A Nebraska church has split into two congregations, but they continue to worship in the same meeting space by agreeing to a shared use covenant.
First Presbyterian Church of Stapleton went through a schism that divided the church into a pair of congregations. One was a Presbyterian Church (USA) remnant; the other formed Cornerstone Church of Stapleton and joined the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).
Despite their differences – different churches, different names and different denominations – they both continue to meet at the site of FPC-Stapleton, located on Main Street in the central Nebraska town found in Logan County.
It all came about after the Presbytery of Central Nebraska and FPC-Stapleton entered into the covenant to allow a pair of churches to use the facilities at one site for the next five years.
A report presented March 23, 2013, by the Administrative Commission (AC) appointed by the Presbytery of Central Nebraska outlined terms of the agreement reached Feb. 7, 2013, between the two parties for shared use of the church facilities. They began sharing the facilities with two separate services – one PCUSA, one EPC – on March 3.
According to presbytery documents, a substantial majority of the FPC-Stapleton congregation – including members, elders and trustees – indicated September 14, 2012, a desire to leave the PCUSA and align with the EPC.
Membership rolls included in the final agreement reached by the two sides showed 15 people who wanted to remain with the PCUSA, while 60 of the 75 members listed sought affiliation with the EPC. An April 2012 vote was 46-11 in favor of leaving the PCUSA for the EPC after the session had voted to study leaving for a denomination that better reflected the beliefs about the authority of the Bible and Christ alone as the means of salvation.
The Presbytery of Central Nebraska was notified of the intent to seek dismissal, and an Administrative Commission – chaired by First Presbyterian Church of Hastings Pastor William G. Nottage-Tacey – was formed.
The AC recommended that the church be dismissed, but in what Nottage-Tacey described as a “fairly overwhelming vote,” the presbytery denied the request in June 2012, leaving the AC to continue work with the congregation.
Pastor Bob Anderson indicated, in an email sent to The Layman, that the vote lacked the 75 percent needed for dismissal.
“During discussion on the floor of Presbytery we were compared to ‘rebellious teenagers in need of parental guidance,’” Anderson wrote, adding that a comment also was made that the presbytery couldn’t allow members seeking dismissal out of the “sheepfold” because they would become “goats.”
Nottage-Tacey said it was obvious to the AC that its insistence on the congregation remaining with the PCUSA was not good for the church or the community despite those who remained loyal to the national denomination.
“How do you deal with that in such a way that you continue to have a strong witness for Christ in Stapleton?” he asked.
Anderson terminated his affiliation with the PCUSA, Presbytery of Central Nebraska and FPC-Stapleton to become part of the EPC and its Presbytery of the West as pastor of Cornerstone. Five of the six session members of FPC-Stapleton also resigned to be part of the new Cornerstone congregation, leaving the AC to serve as the session of the remaining PCUSA congregation for a period of time.
Leaders of the movement to depart the PCUSA and align with the EPC sought a means to gain ownership of certain assets of the church, affiliated with the PCUSA, to use with an EPC church.
That group took legal action in July 2012 by filing a motion in District Court of Logan County, Neb., to prevent the presbytery from interfering with the change in affiliation from PCUSA to EPC and resolve issues involving ownership of certain assets claimed by the parties. According to information provided by Anderson in his email to The Layman, the suit was filed to prevent the presbytery’s AC from assuming original jurisdiction of the session or removing the pastor from the church.
The Presbytery of Nebraska responded by asserting that the PCUSA constitution and Nebraska law prevented such claims of ownership by FPC-Stapleton and gave presbytery the right to all real and personal property of the church.
Noting that the parties wished to settle their dispute in a manner that allowed the remnant loyal to the PCUSA to continue and those FPC-Stapleton members who wanted to affiliate with the EPC to do so, attorneys for the two sides executed a joint motion to dismiss with prejudice after an agreement was reached to resolve the property dispute.
“We (the presbytery) kept control of the property and worked out an agreement to share the building and work together in using it,” Nottage-Tacey said. “We determined that we are all lovers of Christ and decided His ministry should go forward in the community without having this split destroy everything.”
Anderson’s email indicated that he renounced jurisdiction in the PCUSA, and 80 percent of the congregation left to become part of the EPC congregation that formed Cornerstone Church of Stapleton.
The agreement allows FPC-Stapleton to retain ownership of the real and personal property as a PCUSA congregation, with shared use of the same property by Cornerstone as an EPC congregation. The initial term of the agreement will be for five years and continue from year to year afterward. However, the PCUSA congregation is entitled to end the agreement at the end of 2017 or any year thereafter upon giving six months advance notice.
Fund balances in the amount of $103,121.38 were used to pay unpaid per capita of $8,535.74; normal and budgeted operating expenses were paid to the effective division date (Feb. 7, 2013); and professional fees through Nov. 30, 2012, in the amount of $8,947.25 were paid. Half of the balance for each remaining account was paid to the PCUSA and congregation, with the other half going to the EPC congregation.
According to the shared use covenant agreed to by FPC-Stapleton and Cornerstone, FPC-Stapleton will allow Cornerstone to use the residential property located south of the church building for an office and manse for the pastor serving Cornerstone, a term that ends Dec. 31, 2013. The session of either congregation can terminate the use at 11:59 p.m. on that date or 11:59 p.m. on the last day of any month after by giving appropriate notice to the other congregation.
Cornerstone is responsible for all utilities, groundskeeping, snow removal, insurance costs, maintenance and upkeep on the residential property for the remainder of 2013. As of Jan. 1, 2014, FPC-Stapleton may adjust the fee to cover fair rental value of the manse property. Prior to Dec. 31, 2017, FPC-Stapleton may not terminate the manse use agreement unless it is to be provided for use by a certified lay pastor or pastor who will serve the PCUSA congregation.
The pastor occupying the manse will have office space there; the other will occupy the pastor’s office or study in the church building. Administrative offices and conference room will be shared by the congregations.
Through the end of 2013, the PCUSA congregation will use the sanctuary from 8:30-10:30 a.m., and the EPC will use it from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Usage time will alternate each year starting Jan. 1, 2014, as long as the shared use covenant remains in effect.
The congregations will have their confirmation classes separately at such time(s) they determine, subject to space availability. Sunday school programs will share space on a scheduled basis unless the sides agree to have them jointly.
The PCUSA pastor or office assistant will maintain a written master calendar for scheduling facility use that will be regularly shared with the EPC pastor, and the pastors will meet monthly for scheduling purposes. Any conflict will be resolved by the PCUSA pastor.
According to Anderson, Cornerstone Church is required to ask permission to use the property for each and every meeting held on the property, including use of the copier.
Utilities, groundskeeping, snow removal, insurance costs, maintenance repairs, replacements, renovations, general cleaning and upkeep will be shared equally through Dec. 31, 2017. The parties will meet the first week of March, June, September and December to review expenses and building operation needs. The sessions will meet before the start of each year to form a budget for physical facilities operation.
All expenses will be reviewed and paid monthly by the congregations.
Nottage-Tacey said the FPC-Stapleton congregation recently formed a new session, and a lay pastor has been appointed for the church by the presbytery. He added that the agreement reached is hoped to lead to some healing as both congregations seek to honor Christ through their work.
“We have set up a system that maybe someday will bring healing to this whole situation,” Nottage-Tacey said. “We’re all serving Christ, and we all want to make sure that His witness goes forward.”
1 Comment. Leave new
Nathan Key did an honest and fair analysis of the situation in Stapleton, Nebr. I am a member of Cornerstone Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the struggle has been difficult but finally, after many years of desiring to be removed from some very foolish declarations and rulings as the PCUSA denomination separated its decrees from the truth of the Bible, I can now proudly declare that I am a Presbyterian.