No sooner (pun intended) do I post the last commentary when I continue web surfing on my lunch hour and find out that not only may the advice in the legal  memos been acted upon, but that another church has  decided to leave the PC(USA) with this as a factor.

The legal memos were reportedly distributed in a closed door meeting last January.  In April, the  Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery placed affidavits on all congregational property in the presbytery.  Reports of these affidavits are from The Layman web site (April 12, 2006).  A copy of an affidavit is also available from The Layman.

I find it interesting that the report of the Trustees of Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery that is in the June 10, 2006, presbytery report packet (page 7 in the pdf) mentions a couple of things.  1)  There was definitely a property issue with the Spring Hill Presbyterian Church.  2)  The Trustees claim that The Layman Online published misinformation (I am trying to find that article) about the case. 3) There is no mention of affidavits specifically in this case, or any general application of them.  4)  The Trustees asked for the sale of now vacant property where a church that has burned down once stood with the proceeds of the sale to “be put in the Trustee’s account to cover the costs associated with other property matters.”  (Conspiracy theorists can now ask “WHAT other property matters are they preparing for?”)  The minutes of the June 10 meeting are not yet posted so any revisions to the report or the results of the vote are not on-line.

Now, fast forward to the present and Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, the reverends Tom Gray and Wayne Hardy, co-pastors.  In his blog Tom Gray writes both about the property legal memos and implicitly how they were behind the presbytery’s affidavits.  The Layman Online reports that the presbytery response is that it was necessary in a limited number of cases but in fairness they placed the affidavit on all the churches’ property.  (Note above the June 10 trustees report, or any report at the presbytery meeting, does not mention the affidavits.)

At a session meeting last Tuesday, August 15, the elders and trustees of Kirk of the Hills voted to disaffiliate from the PC(USA) and pastors Gray and Hardy have renounced jurisdiction.  The press release declares

Yesterday the elders and the trustees of Kirk of the Hills voted to
disaffiliate from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) denomination in
response to decisions made by the PCUSA at the national level which
depart from the authority of the Bible and the denomination’s
historical beliefs.

A congregational meeting to affirm the decision of the elders and trustees has been called for August 30.  The church intends to now affiliate with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Tom Gray reflects further on these developments in his blog including todays entry.

We will see how this develops.