(By Kristin Hoppa, The Waco Tribune-Herald, Texas). A fundraising effort kicked off Saturday for El Calvario Presbyterian Church featuring a fellowship of faith, family and a little Zumba. The church is hoping to buy the property where it operates and expand its community service efforts. “We have a vision for this property, and the vision…
(By Alva James-Johnson, The Ledger-Enquirer). A congregation that formed in the aftermath of a controversial vote at First Presbyterian Church of Columbus, GA, two years ago has acquired land to build its own worship center. The Rev. Chuck Hasty, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church, said the congregation now owns nine acres donated by church member Jack…
(By Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post). A congregation in Florida that voted to seek dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA) over theological differences has seen considerable membership growth since their decision. First Presbyterian Church of Haines City voted 328 to 16 back in April 2015 to leave PCUSA in part over the Mainline denomination’s increased acceptance…
(By Sarah M. Wojcik, The Morning Call). The Lehigh Presbytery and the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, PA, will appear in Northampton County Court on Friday (2/17/17) in hopes of settling a dispute over ownership that has led opposing congregants to hold separate Sunday services at 31-acre property on Center Street. The hearing is over a…
(By Dana Allin, Synod Executive for ECO). I was recently re-reading Les McKeown’s book Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization on the Growth Track and Keeping it There. He talks about the life stages of a startup organization. The initial stage is called “Early Struggle” and it is about the challenges that an organization faces in getting off…
(By Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post). A fast-growing theologically conservative Presbyterian denomination will be holding its latest National Gathering later this month in South Carolina. The Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians, a denomination formed in 2012 in response to the increasingly liberal positions of the Presbyterian Church (USA), will be holding its 2017 National Gathering…
(By Lee Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald, GA). Presbyterian leaders from across northeast Georgia gathered in Greensboro Tuesday to consider the future of what one member called “a church with a broken heart.” Most members of Athens’ Central Presbyterian Church want to leave the mainstream Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination and affiliate with the more conservative Covenant Order of Evangelical…
(By Lee Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald, GA) Members of an Athens Presbyterian church who want to change denominations are free to join a more conservative Presbyterian denomination – but they shouldn’t be allowed to keep church property as they leave, according to the recommendation of an “administrative commission” appointed to consider the dissidents’ request. The commission has also…
(By Chuck Wiggins, The Presbyterian Outlook). “I often wonder what kind of shape the Presbyterian Church would be in today if the Orthodox Presbyterians, the PCA, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and ECO had not departed,” mused Joseph D. Small, former Presbyterian Church (USA.) Theology & Worship director. Those particularly thought provoking words came during the…
At an Oct. 1 special called meeting, the Presbytery of Grand Canyon dismissed five of its churches to ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. The five churches dismissed from the Presbyterian Church (USA) represented a total of 1,372* members and paid the presbytery a total of $566,104.24 in settlement agreements. The churches include: Christ…