Agreement continues stay in Sebastian church case By John H. Adams The Layman Online Thursday, May 9, 2002 A regional Presbyterian court has canceled a hearing that was to determine whether First Presbyterian Church of Sebastian, Fla., must respond immediately to a lower court's order that its session recant its Confessing Church resolution. Cancellation of the hearing ensures that no effort will be made by a presbytery court to enforce its order while the case is under appeal to the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of the Southeast. Floyd N. Rhodes Jr., interim executive/stated clerk of the synod of the South Atlantic, said the synod court canceled the hearing scheduled May 9 because both sides in the dispute agreed that a stay of enforcement should continue during the appellate process. The synod court has docketed the case for its review Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. in the synod offices in Jacksonville, Fla. In February, the permanent judicial commission of the Presbytery of Central Florida, after a brief trial, ordered "the session of the First Presbyterian Church of Sebastian to rescind … [its] confession of May 22, 2001, which is in conflict with the Book of Order. G-18.0201 and G-14.0207b." The outcome of that case was announced Feb. 26 to the participants at the National Celebration of Confessing Churches during their gathering in Atlanta. Several evangelicals responded angrily, with some threatening to withhold per-capita apportionments that support the work of the denomination. Hundreds of sessions have adopted Confessing Church resolutions that are identical or similar to the Sebastian resolution. The heart of the resolution is three tenets: Jesus Christ alone is Lord of the Church and the way to salvation for all who will receive him. Holy Scripture is the revealed Word of the triune God, and the Church's only infallible rule of faith and life. God's people are called to holiness in all areas of life. This includes honoring the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, the only relationship within which sexual activity is appropriate.

Respond to this article

News From the PCUSA Home · News · PLC Publications · The Presbyterian Layman Online Reviews · Archives · History of the Lay Committee · Feedback · Links