Legal war chest
approved
to fight EPC, New Wineskins
By Charles F.
Burge
Executive Director
The
Layman
Friday, June 27,
2008
218th General Assembly
San Jose, California
June 20-28, 2008 |
(San Jose) – On a 395-286-9 vote, delegates to the 218th
Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly passed a resolution allowing
contributions "for the purposed of sharing the cost of legal fees
defending our Constitution against the New Wineskins non-geographic
presbytery of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church."
An amendment to the motion establishes an Extra Commitment Opportunity
(ECO) account by the Office of the General Assembly to which funds may
be channeled. Rev. Richard Reifsnyder of Shenandoah Presbytery, who
provided the amendment, said, "It's important that this be viewed
as something to be shared across the church in our connectional system."
Financial implications for the original resolution were listed at $2
million ($50,000 per presbytery for an estimated 40 presbyteries), but
the amendment directs for these funds to be supplied by voluntary
donations. The resolution – 03-21 by commissioners Rev. Thomas
Woodward and Elder Ingrid Cyros of Northern New England Presbytery –
also provides up to $185,000 for reimbursement of that presbytery's
legal costs.
Floor debate on the resolution was lively:
- Elder Ingrid Cyros, commission from New England Presbytery and
co-sponsor of the resolution, said, "This item represents an
important step and action to partner and coordinate an effort with
churches that are struggling to stay in this denomination,
challenged by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. We're in court
defending our constitutional right to religious freedom and the
right to govern ourselves under our PCUSA constitution."
- Rev. Robert Austell of Charlotte Presbytery spoke against the
motion: "Whether $2 million or an ECO, there is an immeasurable
cost to what this motion proposed. That damage is done to real human
beings in our midst and our witness of Jesus Christ in the world. We
need to offer a gracious process to dismiss those who leave and care
for those who stay. There is a better way."
- Rev. Dwight Blackstock of Denver Presbytery favored the motion,
saying that "it is more than property. In the case of Northern
New England, the presbytery has been enjoined from being the
presbytery there, unable to replace the session, unable to do many
of the things we would expect a presbytery to do. It's very
important that we find ways as a whole church to help presbyteries
find ways to litigate in ways hopefully that are graceful, but if
not, then we need to do what we have to do in order to be the
church."
- Rev. Daniel Moore of Donegal Presbytery spoke against the
motion: "We were just told that we can't spare $100,000 to help
the healing of dozens of sexually molested victims. I will not vote
in favor of spending $2 million to take my brothers and sisters to
court or to give them threat."
- Youth Advisory Delegate Adam Weber from Greater Atlanta
Presbytery spoke in favor, saying, "If we cannot help our
brothers and sisters in this connectional church, what can we do?"
- Rev. Ron Oldenkamp of Sacramento Presbytery described himself as
"a PCUSA pastor serving in an evangelical congregation"
and spoke against the motion: "I know full well the cost that
is involved in all of this. Sacramento Presbytery was able to
negotiate an agreement without lawsuit to dismiss my congregation
and another congregation as well. We have found ourselves now in
court. I would ask that this assembly look beyond ourselves to the
larger kingdom of God. We can do a better thing that won't cost this
money to free it up for mission."
The Committee of the Office of General Assembly noted in a comment
that 39 additional presbyteries face or have faced similar legal
battles.
PCUSA clergy and bureaucrats have accused the New Wineskins Association
of Churches of "actively pursuing" PCUSA churches, and EPC
Stated Clerk Jeff Jeremiah has repeatedly denied the charges and
requested evidence substantiating the accusations, of which none has
been produced. |