By Kathy Melvin, Presbyterian News Service. In this time of change and uncertainty for the denomination, Grace Presbytery in central and northeast Texas has decided to invest in the future of the church by donating $2.85 million to Presbyterian World Mission. The presbytery met and voted Thursday afternoon on a comprehensive proposal to strengthen mission…
Now that Joe Rightmyer has made public his intent not to appeal the ruling of Grace Presbytery’s Permanent Judicial Commission which stripped him of his ordination, efforts are underway to make sure what happened to Rightmyer does not happen to others. The cry is rising from all quarters and people are asking: What can we do…
Dear Friends, By now word has spread far and wide about my having been removed from ordained office by the Permanent Judicial Commission of Grace Presbytery acting in behalf of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). I was found guilty on eight charges with respect to my leadership as Moderator of the Session and congregational meetings during the time Highland Park…
By Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas, successfully raised the $7.8 million the congregation was required to pay Presbyterian Church (USA) by Monday’s deadline to keep its property. In October 2013, a supermajority of the congregation voted to end their affiliation with PCUSA and join the smaller, more conservative…
By Steve Salyards, The GA Junkie My most recent post was on “A Matter of Perspective.” Well, as I read the news from Texas yesterday there were certainly multiple perspectives, some might go as far as to call it spin, in the different accounts of a recent property settlement. The news was that Highland Park Presbyterian…
The announcement came September 9 that Highland Park Presbyterian Church and Grace Presbytery had reached a $7.8 million settlement agreement ending their legal dispute over the denomination’s assertion of trust and the congregation’s assertion of ownership of church property. Almost immediately my phone started ring, “After the Masterson decision why did Highland Park settle?” To…
Letter from the session of Highland Park Presbyterian Church Dear HPPC Family,After much deliberation and prayer, last night HPPC’s elders, trustees and pastors unanimously approved the settlement agreement previously approved by Grace Presbytery over the ongoing property litigation. This resolves once and for all that the congregation of Highland Park Presbyterian Church owns and controls…
By Julissa Trevino, Neighborsgo Eighty-nine-year-old Gloria Box was one of the first people to show up to the home of Highland Park Presbyterian Church’s new pastor, the Rev. Bryan Dunagan, to help him unpack. Just a few weeks later, Box, who’s been a member of the church since 1955, took muffins to Dunagan and his family…
By Claire St. Amant, Culture Map Dallas When Highland Park Presbyterian Church was founded in 1926, the world was a very different place than it is today. The Park Cities property on McFarlin and University boulevards was worth a mere $60,000, and HPPC was a willing member of the Presbyterian Church of the United States. Fast…
It appears Highland Park Presbyterian Church (HPPC) and Grace Presbytery may be headed to court after all. The two sides were unable to reach a settlement in the lawsuit over the church’s property during a second round of mediation talks last week, paving the way for the parties to take the issue to court. Last…