Greetings,

  The Layman has continued it’s coverage of the developments in the vote of the congregation of Riverside Presbyterian Church in Linn Grove, Iowa.  The Layman reports, and includes the official notice, of a called presbytery meeting for next Monday, August 14.  I have been watching the Presbytery’s web site but it appears they either don’t regularly maintain it or this item has not, or will not, be posted there.  I refer you to the Layman for the full text of the article.

   I do want to comment on the notice for the presbytery meeting.  The Layman article implies that the presbytery is using strong handed tactics against the congregation.  Since the Layman has gotten a copy of the notice they probably have some additional inside specifics which I don’t have.  However, the notice appears on the surface to be what any presbyterian polity wonk would expect in this case.  The presbytery is going to be asked to form an administrative commission, our way of not making all the work be done at presbytery meetings.  That commission has the usual powers that we give it in this case:  To investigate the situation, confirm that the session and members wish to leave the PC(USA) and based upon that to determine what will happen next.  I will admit that I’m not sure the first power granted, to dissolve the pastoral relationship between pastor and congregation, is usual, but it seems reasonable here.  And of most interest to me, the commission is only granted the power to make a recommendation to presbytery about the property, not to do anything themselves.

   Let me step even further into the realm of commentary:  From reading the call for the presbytery meeting I see it as doing things decently and in order.  The congregation clearly wants to leave, we have a procedure to carry that out.  Now it is up to the commission and the presbytery to decide if it will be done decently and in order and with what measure of grace the procedure will be carried out.  It is in the carrying out of this process that our Christian faith and love will be tested and displayed to the world.  If my opinion matters, I would call on both sides to work through this process displaying the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) and a large measure of God’s grace.  I know that several times in my presbytery we have resorted to legalism over grace and have gotten it wrong in the process.  May it not be so here.

Blessings
Steve