Atlanta-area congregation had gone to court over property rights Presbytery may investigate minister over church property case, including attendance at any New Wineskins 'events or conferences' The Layman Online Tuesday, November 27, 2007 The Presbytery of Greater Atlanta today will consider a recommendation to appoint an administrative commission for a congregation that has gone to court over its property rights and to investigate whether the pastor has been "upholding his ordination vows" – including whether he has attended any New Wineskins Association of Churches "events or conferences." The recommendation targets Timberridge Presbyterian Church in McDonough, Ga., and its pastor, the Rev. Matt Allison. The recommendation, by the presbytery's committee on ministry, will be considered today during the presbytery's stated meeting at Smyrna Presbyterian Church in Conyers, Ga. The presbytery is comprised of 110 congregations in the Greater Atlanta area. On Oct. 3, according to the commissioners' handbook posted on the presbytery's Web site, the Superior Court of Henry County granted a temporary restraining order to Timberridge Presbyterian Church "essentially enjoining the presbytery from taking any action to place a cloud on the title to the property, to claim ownership or control of the church property, to change the locks to the property, or otherwise violating the church's property rights." In its background report, the committee on ministry stated that the presbytery was notified Sept. 7 that it was being sued by the congregation "over the denomination's property trust clause." The committee on ministry stated that, prior to the notification, "the church had made no attempt to discuss their concerns with the presbytery." In response to a request from Timberridge Presbyterian Church for dialogue which, according to the committee on ministry's background report, "came at the time that the suit was filed," the committee on ministry "appointed a three-member review team to engage in dialogue" with the church. The background report states that, "after the team made contact with the pastor of Timberridge Church to pursue dialogue, the team was rebuffed and was told that discussion would happen through its lawyer." The committee on ministry's background report stated that the presbytery's executive presbyter, Ed Albright, "upon returning from sabbatical, contacted the pastor of Timberridge Church, Matt Allison, for discussion, dialogue and information as to how he was upholding his ordination vows in light of the lawsuit." Albright met with Allison on Oct. 24, the committee on ministry's background report stated, and, in Albright's "opinion, Matt could not point to any ways in which he upheld his ordination vows in this matter." Attempts by The Layman Online to reach the Rev. Allison this morning were unsuccessful. Based on those events, according to the background report, the committee on ministry is recommending that the presbytery form an administrative commission "in order to investigate the role of the ordained leadership in living out their ordination vows and their role in working with the church to prevent/promote schism." The committee on ministry, in its recommendation, states that the administrative commission would have the following powers: "Obtain and review the minutes of session, the trustees, as well as the minutes of congregational meetings. "Obtain and review any correspondence from the session, the trustees, and the pastor to the congregation. "Obtain and review any correspondence between any of the above-mentioned bodies. "Investigate any contact by the pastor or church with the movement called 'New Wineskins.' This would include investigating any attendance at New Wineskins events or conferences. "Obtain an accurate record of the membership rolls of the church. "The power to remove the pastor and any other ordained leadership, if deemed appropriate, with special attention to following the guidelines as outlined in G-9.0505(b). "Communicate with members of the congregation in whatever fashion that the commission deems appropriate. Examples are: hearings, focus groups, subcommittee meetings. "Grant the authority to call for congregational meetings and session meetings." The committee on ministry also nominated the following people (and their congregations) to serve on the administrative commission: the Rev. Lane Alderman, Roswell; the Rev. Joel Alvis, interim pastor of Alpharetta; the Rev. Tim Dalstrom, First Griffin; the Rev. Shannon Dill, St. Luke's; Elder Willis Hinton, Hillside; Elder Camille Josey, Peachtree; and Elder Louise Reaves, Memorial Drive.

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