Category Archives: news

First “middle governing body” begins withdrawl process in American Episcopal Church

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There have been numerous reports of individual churches withdrawing from the American Episcopal Communion and requesting to come under the supervision of more conservative African bishops because of disagreements in ordination standards.  These withdrawals have led, like in the PC(USA), to disputes over property with a variety of different results in civil courts.

Now the Diocese of San Joaquin has voted over the weekend at their Annual Convention, by a vote of 176 to 28, to change their “Anglican Identity” to a world-wide view rather a strictly American identity.  This is the first reading and will require a second affirmative vote at the next convention.  This convention is expected to be in a year but Bishop Schofield has said that some factors could advance or delay that vote, basically challenging the American Church that if they are aggressive against the diocese the diocese will bolt earlier.  There are press releases from both the diocese and the national office.

Leading up to the convention there was an interesting exchange of letters beginning with a letter of November 20 from The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church with a response from the Bishop of San Joaquin Diocese, the Rt. Rev. John-David Schofield.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled debates in reformed circles.

Church of Scotland Presbyteries voting against blessing same-sex unions

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Scotsman.com is reporting today that the voting by Church of Scotland presbyteries on a General Assembly action to permit ministers to bless same-sex civil partnerships is trending strongly against the action and the presbyteries will probably defeat it.  They report that at the present time only six presbyteries have voted in favor and 21 have voted against.  There are 48 presbyteries in the Church of Scotland so with 3 more needed for defeat of the GA action both sides are reportedly acknowledging defeat.  The GA approved the blessing of the partnerships until, under the barrier act, the presbyteries have voted but I don’t know if under their polity the presbytery vote becomes binding upon the next GA or at the point the vote is decisive.

Another Call for Withdrawl of Christian Students from Public Schools by PCA GA

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The Heartland Institute is reporting that the Rev. Steven Warhurst, associate pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Kingsport, Tennessee, is trying once again to bring an overture to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America that calls for, or encourages, members of that denomination to withdraw their children from public schools in favor an educational setting that allows for an education in line with their Christian faith.  For several years resolutions like this have been a staple of the Southern Baptist Convention but Rev. Warhurst’s unsuccessful attempt at last year’s PCA GA was the first for that denomination.  The movement is supported by one of the most prominent PCA pastors, The Rev. Dr. D. James Kennedy, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Coral Gables, Florida.  The article reports that at this time the Rev. Warhurst is working on presbytery approval for his overture to GA.

Status of Major Gift to PC(USA) is Uncertain

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The November 30 pledge deadline has come and gone and there is still no news on a $150 million gift pledged by Denver businessman Stanley Anderson.  The Denver CBS TV station reports on their web site that according to court records his assets are still frozen awaiting payment of an $850,000 default judgment against him.  The article says that Anderson will have an update early next year.

If you remember back to the Presbyterian Church (USA) 217th General Assembly last June this donation was trumpeted at the beginning of the assembly and then after the announcement the Denver media began questioning Mr. Anderson’s ability to fulfill it due to legal problems arising from financial dealings.

Stay tuned…

New Constitutional Musing on “Responding Pastorally to Troubled Churches”

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The PC(USA) Office of the General Assembly has issued a new “Constitutional Musing” titled “Responding Pastorally to Troubled Churches.”  It deals specifically with churches that are “troubled” by recent General Assembly actions.  Maybe it should be titled “Responding Pastorally to Churches Considering Leaving the Denomination.”

The document is, on balance, a pretty moderate document.  It advises beginning with a response team to engage in conversation with the congregation and session so each side clearly understands the other side.  The next step, if the church still wishes to leave, is to form a team to study the situation and recommend a course of action and try for reconciliation.  The process could then go to an administrative commission.

The musing does say that presbyteries can not have a “quick exit” policy but that the presbytery does have the authority to release a congregation to another reformed body after extensive evaluation.  And that is where the musing ends.  It is either dismiss the congregation “or to decide that another course of action is most appropriate to
advance the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in that
geographic area.”  The other major component to this musing is that it encourages the “troubled” church to cooperate with the presbytery in all the steps.

While I have no problem with what the musing says it is probably more interesting on what the musing does not say.  There is no mention of the word “property” anywhere in this memo.  Is the implication that the congregation can be dismissed/transfered but you can’t take the property with you?  Also, the musing stops there and is silent on what “another course of action” might mean.

The memo commends policies on this matter that have been adopted by the Presbytery of New Covenant and the Presbytery of Wabash Valley.

Also, the Layman Online has their analysis of this musing.

Score one for the trust clause

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A PC(USA) press release is reporting that the judge in the case of Torrance First Presbyterian Church vs Presbytery of Hanmi has granted summary judgment to the presbytery giving it title to the church property.  (I previously wrote on this and other SoCal cases on Aug. 18) Checking the web site for the Los Angeles Superior Court (click “Case Summary on the left and then you can go to the bottom of the page and type in the case number BC332180) it indicates that a “Motion Hearing” was completed on Monday, Nov. 27, but the status of the case is still pending with a final status conference on 4/27/07 and trial set for 4/30/07.  It could be the web site has not been updated or they are waiting for the full decision to be issued in a couple of weeks or the summary judgment is preliminary and it can be challenged.  The related case (YC052718) does not show any activity since September.

OK, those are the facts as the PC(USA) and the court web site are reporting them.  I am looking for an alternate source to see if there is more to it.  However, I still stand by my comments from the previous post:  The Torrance case, and the others in SoCal, are very much the result of divided congregations that have internal disputes and are not really about the present atmosphere of (mostly) unified congregations wanting to leave the denomination over decisions by the GA.  What the present cases do show is the strategy and tactics that the PC(USA) higher governing bodies will probably be taking against churches that try to leave with their property.

But at what cost?  The monetary cost of this and the three other cases has been significant and the Synod of Southern California and Hawai’i, already financially challenged, is needing to find creative ways to pay for this.  (More on that later.  I have a commentary on Synods in process that might see the light of day in the next week.)  And I am personally disturbed by the tone of the PC(USA) press release.  It strikes me as having a very triumphalist attitude making reference to the “break-away faction” and the “loyalist Presbyterian Church (USA) faction.” 

I will keep watching this story.  The press release says the full decision will be issued by the judge in a few weeks.

The new indulgences

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There was an interesting piece on NPR’s radio program Morning Edition today done by Martin Kaste about consumer “carbon offsets.”  This established business practice in industry allows a company to put out more green house gases by buying some of the unused gas allotment from another company.  Now there is a consumer market for these so if you are feeling guilty about causing global warming by driving your SUV or heating your house you can pay Ford or The Climate Trust or other organizations.  However, you are not buying a carbon offset like industries do.  Rather, your donation will be used to support projects that are environmentally friendly and usually help reduce green house gases, such as buying up old cars or helping with reforestation projects.  The suggested payment is $10/ton of greenhouse gases produced or with Ford $80/year for an SUV.

OK, that’s interesting you say, but what does this have to do with reformed theology and Presbyterianism?  Well, one of the people interviewed in the piece is George Monbiot who likens the new carbon offset business to modern indulgences where you can live as you like, pay your money, and your sins are forgiven.  However, Mr. Monbiot also says that these consumer offsets are doing nothing to reverse global warming because what is needed is massive systemic change right away.  All the offsets do is ease people’s conscience.  You can read more of his view point in an October 18, 2006, article in The Guardian titled “Paying for our Sins” that promotes his new book Heat:  How to stop the planet burning.

Church of Scotland Moderator Designate Enters Debate

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I don’t know how I missed this the first time but I caught this in a recent follow-up:

In an article in the November 5 Sunday Times the Church of Scotland Moderator Designate, the Rev. Sheilagh Kesting, stated that “the time is right” for the church to permit the blessing of same-sex partnerships.  This past May the General Assembly voted to provisionally allow it but also voted to send it to the presbyteries for their approval.  The article also says that an informal survey of the presbyteries indicate that ten of thirteen presbyteries are against it.

Today’s article in Christian Today mentions the moderator designate’s comments but was occasioned by the unanimous vote in the Presbytery of Lewis against giving permission for the blessings.  This is the first presbytery to vote unanimously against it.

Moderator Designate for United Free Church of Scotland

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The United Free Church of Scotland put out a press release last Tuesday, Nov. 14 which was the basis for a story Nov. 16 on the web site Christian Today announcing the Rev. David Cartledge as the moderator designate for the United Free Church of Scotland.  Rev. Cartledge is recently retired but most recently served 21 years as the pastor at Milngavie Free Church.

Rev. Cartledge’s back ground is interesting.  It says that he came to Christ at the Billy Graham Crusade in 1955 and originally served as a Methodist and Wesleyan minister until 1982 when he transfered to the United Free Church.

The General Assembly will meet June 7-9, 2007 in Edinburgh.

New GAC Deputy Executive Director For Mission in the PC(USA)

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It is exciting to see today’s announcement/press release from the PC(USA) news service about the hiring of Rev. Tom Taylor to be the new General Assembly Council Deputy Executive Director for Mission.  Tom is a Louisville outsider who will come from the “tall-ish” steeple Glenkirk Presbyterian Church (1400 members) in Glendora, CA, San Gabriel Presbytery.

This hiring of a pastor from a large, prominent, generally “conservative” congregation to a major visible role in the national administration is comparable to the hiring of Gary Demarest to head up the General Assembly office of Evangelism in 1988.  Interestingly, Gary is quoted in the press release promoting Tom’s talents.

No one says that this will be an easy task.  Tom is quoted as saying:

“Anyone would be either crazy or arrogant to assume that this will be
an easy task,” Taylor noted. “This can only be done with God’s
direction and a Holy Spirit-driven energy and creativity, but I am
still more excited than daunted by the challenge,” he said. “I see it
as an opportunity for hope, growth and healing in our denomination.”

I look forward to Tom’s leadership in this position.