First Orlando Session recommends dismissal to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church
The Layman, December 12, 2011
The Session of the 3,951-member First Presbyterian Church of Orlando (FPCO), poised to be the flagship congregation in the Fellowship of Presbyterians’ (FOP) new Reformed body (NRB), has elected instead to set a course for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). Rev. Dr. David Swanson made the announcement to the congregation on Sunday, Dec. 11.
Swanson told his people that on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 6, the Session of FPCO voted unanimously to recommend dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to the EPC and called a meeting of the congregation to vote on the matter Jan. 29, 2012 at 10 a.m. Swanson said, “Your session made the decision and I agree that this course is best for FPCO.”
Dec. 6 was a full day for Presbyterians in Central Florida. That morning, the FPCO webmaster posted answers to some questions posed at its various “Town Hall” meetings. The questions all reflected an anticipated move toward the NRB, not the EPC.
Also on Dec. 6, the presbytery of Central Florida met. Just before the meeting concluded, an undocketed item of business was introduced from the floor by a member of the presbytery’s resolution team which is working through the dismissal process with two congregations. The motion was to place the presbytery’s dismissal policy in abeyance because, according to the maker of the motion, “it is flawed.” The presbytery’s Executive Presbyter, Rev. Paige M. McRight, verified via email that “under New Business, a minister member of presbytery made a motion that the policy be clarified to provide greater clarity about the process details. The Presbytery asked its Council to evaluate and clarify the process not amend it.”
McRight’s email stated that “the presbytery’s Process for Pastoral Responsibility, Accountability and Gracious Witness to Congregations at Times of Division, Dissolution and Dismissal is not on hold.” “Churches that wish to engage the process are free to do so,” she said.
The Session of First Orlando is already engaged in that process, and sensing that the climate in the presbytery was turning toward deterrence to departure, it proceeded to recommend that FPCO realign its denominational affiliation from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to the EPC. The Session was concerned that the timeline of acceptance into the new Reformed body would be too protracted and that realignment with the EPC was a more prudent course.
The FPCO website says, “In preparation for the congregation’s vote regarding The Session’s recommendation that FPCO be dismissed from the PC(USA) in order to be received into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, scheduled for Sunday, January 29, 2012 at 10:00am, we ask that you please take a moment to check the status of your membership at FPCO.” That vote will take place the week following the Orlando meeting of the FOP (Jan. 18-20) where the NRB is planned to launch. It appears that will now happen without First Orlando being on board.