Quincy, Ill., church leaves PCUSA for EPC; court showdown over its property looms

Administrative commission wants to dissolve congregation
Quincy, Ill., church leaves PCUSA for EPC;
court showdown over its property looms

By Patrick Jean
Staff Writer
The Layman Online
Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Stung by a recommendation that they be dissolved, the congregation of First Presbyterian Church in Quincy, Ill., voted Aug. 12 to immediately leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) for the smaller, more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

WHY DID THEY LEAVE?

In an article published June 20 by The Layman Online, the Rev. Rodney J. Bakker, who has been the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Quincy, Ill., for about 13 years, cited two actions by the 217th General Assembly last year that steered his church on its path toward its June 24 vote to request dismissal from the PCUSA:

1. Approval of the report by the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity that keeps the current ordination standards in the PCUSA's Constitution, but allows those who choose not to obey them to declare them to be non-essential.

2. Receiving a paper on the Trinity that proposes both the Biblical tradition for the names of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – as well as a number of alternatives never linked in Scripture as Trinitarian language.

Several local meetings followed the general assembly, and the church session co-sponsored an overture asking Great Rivers Presbytery to affirm the constitutional ordination standards. The overture failed on a 74-72 vote.

"I tell you, if there was a straw that broke the camel's back, that was it," Bakker said. However, he added, "In truth, it's just 25 years of accumulated frustration that led the session to bring this resolution before our congregation."

The church was received into the EPC the following day. But the issue of the church's property remains unresolved, and church and presbytery representatives say a showdown in civil or ecclesiastical court is likely.

On June 24, the Quincy congregation voted 162-53 to resolve to ask Great Rivers Presbytery to dismiss the church to the EPC. The request went to a presbytery administrative commission established Feb. 27 to " 'visit particular churches, governing bodies or other organizations of the church reported to be affected with disorder, and to inquire into and settle the difficulties therein,' to the extent permitted by the Book of Order (G-9.0503a(4))," according to a report by presbytery trustees.

On July 31, the administrative commission stated, in a letter to presbytery commissioners and Quincy congregation members, that it would recommend to presbytery commissioners at their stated meeting Sept. 11 that they dissolve the Quincy church and let the presbytery retain possession of the church property.

"This would allow those who wish to align with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church to do so," stated the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Layman Online. "[A]nd most importantly, it will provide a mechanism by which the presbytery can actively support the development of a new PCUSA congregation around the nucleus of members that has emerged since the vote was taken. This recommended action does not preclude future negotiation around property issues."

Seven factors in dissolution call
The Rev. Dr. Jim Bell, moderator of the administrative commission, had previously told The Layman Online that he didn't want the matter to end up in civil court. "I think there was agreement that we wanted to attempt to do everything in such a way as to be Biblical and not disgrace our Lord," he said in a June telephone interview. "Both sides agreed that we would attempt to do everything possible to avoid any litigation."

So what happened? The July 31 letter points out seven factors that led to the administrative commission's hardline stance:

1. "While the session initially led us to believe that those members of FPCQ wishing to leave represented at least 90 percent of the membership, the actual vote did not, in our opinion, constitute a mandate. While the 'yes' vote constitutes 75 percent of the 215 members present and voting, it represents only about 40 percent of the active membership of approximately 400. … This led us to conclude that there is a substantial group whose desire is to continue their affiliation with PCUSA."

2. "Early on, we met with the Quincy session. While they presented themselves as intending to negotiate in good faith regarding their wish to realign with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and retain the property, we soon discovered that the New Wineskins Association of Churches, of which the Quincy congregation is an active member, had at its February 2007 meeting adopted a strategy plan entitled A Time for Every Purpose Under Heaven. … One of two attorneys identified as authoring this report is Dennis Gorman, a member of session and leader in the move to realign with the EPC. … The existence of this strategic plan, and the fact that one of the QPC session members played a significant role in developing it, cast doubt that the session was acting entirely in good faith."

3. "It became apparent that documents produced by the New Wineskins Association of Churches had been distributed to the congregation, and teachings based on these documents had been widespread. Among the most troubling was a chart purporting to represent doctrinal positions of the PCUSA, but in fact containing grossly erroneous statements. … This led us to believe that a substantial group of people voting were doing so on the basis of misinformation."

4. "There have been widespread and credible reports of additional questionable practices on the part of at least some members of the session and other leadership within the congregation to influence the vote in the direction of leaving the PCUSA and realigning with the EPC. … Further, it was reported on two separate occasions that at least one member of session said they were going to go through the process of negotiation with the AC but had no intention of making any payment for the building other than some possible token gesture."

5. "It was reported on several occasions that statements made by members of the commission, operating in good faith and a spirit of openness, were twisted to represent positions that would be found objectionable by church members. Further, these twisted statements were disseminated to influence members of the congregation."

6. "Following the vote, our commission invited those members who were committed to remaining with or were still considering their relationship to the PCUSA to meet to discuss how their spiritual needs might continue to be met. At this meeting, there were strong statements that indicated a substantial number of members felt that their spiritual needs could not be met in the post-vote worship services or by the present pastor."

7. "A group that included significant leadership from the FPCQ, including two retired ministers of Word and Sacrament and another ordained PCUSA minister, expressed a wish to organize to hold worship services, and also requested whatever assistance the presbytery or administrative commission could provide. Our only recourse was to suggest that they request space, designated time and other resources from the FPCQ session. This request was made by the group and denied by the session – an action [that], while within the session's right to take, nevertheless leaves this group without access to assistance in meeting their spiritual needs."

Seven responses to allegations
In an e-mail to The Layman Online, Dave Ayers, spokesman for the Quincy church and its clerk of session, addressed the seven allegations raised in the administrative commission's letter:

1. "Here are the actual numbers: We had 215 members present and voting out of 393 on the rolls on June 24, 55 percent of our total membership. Our average worship attendance is 203, and we estimate our core membership is 250-300, based on giving patterns and participation.

"In any democratic society and in the Presbyterian Church, a 3-to-1 margin surely constitutes a mandate.

"Our church records easily show that the rolls were most certainly not updated in preparation for the vote.

"As for the numbers within the congregation who will not be willing to continue with us as an EPC congregation, nobody knows for sure. We have reason to believe that some who voted 'no' will discover that being connected with the EPC doesn't make much difference in our work for the Lord.

2. "It sounds like the charge of not acting in good faith is based wholly on demonizing the New Wineskins movement and its strategy team. Their 'suggested pre-emptive actions' sound to us like very wise advice considering the way some evangelical churches and pastors (including ourselves) are being treated. We make no apology for our preparations to defend our congregation.

"Our actions have been transparent to presbytery from five years ago, when three of us drove to Peoria to talk with presbytery officials about our concerns. We told them that it appeared that one of our options was to request dismissal to another Reformed congregation. Since then, the presbytery officials have worshipped with us and visited with us on numerous occasions as the congregation studied its options. Transparency has been our way of demonstrating good faith.

3. "To take just one point on their list of misinformation – that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation - we readily acknowledge that this may well be the official position of the PCUSA, but leadership actions and pronouncements at all levels cast doubt on that. There is no need to belabor the point. The PCUSA steadfastly refuses to identify the essentials of the faith in order to be a 'big tent' denomination. Their action is too often inconsistent with what they profess to believe.

"It is such a relief to now be part of a body that upholds the Bible and the Westminster Standards!

4. "We don't like being called devious manipulators. I believe that if we had been able to hold a series of conversations with their administrative commission as planned, many of these charges would not have been made. The commission has fallen into the error of only listening to a very few articulate dissidents while ignoring those who legitimately speak for the majority. Much of what was written in this section is far from the truth. We have been tried, convicted and branded as schismatics without a hearing. We were and still are willing to meet with them anywhere, at any time, to begin negotiations on the only issue left unresolved: clear title to the real estate.

5. "They take umbrage at our (correct) belief that our pastors would lose their jobs if a majority voted against the resolution of Session. I heard Rev. Bell quite differently from his quotation of himself. The fact is that our pastors and elders were told by Rev. Bell that a negative vote is a vote of no confidence and that the only honorable thing to do would be to resign.

"I wonder what would happen to the pastors and elders if presbytery dissolved us?

6. "The very minute that the vote count was completed, our counting team was told that we were in schism. I understand 'schism' to be a split over non-essentials. The doctrinal positions in point 3 above are certainly not non-essentials, at least to this evangelical congregation. Since the vote count, the majority group has been ignored. There has been no response at all to our requests to meet, which, I suppose, has a logic of its own if we are not believed to be the 'true church.'

7. "This is a very interesting point. Two of the three ministers referred to are honorably retired and have strong progressive views, as is the case with many older ministers. Their connection with the leadership of the church is questionable. It is the young ministers and families who are driving the likes of New Wineskins, and this is very refreshing and exciting development.

"(Since we haven't met, I might add that I am a certified old fogey at age 76, so I'm not exactly a young tiger growling at my elders.)

"The third minister is one who is evangelical through and through. He and I together have taught Sunday morning adult Bible study for many years. I doubt that either of us fully understands why we now find ourselves on opposite sides of the divide. We still talk, and I pray for reconciliation soon."

Chart: Churches leaving the PCUSA

Chart: Churches seeking property only.

Articles on property issues

Disaffiliation vote follows letter
In response to the administrative commission's July 31 letter, the Quincy church's session called for an Aug. 12 congregational meeting to vote on three things:

1. Immediate disaffiliation from the PCUSA.

2. Immediately authorizing and directing church officials to take "all necessary action" to affiliate the church with the EPC through the New Wineskins transitional presbytery.

3. Immediately authorizing "all necessary action" to protect the church property and to "effectuate such disaffiliation from the PCUSA and affiliation with the EPC with all property."

One hundred and forty-one members of the congregation participated in this vote, Ayers said. Of them, 124 voted for immediate disaffiliation and the related actions and 17 voted against, he said.

But Bell said his administrative commission doesn't recognize or accept the Aug. 12 meeting and vote. He said it was illegal because an elder officiated rather than the pastor, and was out of order because it didn't follow Robert's Rules of Order.

Ayers responded to Bell's accusations via e-mail:

He confirmed that an elder moderated the Aug. 12 meeting, but said, "The Book of Order provides for an elder to moderate meetings of session and congregation under certain circumstances. The move of presbytery to dissolve the congregation was totally unexpected. After the June 24 vote to ask for dismissal, Pastor [Rodney J.] Bakker and the session arranged for him and his family a badly needed extended vacation and study leave. Pastor Bakker consented to have an elder moderate meetings in his absence, and this consent was duly ratified and recorded in a session meeting he moderated. Pastor Bakker communicated his views on disaffiliation in a letter to the congregation the week before the vote. He will return from leave on Sept. 5."

He said the meeting was conducted according to the Book of Order and added, "I don't know what Rev. Bell had in mind. The meeting differed from the June 24 meeting in that attendance was somewhat lower. The vote was conducted in accordance with a meeting procedure and docket that was approved by the body at the beginning of the meeting, as was done at the earlier meeting. The percentage voting in favor of disaffiliation was 88 percent, compared to 75 percent voting to ask for dismissal a few weeks earlier."

What's next?
Bell said he now expects the matter to go to civil or ecclesiastical court. He lamented that it will take "many, many months and a whole lot of money."

The presbytery is open to property negotiations with the church only "if they're open to doing it in an honest and meaningful kind of way," Bell said. The church has not made a "reasonable and legitimate offer" for the property so far, he said.

"We have continuously stated our desire to negotiate," Ayers retorted. "Rev. Bell told me in a phone call on July 26 that his commission 'was not interested in negotiating, nor in considering mediation and was not going to set a date to meet with representatives from session.' He said they were recommending that our church be dissolved. He called Pastor Bakker the same day with the same message."

Ayers said his church will go to court "only if presbytery forces us to do so. We will continue to do everything we can to avoid litigation. If presbytery now is willing to negotiate about property, I am optimistic that litigation can be avoided."

In the meantime, the Quincy church has officially joined the EPC. The church "was received into the New Wineskins EPC presbytery by action of the joint commission of the EPC and New Wineskins Associations of Churches on Monday, Aug. 13," said the Rev. Bill Meyer of Clearwater, Fla., chairman of the joint commission and a retired pastor.

But that denomination will not get involved in the Quincy church's property dispute with the PCUSA's Great Rivers Presbytery. "They are still in property negotiations and that is not part of our business," Meyer said in an e-mail to The Layman Online. "The EPC's position with respect to the church's property is that each church owns its own property and the EPC has no authority in property issues."

Ayers is uncertain about what will become of the property dispute, but he looks forward to his 167-year-old church's future with the EPC. "What the future will bring, nobody knows," he said. "In the meantime, we are an EPC congregation with a new sense of excitement about a new season of ministry under the EPC banner."

Patrick Jean is a staff writer for The Layman and The Layman Online. He can be reached at pjean@layman.org.

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