(By Lee Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald). A judge promised to rule within a week after a nearly seven-hour hearing in a legal dispute over an Athens Presbyterian Church Thursday. Members of an Athens Presbyterian Church want to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination, the country’s largest denomination, and keep control and ownership of their building, grounds…
(By Lee Shearer, The Athens Banner-Herald). An assembly of Northeast Georgia Presbytery leaders emphatically denied a breakaway Athens congregation’s request to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination and take the local church property with them as they join a more conservative denomination. But the effect of the vote remains to be seen. Church leaders Monday…
(Press release). ATHENS, GA, January 9, 2017 – Central Presbyterian Church leaders announced today that the church has disaffiliated from the Presbyterian Church (USA) in order to immediately associate with ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, which is another national Reformed Presbyterian denomination. “We are excited to be joining ECO,” said Dr. Bob Bohler, senior…
(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 Kip Burke, The News-Reporter (Georgia).) The congregation of Washington Presbyterian Church is about to complete a long-sought separation from a denomination that has become far more liberal than most members, and is joining like-minded Presbyterians in another denomination. The congregation, led by Rev. Glen Kohlhagen, will bid goodbye to the old and be welcomed by…
By Lee Shearer, Online Athens. (Georgia) After a months-long quiet period, an Athens church’s move to secede from its denomination could be headed toward resolution. An administrative committee of the Northeast Georgia Presbytery scheduled two meetings this month with the congregation of Central Presbyterian Church, whose congregation earlier this year voted to leave the country’s…
By Lee Shearer, Athens Banner Herald (Ga.) A regional governing body has restored the governing body of an Athens Presbyterian church which was dissolved by a lower regional administrative church agency earlier this year. The restored “session” of Central Presbyterian Church held its first meeting Sunday evening after being reinstated by the Synod of South…
By Marlee Middlebrooks, The Red & Black. Due to the evolving theological direction of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the majority of the congregation at the Central Presbyterian Church on Alps Road in Athens feels it is time to disaffiliate from PCUSA. It cannot secede, however, without permission from the denomination. This process has caused frustration…
By Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post. A congregation in Georgia that voted overwhelmingly to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) is being prevented from disaffiliating from the Mainline Protestant denomination, according to one church leader. Central Presbyterian Church in Athens voted Sunday to leave the PCUSA for a more conservative denomination with the final tally being…