Well, I updated the news of the Riverside PC of Linn Grove, Iowa,
earlier today but since then a flurry of additional items have broken,
all ultimately involving property.  I’ll give you my observations
on it at the end, but here is what has become public in the last 48 hours:

1. I have already discussed the vote at the Riverside Church and the called meeting of Prospect Hill Presbytery to address that.
2. The Layman is reporting
   possible similar action by the Windsor Presbyterian Church of Des
   Moines, Iowa.  The church has called a congregational meeting for
   this Sunday, August 13, and any action will be considered/responded to
   at the next stated meeting of the Presbytery of Des Moines on August
   19.  Interestingly, the presbytery web site currently has a broken link to their “call” (docket?) for August 19.
3. The PC(USA) Office of the General Assembly has just issued a new Advisory Opinion on “Implementing the Trust Clause for the Unity of the Church.”
4. The Layman has been supplied with two PC(USA) legal documents dealing with implementing the trust clause.  One of these (“Church
   Property Disputes: A Resource for those Representing Presbyterian
   Church (U.S.A.) Presbyteries and True Churches in the Civil Courts.”) addresses civil cases the other (“Processes
   for use by presbyteries in responding to congregations seeking to
   withdraw.”) ecclisastical law.

So, where does that leave us?

I find it interesting, this outbreak of  secession in Iowa.  What is going on in the Synod of Lakes and Prairies?
But other than the coincidence of geography and the broken link on the
Presbytery of Des Moines’ web site I am willing to let this take its
course as I wrote in my post earlier today.  I pray it will be
done decently and in order, but not legalisticly and vindictively.

The new advisory opinion I find a bit more disturbing.  Is the
timing a coincidence or was OGA holding it until a real threat
arose?  While I agree with much of it, particularly point I (I.
There is not a unilateral right of a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
congregation to depart from the denomination or its presbytery of
membership.), it seems to take a darker tone in point II (II. There are
also significant restrictions on how and under what circumstances a
presbytery may release a congregation.) and really sounds controlling
when you get to point III ( III. If a presbytery fails to carry out
these constitutional responsibilities, the synod may be required to
intervene.)

Finally, the two legal papers have some significant “strategy” points
to them that are due to what they are, legal discussions, as opposed to
sermons on grace and forgiveness.  I have only skimmed them but
hope to read them in more detail this weekend.  But sections of
them have a real “take no prisoners” tone to them.

So I ask again, where does this leave us?  I struggled with the
title I gave this post hoping that I was not over reacting.  But
reviewing the OGA material again, I am really left with the feeling
they are setting themselves up to win the individual battles of keeping
the buildings, but losing the war by having the membership leave the
denomination and in a way that does not bring glory to God and testify
to the grace and forgiveness Christians are to demonstrate to the
world.  The PC(USA) may end up with a lot of empty structures if
this is done wrong.

Will this be the dividing point in the PC(USA)?  I don’t
know.  If each of the presbyteries, synods, and the GA do it
right, we might end up with a smaller PC(USA) but our mutual
forbearance will be a witness to the world.  If we do it wrong,
it could get really ugly.

I will admit that I did not expect this to be the constitutional
crisis.  I hoped and prayed that the new authoritative
interpretation would get us through another two years without being
tested.  However, the pragmatist in me expected one of several
presbyteries to test the “local option” and I wanted it to play out in
the PC(USA) PJC system first before we got to the point of
congregations packing up and leaving the denomination. 
Unfortunately, it appears that some congregations are jumping to the
“end game” and trying exit strategies now.  May God grant us
wisdom and discernment in the days ahead and grace and forgiveness in
our dealings within the PC(USA).

In the midst of the PC(USA) GA news binge I sort of lost track of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America GA’s going on at the same time and place.  There were a couple of joint events and combined worship but I’ll focus on business from their Summary of Actions.

The 176th General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church convened June 19-23 in Brimingham, AL.  One of the interesting things about their organization is that in addition to a stated clerk they also have an engrossing clerk.  From the operations manual it appears that this individual only serves during the assembly and  the primary duty is to serve as the clerk-pro-tem in the stated clerk’s absence.  It was not clear if this was also the individual who dealt with preparing and processing “legislation” as an engrossing clerk would do in some state governments.

Much of the high profile business seemed to be related to the sale of the current headquarters and the capital campaign for the new headquarters.  You can check the status of the campaign at ilovemychurch.net.  Along with this there will be study, with a consultant, of the denominational structure.

One of the more interesting items of business is the adoption of a new logo.  At first glance I thought it was kind of mundane, but once I read the description and saw the combined elements it made sense.  I must admit however that the ordinary person, without the benefit of the description, will miss all the built-in symbolism.  Here is the information copied from their minutes:

The 132nd GA of the Presbyterian Church in Canada was held in St. Catharines June 4-9, 2006.  As noted in an earlier post one of the notable events was the naming (their term) of Wilma Welsh as moderator, the first layperson to serve in that position. 

   The next day there was a recommendation by the “Clerks of Assembly” to not allow ruling elders as interim moderators of churches.  From the GA report it seems that it was not just to moderate session, like elders serving on, or who have served on COM, can do in the PC(USA), but rather to serve in an interim pastoral capacity.  This would be equivilant to a commissioned lay pastor in the PC(USA) even possibly being authorized to administer the sacraments.

   The daily report talks about a “lengthy discussion” about providing sanctuary.  The GA adopted the following:

“Should a congregation of The Presbyterian Church in Canada, desiring in obedience to God’s word and its own conscience, may offer sanctuary to an asylum seeker whose claim for refugee status has been rejected and who faces a risk of persecution if returned to his/her country of origin, they may consider the following as appropriate steps to follow:
1. have an independent review of the evidence provided by the asylum seeker that confirms the risk
2. have exhausted all of the legal and political recourses as outlined in this statement;
3. have followed the decision making procedures of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.”

   Much of the debate seems not to be about polity issues that seem to be the focus of denominations like the PC(USA) but about church and society issues like aids and sustainable development.  In the coming year there will be a focus on global health and the concern about getting affordable medication to developing countries will be brought up with the Canadian Government and corporations.

   Short notes:  The GA was introduced to an annual theme for the church “Year of Sabbath” which will be launched church-wide in Advent.  During the Year of Sabbath each congregation will be encouraged to participate in at least one weekend long spiritual retreat.  The GA celebrated the 40th anniversary of the ordination of women to both the office of teaching elder and ruling elder.  The moderator, Wilma Welsh, ordained in 1967, was one of the first women ordained.

For more information, reports, presentations, and pictures you can go to the PCC General Assembly Page