 New Covenant Presbytery Administrative commission considered for church that voted to request dismissal from PCUSA By Patrick Jean Staff Writer The Layman Online Tuesday, December 11, 2007 New Covenant Presbytery is scheduled to vote today on authorizing an administrative commission for a Houston church that voted Dec. 9 to request dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA) with its property in order to join the New Wineskins/Evangelical Presbyterian Church transitional presbytery. A review team for New Covenant Presbytery considers the congregation of Heritage Presbyterian Church to be in schism and has harsh words for its senior pastor and session.
Additional powers loom The administrative commission could be granted the following more sweeping powers "only after consultation with and concurrence of the general council," the report states:
First, the report alleges that the church's session – even though it held four congregational meetings before voting to leave the PCUSA – skipped the first part of the process by failing to provide the congregation with an opportunity to participate in a time of discernment dictated by the process. "Other than the fear of pre-emptive tactics by the presbytery … neither the pastors nor the session offered any explanation for this abridgement of process," the report states. Second, the report declares that the session "has undertaken minimal planning for the practical consequences of the called vote. They have addressed finding a place for meeting for those choosing to withdraw, if they are not allowed to stay in the present facility; and they have approached the presbytery staff about continued participation in the presbytery youth programs for those who expect to withdraw. There appears to have been little thought given nor articulated about the well-being of those who wish to continue as members of a PCUSA congregation." Majority votes, but schism declared Heritage Presbyterian Church's congregational vote on seeking dismissal from the PCUSA, based on a recommendation from the church's session that was mailed to church members and the presbytery in late October, took place at a congregational meeting Dec. 9. The presbytery considered the church to have 512 members, based on the number of those added and removed from the church's membership roll as of November 2007, and required a majority vote of 257 for the motion to prevail. Of those voting, 299 members – or 58 percent of the church's 512 members – voted in favor of seeking dismissal and 63 members – or 12 percent of the church membership – voted against the request, the review team's report states. Despite the result, the review team considers the church to be in schism. "The pastors and session, by their recommendation to seek dismissal from the Presbyterian Church (USA), have caused a schism (division) in the congregation," the team's report states. "It is impossible to predict the long-term effects of this action on the congregation, this presbytery and within the larger community." In particular, the review team's report singles out the church's senior pastor of 10 years. "The impetus for withdrawal appears to this team to have been initiated and driven by the Rev. Elliott Scott," the report states. "In his zeal to follow his own convictions, it seems as though he has led and encouraged the session of the church to a unanimously supported course of action. This course of action has raised questions within the congregation and among some has fostered an atmosphere of distrust. Many in the congregation and the presbytery were taken by surprise of the announcement of the impending (dismissal) request to presbytery." Scott also has "frequently articulated sharp criticisms in his sermons over the past year or more of the PCUSA, General Assembly issues and decisions and other actions in the PCUSA that have kept the session's and other members' attention focused on these issues," the report states. The report also has harsh words for Heritage Church's session. At a congregational discussion meeting Oct. 27, the report states, "session members stated that the matter of leaving the denomination had been under secret consideration by them for a year prior to the announcement of the calling of the congregational meeting for Dec. 9, and that they had deliberately kept knowledge of the fact from the congregation for fear of possible drastic, interventional action by presbytery if their planning was discovered." At the same meeting, Scott responded to a church member's question about the confidentiality by saying "he and the session feared reprisal by the presbytery that would include removal of the pastor and locking the church doors," the report states. Answering members' questions The letter from the church's session to congregation members calling for the Dec. 9 vote included a list of 20 frequently asked questions with answers, the review team's report states. The answers spell out why the church wanted to leave the PCUSA and join the New Wineskins EPC Presbytery, as well as what might happen with the church property. The answers cited three reasons for leaving the PCUSA now and joining the EPC:
Such an agreement will not come through suing the presbytery, the church states. "Having read the words of Jesus (Matthew 5:40) and the Apostle Paul (1st Corinthians 6), the elders feel that this is neither the godly nor the practical thing to do," the Q&A states. "It blackens the eye of the Body of Christ for churches to sue each other in secular courts." Review team goes to church The October letter from the church's session to the presbytery announcing the Dec. 9 congregational vote led to the general council's creation of a six-member review team, the team's report states. The team says it sent a letter Nov. 7 to church members to:
At the Nov. 27 congregational meeting sponsored by the review team, team members said they provided a paper on frequently asked questions and answers about the PCUSA that was prepared by New Covenant Presbytery's general presbyter, the Rev. Mike Cole. Heritage Church later published a response that rebutted most of the presbytery's answers, the review team's report states. Review team members were at the congregational vote Dec. 9. The review team's report concludes with an objective observation of the vote's events and results. Powers that could be granted The administrative commission's potential additional powers are limited in the review team's recommendation to authorizing oversight of the church, ministry and property; assuming original jurisdiction in place of the church's session; freezing the assets of the church; and securing the property "for the use and benefit" of the PCUSA. However, New Covenant Presbytery's process for churches seeking to withdraw from the denomination lists many other powers that could be granted to an administrative commission. These include:
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