charges are without merit or substance,” he said. “The EPC has never taken that course of action and we never would take that course of action. And if we were aware of it from any of our folks, we would immediately ask them to cease and desist.”
According to a PCUSA news release, the nine presbyteries that are part of the investigation are: Eastminster, Northern Alabama, Peace River (which submitted the overture leading to the action of the 218th General Assembly), Pittsburgh, Redstone, Sacramento, South Louisiana (and Synod of the Sun), Wabash Valley and Western Carolina.
Chairing the task force is the Rev. Krystin Granberg (New York City Presbytery), who is also a member of the GA’s Committee on Ecumenical Relations (GACER). Joining her are the Revs. Terry Epling (Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery), Joy Kaufmann (Huntingdon Presbytery), Eugene Turner (Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery) and Jeffrey Vamos (New Brunswick Presbytery).
The task force will meet in the fall to evaluate the results of the presbytery visits and begin the process of writing its report to the GACER, the news release said.