There appears to be a developing story in the relationship between the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (PC(USA)).  On his blog, Reformed Pastor, Teaching Elder David Fischler discusses last weekend’s EPC Presbytery of the East meeting.  Specifically, he reports the comments at that meeting by EPC Stated Clerk/Executive Pastor Dr. Jeffrey Jeremiah regarding contacts from the PC(USA) headquarters.

Specifically, TE Jeremiah mentioned that in the fall a PC(USA) “constitutional body” declared that churches were not to be released to the EPC Transitional Presbytery.  I am not sure exactly what declaration this was, but it might be referring to one of two Advisory Opinions from the Office of the General Assembly (OGA).  Opinion 17 was titled Schism and Opinion 19 was titled Implementing the Trust Clause for the Unity of the Church.  It could also be related to letters sent to presbyteries by the OGA that we don’t have the text of.

Mr. Fischler’s report on TE Jeremiah’s comments continues on to say that the EPC has been contacted by the PC(USA) and accused of initiating contact with PC(USA) congregations to encourage them to switch to the EPC.  Mr. Jeremiah flatly denies that the EPC has initiated contact and is concerned that their reply to the inquiry of an individual could be interpreted as recruiting of that church.  In addition, the PC(USA) was displeased that the EPC would receive a church that was not properly dismissed by their presbytery but just left, technically speaking they “disaffiliated.”

Finally, TE Jeremiah reported that there is at least one PC(USA) presbytery that will be sending an overture to this June’s General Assembly to declare that the PC(USA) is no longer in “correspondence” with the EPC, thereby prohibiting presbyteries from dismissing congregations to it.  This information is echoed by the Rev. Bill Crawford in his blog Bayou Christian.  Rev. Crawford’s source also says that Louisville is encouraging presbyteries to stall dismissal actions “by any means possible” until after GA so that churches could no longer be dismissed to the EPC… If the Overture passes.

We will have to wait for further developments to see if such an overture is submitted and how this plays out in advance of GA.  It should be noted that the New Wineskins Association of Churches has their own sample overture for presbyteries to approve and send to GA making it easier for churches to be dismissed with their property.  Among other Book of Order changes, this overture requests that Chapter VIII, “The Church and Its Property” be completely removed from the Constitution.  Again, I have not heard of a presbytery passing this overture nor has it appeared on the GA Business page listing.