By Gregg Brekke, The Presbyterian News Service.
The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, through its Louisville-based lawyer, John Sheller of Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, issued a response on June 25 to a defamation lawsuit filed against the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), A Corporation, by the Rev. Roger Dermody.
Dermody, former deputy executive director for mission, filed a defamation suit against the PC(USA) May 29, 2015, in Louisville’s Jefferson Circuit Court.
He is one of four PC(USA) employees placed on paid administrative leave Nov. 14, 2014, while an independent investigation was conducted regarding the establishment of an unauthorized nonprofit corporation, the Presbyterian Centers for New Church Innovations, Inc. (PCNCI). An announcement was made June 1, 2015, that the four were no longer employed by the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
The Rev. Eric Hoey filed a similar suit on June 16, 2015. A response to Hoey’s suit is due on or before July 8. Hoey is the former director of Evangelism and Church Growth at the PC(USA).
The PC(USA)’s response claims Dermody is barred from bringing civil charges against the church by the “ecclesiastical abstention doctrine or ministerial exception.” These clauses assert Dermody, as a teaching elder of the PC(USA), agreed to the disciplinary process—including reporting of disciplinary actions—as a condition of his ordination.
The response further claims the reporting of disciplinary action against Dermody, made to the presbytery and the wider denomination, were “required by the Church’s policies and practices informed by its faith and polity.”
The church denies Dermody’s claims of defamation, asserting, “Any statements made by or attributed to the [PC(USA)] were true or substantially true.” The defense states moreover that the church is not legally responsible for rumors or gossip that spread after these truthful statements were made, or for reports published by third parties such as the Presbyterian Outlook.
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So let me get this strait, the pcusa from the presbyteries all the way to the louisville sluggers, all the way from Rightmyer, Scates to Dermody, Hoey can do whatever the hell they want to these people while they hide behind “ecclesiastical abstention doctrine or ministerial exception” oh thats rich, and so who the hell is holding all the louisville crowd accountable? This sounds like a free for all for them.
They give us their assinine pronouncements on marriage etc, acting like they speak for the rest of us, while systematicly destroy Godly Pastors through this “ecclesiastical abstention doctrine or ministerial exception.” crap, and no one holds them accountable, wow, yeah I know I’m upset about this.
Something has to give here, the pcusa lets people like Layton E. Williams, a teaching elder at Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago say offensive things without batting an eye, and they go after Rightmyer and Scates, this is going to make alot of decisions for us still in the pcusa alot easier!
Dermody, Rightmeyer, Scates. All men of God who helped me on my journey of faith. The pcusa is scratching for anything to try and discredit them. They all love of Jesus, believe the Bible speaks truth and that Jesus’s death and resurrection lead to salvation. I’m a teaching elder. Come at me now that I’ve supported them. So dumb and sad and driving people away from Jesus.
Points to PMA for acing the “Polity double-speak,” portion of the ordination exam.
Can there be overtures or commissioner resolutions made at the General
Assembly to provide some over site of this board and due process
for these four men. Who does this PMAgency answer to?
Grady Parsons? General assembly?
Even though Linda Valentine resigned, she has said these four were not trying to commit any wrongs for personal gain and she has some of the answers to what went wrong in the process.
Are they making these men scapegoats for other issues. Is this a response to the lack of funds because members are not supporting decisions made at GA over the last ten years. Are they using these minor infractions, and/or misunderstanding of the process by these four, as an excuse to remove people who do not adhere to the progressive trajectory of the denomination.
Four people being fired and one resignation is a major thing and I find it unsettling how these people are being treated. Again, the members
and local churches are in the dark to how their leadership is acting.
YEP!