A small congregation in Virginia will benefit from Spring Hill Presbyterian Church’s dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA).
As part of its terms to be dismissed from the PCUSA to ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians by Shenandoah Presbytery, Spring Hill Presbyterian Church (SHPC) has given a $40,000 financial gift to assist with repairs to the flooring of the sanctuary needed at nearby Union Presbyterian Church, a congregation of approximately 30 members.
Spring Hill Pastor Charlie McFarlin said his 105-member congregation located in the western Virginia town of Staunton was more than willing to make such a payment, for dismissal as well as to lend a helping hand to another local congregation.
“We’re able to minister to another church as opposed to the money going to the presbytery,” said, McFarlin, pastor at Spring Hill for 10 years. “The reason we were asked to give to the church instead of the presbytery was because the presbytery did not want to be seen as lining its pockets at Spring Hill’s expense.”
The church also was required to turn over its original church records dating back to its organization as a congregation in 1915 after starting in 1889 as a chapel ministry of Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church.
Spring Hill was dismissed at a Dec. 17, 2013, called meeting after two previous meetings were cancelled, and the congregation became an official member of ECO on Jan. 1, 2014.
McFarlin indicated that Spring Hill engaged in the process to leave the PCUSA in August 2012, four months after Shenandoah Presbytery adopted a dismissal policy. The session notified the presbytery of its intent to enter the process after a straw poll showed more than 90 percent of the membership was in favor of leaving the PCUSA.
“A number of elders and long-time members asked about what to do regarding the things going on in our denomination,” McFarlin said. “As soon as the dismissal policy was put in place we began to explore leaving.”
The presbytery’s Church Review Team (CRT) that worked with Spring Hill eventually became an Administrative Commission (AC) tasked with negotiating the terms of dismissal. A vote for dismissal was set to take place in November 2013, but it was postponed because the presbytery was not satisfied that ECO was a Reformed body, leading to the formation of a task force to study the issue.
A second vote was scheduled for early December, but it was postponed because of weather conditions, leading to the called meeting in mid-December when a report showing ECO as a Reformed body was presented and approved.
McFarlin indicated there were some amendments put forth to the negotiated terms, one that called for Spring Hill to pay $701,000 to leave the PCUSA. The amendment failed.
“That would have taken all our assets and wiped out this church,” he said. “We had some assets because of bequests, but nothing that substantial. We would have had to borrow money to meet that demand.”
The second amendment was to add a reversionary clause that would give the church property back to the presbytery if the church or ECO failed in the next 10 years. That motion also was defeated, and the presbytery voted 78-19 to grant dismissal.
“We’re pleased it was that strong of a vote,” McFarlin said. “(The Rev.) Rob Sherrard and our AC, by and large, were very gracious to us. We put our property, assets and church at risk, knowing they could be jerked out from under us at any time. That caused a lot of anxiety, but we knew God would take care of us no matter what.”
McFarlin said he understood there may be changes to Shenandoah’s dismissal policy, and it is his hope that any changes made would make it more gracious so other churches would not be frightened to seek dismissal.
Theology, or differences of opinion in reference to it, was at the crux of the matter for Spring Hill’s congregation.
“The church had been upset for some time over the direction the denomination was taking in regard to its theology and moral decisions,” McFarlin explained. “This is a church with members who really keep themselves informed and ask what can be done about issues. The catalyst for them really was the passage of Amendment 10A (allowing the ordination of practicing homosexuals). That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”
That step gave Spring Hill’s session and membership the ammunition needed to support their decision to seek departure from the PCUSA.
“They could see the slippage in theology that was allowed by the General Assembly. They understood it was political activism and not a fresh revelation of the Holy Spirit that was leading the denomination in that direction, and they did not like what they saw,” McFarlin said of Spring Hill’s members. “Our elders and members felt that there was a wavering in commitment (by the PCUSA) to the authority of Scripture. Ordination of practicing homosexuals was certainly a hot-button issue, but the bottom line as the PCUSA’s attitude toward the authority of Scripture.”
Finding a home in ECO
McFarlin attended the first meeting of the Fellowship of Presbyterians in Minneapolis in August 2011 and came away with an excitement and encouragement about what was taking place to lead to the ultimate formation of ECO.
He said ECO seemed to be a better theological fit for Spring Hill because of its polity, established essential tenets and stance on the ordination of women. It also is a new denomination still forming, and that was a draw for his congregation.
“They say, ‘This is what we stand for, and if this what you believe, come join us,’” he said. “There seems to be such a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit, and we have an opportunity to take an active role in the growth process (of the denomination).”
Hope for the future
Spring Hill’s members find themselves part of a new denomination, but their mission remains the same: to share the love and Word of Christ.
“Not a lot has changed in terms of the congregation’s perception of who we are, but many people have expressed they are glad to be free of the PCUSA,” McFarlin said. “We’re certainly relieved the (dismissal) process is over and our dismissal went through. Now we have to put our energies into helping this church grow, sharing God’s Word and not having to worry about fighting political battles any longer.”
McFarlin admitted that denominational wrangling and infighting within the PCUSA had drained spiritual energy from Spring Hill. However, there seems to be a renewal of that energy as the church moves forward in a new denomination.
“One of my hopes is that we continue to see a fresh influx of the spiritual energy we need,” McFarlin said. “In the past our people have been almost embarrassed to invite people to our church because of what was going on in the denomination. That’s not happening anymore. We’re looking forward to our future and serving God in this new denomination.”
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Hurrah !! I have known Charlie and his family for almost 19 years. I have departed the PCUSA individually since our congregational leadership was basically denomination as opposed to Bible oriented.. My pastor departed several years ago and over the past year or so, almost all the evangelicals left, family by family. What was left were women with no theological base and a man intent on leading us to merge with another PCUSA congregation. Charlie attended services in our church during his seminary years and his wife was a dynamic leader in the youth ministry. I know the PCUSA will be glad to be rid of another pastor who values God’s word over denominational politics which are infested with sin. john buckingham md mph missions