After a long trek …
Some churches find an amiable end to dismissal process with presbyteries
By Jason P. Reagan, The Layman , June 15, 2012
As the number of churches seeking to depart the Presbyterian Church (USA) continues to increase, several congregations that have been in the process for a year or more are reporting a light at the end of the tunnel.
Most departing congregations say they are leaving the beleaguered denomination because the PCUSA rejects the authority of Scripture. A steady stream of churches have departed for other Reformed denominations following the 2011 passage of Amendment 10A and the new Form of Government.
The amendment deleted the explicit “fidelity/chastity” requirement from the constitutional ordination standard, and now allows the PCUSA to ordain noncelibate gay people as deacons, elders and pastors.
For many congregations, the dismissal process is coming to an end after several months or even years, usually involving listening sessions with presbytery teams, several congregational meetings and often some form of monetary settlement to the presbytery as well as a transitional period with their new denomination.
Although the trek can be arduous, church leaders say it’s worth the wait in order to maintain theological integrity. Even though several recent dismissals have ended amicably between churches and presbyteries, others have stagnated into civil court cases or unilateral presbytery actions.
Covenant Presbyterian Church, Sharon Pa.
For the 469-member congregation of Covenant Presbyterian Church, dissatisfaction with the PCUSA dates back to the 1980s when the church stopped sending per-capita payments apportioned to the General Assembly – to the tune of between $3,000 and $4,500 per year.
According to church records, Covenant’s session said the PCUSA General Assembly refused “to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord — rather, it affirmed that He is ‘a Lord.’”
The church also noted that the PCUSA did not “reject a report on the Trinity in favor of using metaphors such as Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child and Life-giving Womb; Rainbow of Promise, Rock of Salvation and Dove of Peace; Sun Light and Burning Ray.”
On March 25, the church voted by a 99-percent margin (206-2) to seek dismissal from the Presbytery of Shenango.
In May of 2011, Shenango voted against Amendment 10A and has since been viewed by many churches as being sympathetic towards departing congregations.
“The churches of Shenango Presbytery have every reason to be distraught about how the situation in the PCUSA has changed,” Shenango’s Executive Presbyter David Dawson stated in a recent statement titled “What Do We Do Now? Reflections on Our Situation in the Presbyterian Church (USA).”
At its April stated meeting, Shenango affirmed a recommendation by its General Council to allow Covenant to be dismissed to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church “when the way be clear.”
The way became imminently clear on June 3 when the congregation voted 188-0 to affiliate with the EPC. The denomination approved Covenant as a transitional member of the Presbytery of the Alleghenies.
“[Shenango Presbytery doesn’t] want to slay churches that have strong convictions like Covenant and so they graciously allowed us to [depart],” Covenant Senior Pastor Christopher Mathewson said in a June 13 interview. Although the church agreed to voluntarily pay for three years of its per-capita allocation, Mathewson said the presbytery didn’t ask for any funds and didn’t seek to retain any church property.
Mathewson said he expected more churches to flee the PCUSA, especially following last year’s passage of 10A.
“While folks on the left of the PCUSA value theological hospitality, folks on the right value theological integrity even more,” he said.
“Being part of a denomination that abandoned traditional, Biblical standards – effectively Biblical orthodoxy – is not a tenable situation for Reformed and evangelical folks within the PCUSA. So, I’m not at all surprised,” he said of the increasing exodus of churches.
Bethel United Presbyterian Church, Enon Valley, Pa.
Citing similar concerns with “doctrinal liberalism,” Bethel United Presbyterian Church of Enon Valley, Pa., is approaching the finish line in its dismissal journey with Shenango.
According to Senior Pastor Mark Tippin, the 262-member congregation began to discuss the possibility of leaving in February 2011.
“In addition to Christology [was] our concern over Biblical authority and inspiration,” Tippin said in a June 13 interview.
On March 25, the church affirmed the question “Shall we leave the PCUSA for another Reformed body?” by 86-percent margin.
That margin crept up to 90 percent when the congregation voted to affiliate with the EPC, 163-18, on June 3.
“The EPC shares our theology and zeal for mission to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, locally and to the ends of the earth,” Tippin said of the decision.
The church also agreed to voluntarily pay Shenango its per-capita allocation for all of 2012 and for half of 2013 as well as agreeing to give some mission gifts over the next two years.
Assuming a vote similar to Covenant’s, Bethel is expected to be released from the presbytery at its June 26 stated meeting.
Centre Presbyterian Church, Mooresville, N.C.
Like Bethel, Centre Presbyterian Church of Mooresville, N.C. is in a “wait-and-see” mode as it faces a July meeting of Salem Presbytery in order to decide whether or not the 184-member congregation will be dismissed to the EPC.
The meeting is expected to be the conclusion of a year-long process for Centre after it began to seek dismissal in July of 2011
“We feel that the PCUSA has lost us and left us in some of their interpretations of Scripture,” Centre’s Clerk of Session Rick Sorenson said in a recent interview.
In January, the congregation voted to seek dismissal and church leaders began meeting with the presbytery’s negotiation and reconciliation teams to discern the process and negotiate an agreement of separation.
In accordance with Salem’s gracious dismissal policy, Centre held a second congregational meeting in May. The membership voted to seek dismissal to the EPC 132-2. The church also voted to give Salem a nominal, one-time offering. The presbytery will not try to make any property claims against the church.
Sorenson said one reason the church chose the EPC was because the denomination allows churches to decide on questions regarding the ordination of women.
“We just felt it was a better fit for the church given our size and given the fact that the women of the church are very active on the session and deaconate,” Sorenson said.