A second church from Santa Barbara Presbytery was dismissed from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to join another Reformed body. Community Presbyterian Church (CPC), located in Ventura, Calif., between Los Angeles to the south and Santa Barbara to the north, was dismissed during the Nov. 12, 2013, meeting of Santa Barbara Presbytery to become part of…
HOUSTON (AP) — An influential, wealthy Houston church is considering a split from the nation’s largest Presbyterian body as it is embroiled in a national debate between those who want to take a more conservative view of the Bible and those who support measures to make room for gay marriage, a newspaper reported Sunday. The First Presbyterian Church, the…
By Michael Gryboski A Texas congregation that was once the largest Presbyterian Church (USA) member church in the Lone Star State may be one step closer to securing its property. Highland Park Presbyterian Church of Dallas, a congregation with approximately 4,000 members, will hold a meeting with the PC (USA) regional body it was formerly…
The newest Presbyterian denomination is expanding its number of presbyteries to accommodate ever-increasing growth. ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians is in the process of transitioning its number of presbyteries from two to nine. The creation of some of those additional presbyteries has taken place, while others remain in their formative stages. Dr. Dana…
With a congregational vote regarding dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA) looming in March, members of the leadership team of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church (MPPC) have indicated a willingness to give up their homes to meet the $8.89 million price tag sought by the Presbytery of San Francisco to grant a release to ECO: A…
In just two years of existence, ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians has experienced substantial growth, already surpassing the 100-congregation membership mark. ECO, started in January 2012 as a conservative denomination that broke off from the Presbyterian Church (USA), added 35 churches in its first year of existence, and more than doubled that number…
With a price tag of more than $8.8 million, the congregation of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in California will decide on March 2 whether it wants to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) to affiliate with ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. During a short presentation at Sunday’s (Jan. 26) service, Senior Pastor John Ortberg…
The familiar passage found in Jeremiah 29:11 sums up the mantra of Church of the Valley in California these days. That passage reads, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (NIV) It’s that…
By Annysa Johnson In recent years, as Christian denominations voted to allow openly gay and lesbian clergy, hundreds of congregations have broken away to affiliate with more theologically conservative bodies. It is a painful process, fraught often with acrimony, recriminations and lawsuits over property. But a Presbyterian congregation in Sheboygan County and the Presbytery of…
Five additional churches in North Carolina have been dismissed from the Presbyterian Church (USA). Four of the churches were from the Presbytery of Charlotte, and a fifth was dismissed from New Hope Presbytery. The churches in Charlotte were released from the PCUSA – pending completion of the final steps in the dismissal process – during…