By Junhyeong Jim, Christianity Daily.
Amidst the public discussion that was aroused by Zion Presbyterian Church’s recent announcement that it plans to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA), Reverend Daniel Lee, the senior pastor of Zion Presbyterian Church, posted a statement on Facebook saying, “I feel sorry towards my fellow colleagues of other churches. I hope our issues will not cause any inconvenience or problems for others.”
Zion Presbyterian is a part of the Sacramento Presbytery, which differs from other presbyteries in that it revised its Gracious Dismissal Policy in May in a way that makes it difficult for a church to be able to be dismissed from the PCUSA while maintaining its property.
Despite the changes in the policy, however, Zion Presbyterian still decided by a 97 percent majority vote during its most recent congregational meeting on August 30 that it still desires to be dismissed from the denomination.
The overwhelming majority vote comes even as the congregation members understand that leaving the denomination also means losing some $3 million in church property. The congregation currently consists of some 300 members.
“I want to again thank those who have been blessing our congregation’s decision, breathing courage into us, and praying for us,” Lee wrote. However, he added, “As the news spread about our decision, my heart became heavy. Our decision is not necessarily something we wanted to brag about. It was simply done by God’s grace. It wasn’t because we have a special kind of faith or courage or righteousness.”
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These are indeed painful times for the Body of Christ. In todays changing secular world, we need the church more than ever. Here we can receive and study the Word of God.
When the property in trust clause was first designed in the old UPC in 1973, it was of course a reactionary move, at that time in reaction to the establishment of the PCA, women’s ordination, Kenyon case, and alike. At the “74 UPC GA the term “poison pill” was first introduced. The concept being that if you put in place in the FOG mechanical roadblocks to folks and churches leaving, you chill dissent because of people’s psychological, emotional, spiritual attachment to their brick and mortar structures. And in cases, yes, that works, folks, especially Presbyterians have difficulty seeing ministry happening outside their “beloved” structures.
Fast forward 40 years and its designers never could foresee the 70% membership decline, the structure in collapse, and the general chaos of everything LGBT. What they never planned on was the fact that people vote with their feet and money long before the building becomes the focus. The real poison pill, is now on the current PCUSA as Presbyteries have now more or less become real estate holding and title transfer organization with a political/ideological component. As people and resources continually flee the organization Presbyteries cannot sell off and close these structures fast enough for the quick buck. As angry as some folks get about that, or the quick cash infusions, the money is quickly squandered and flushed down the black hole of their endless programs of social engineering. The end result is still the same, the organization and denomination dies, property or not.
At the end the day, money, brick and mortar really does not make that much a difference for the entity or for those who seek to fight for retention of property. The counsel of Scripture remains to flee sin and flee organizations that are contrary to Christ and His Body. Bible says nothing about strapping mortar or electrical wiring on your back in the process.
The best decision a faithful Christian can make is to go and leave the “suposedly owned” property behind. Let the Presbypalians deal with the false ownership as a corrupt Realtor because in the end claiming ownership is nothing more than a robbery. Did the denomination contribute in any way to the development of such property? Did they fund it? And if they lent any money were not the paid back? What kind of christians are those who rob their brothers to make money out of the sweat of others? In my dictionary that is called CROOKS!!!!!!
Being faithful sometimes means loss…of a job, property, or even one’s life. I would rather remain faithful, even when the price is high. As for individual Presbyteries and the PCUSA, I find it ironic how they decry corporate greed, and then reap where they didn’t sow. Their behavior provides a poor witness to the world, however, it does provide a window into their collective souls.