Tropical Florida presbytery agrees to dismiss nine churches
By Jason P. Reagan, The Layman, May 17, 2012
One of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s largest Florida presbyteries will be losing almost a third of its membership after the 57-church Presbytery of Tropical Florida approved the dismissal requests of nine churches Tuesday.
The departing churches say the denomination no longer recognizes the authority of Scripture and is embracing universalism. An increasing number of churches decided to depart after the 2011 passage of Amendment 10A and the new Form of Government.
The amendment deleted the explicit “fidelity/chastity” requirement from the constitutional ordination standard, and now allows the PCUSA to ordain noncelibate gay people as deacons, elders and pastors.
The new Form of Government (nFOG) has raised concerns that the PCUSA may become more hierarchical and less connectional, as well as becoming more universalistic in theology.
The departure represents about 3,800 members of the 13,525 Presbyterians within Tropical Florida – a 28-percent loss.
Under Tropical’s gracious dismissal policy, if 80 percent of the congregation in attendance vote to seek dismissal, the church is allowed to depart for another Reformed body with its property intact provided it pays an amount generally equal to three years of per-capita payments and often a special mission gift.
After a three-month process of meetings with presbytery officials, town-hall forums and final congregational meetings, all of the nine churches voted to seek dismissal with more than 90 percent support in each case.
With the exception of Faith Presbyterian Church in Pembroke Pines, all of the churches say they plan to join ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
Formed at the January meeting of the Fellowship of Presbyterians, ECO recently reported that 47 congregations are preparing to join the fledgling denomination. Faith will seek membership in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).
“Their dismissal will leave some areas with no presbytery or PCUSA presence,” Tropical’s Presbytery Administrator Amalie Ash said in a recent statement.
Unlike the departures of other PCUSA churches across the U.S., which have often been tarnished with protracted legal battles and acrimony, leaders from the departing churches report that the process with Tropical has been “respectful” and “gracious.” Theologically, the presbytery seems to share many of the churches’ beliefs. In 2010, Tropical churches voted down both Amendment 10A and nFOG
“It would be devastating to our presbytery’s mission strategy to be a reproducing, not a reducing presbytery, and our PCUSA [goal]to plant 1,001 new worshipping communities if we were to engage in a prolonged battle with congregations that have voted over 90 percent to request dismissal,” presbytery officials said in a recent statement, referring to the PCUSA’s 2011 stated goal of establishing that many churches over the next 10 years.
Overall, the presbytery will receive a total of at least $500,000 from the departing churches.
“The presbytery’s greatest loss will be the decades of their cherished joint ministry and fellowship,” Ash added.
The churches range in membership from almost 900 to barely 75.
They include:
Grace Community Church, Boca Raton
Even before Grace Community Church of Boca Raton started the dismissal process in September of 2011, the 866-member congregation began to evolve into something new and different in 2009.
In March of that year, the church changed its name from First Presbyterian Church to Grace Community.
“We really wanted to make a theological statement,” Senior Pastor Kirk McCormick said of the name change. “We wanted to make a purpose statement, which was community,” he said, when the church was featured on the PCUSA website in 2010.
On April 22, the church voted to seek dismissal by a 93-percent margin, 278-22
Grace will pay Tropical three years of per capita in the amount of $82,000, as well as making a one-time payment of $27,000 to the presbytery for world missions. This will allow the church to keep its property, currently valued at $3.08 million.
First Presbyterian Church, North Palm Beach
The PCUSA’s 2011 adoption of the new Form of Government proved to be one of the key factors for First Presbyterian Church of North Palm Beach in its decision to seek dismissal.
“We believe the Bible is the final authority regarding what we are to believe and how we should live; the new PCUSA believes the Bible is merely a guide for the conscience which is the new authority,” the session stated in its opposition to nFOG
“The danger in staying to fight this long battle is that, sometime soon, the [PCUSA] General Assembly may well decide to close the door entirely on congregations who wish to leave,” church leaders added.
The 1,122-member church met in March and voted overwhelmingly – 548-19 – to request dismissal.
In addition to paying three years of per capita totaling $105,359, North Palm Beach also agreed to repay $20,000 to Tropical for money spent by the presbytery to repair damages caused to the church by hurricanes. The church will retain its property, valued at $3.95 million.
Indian River Presbyterian Church, Fort Pierce
On April 22, Indian River Presbyterian Church voted 309-14 to request dismissal from the Presbytery of Tropical Florida – a 95-percent margin.
In November, the session voted to seek dismissal to ECO and several town-hall meetings followed. In addition to issues concerning ordination standards, polity and Biblical authority, the session said it is concerned about future PCUSA actions.
“At the next General Assembly in 2012, we will most likely see an affirmation of same-sex unions by the PCUSA,” the session stated.
“This would most likely require that pastors participate in same-sex marriage or be disciplined by the denomination which could include the possible revocation of their authority as ministers of the Word and Sacraments.”
Under its separation agreement, the 631-member church will pay $59,250, representing three years of per capita as well as a $12,000 mission gift.
Indian River also agreed to pay $75,000 to keep a separate piece of property valued at $750,000 because the church originally received a grant from Tropical to develop a ministry on the site.
“Geographically, [the] presbytery will lose a major PCUSA presence in the northwestern area of St. Lucie County,” Tropical’s dismissal task force noted.
Palm City Presbyterian Church, Palm City
For Palm City Presbyterian Church, joining ECO will have a special significance. That’s because John Terech, the church’s director of family ministry, has been appointed as the moderator of the new denomination’s Presbytery of the East.
“Things are about to become more missional, more evangelistic, more ex
ternally focused at our church because that is what the Kingdom is asking of us, that is what ECO is all about,” Terech said on the church’s website.
On April 29, the 523-member congregation voted to seek dismissal by a vote of 285-8 – a 96-percent margin.
Tropical’s dismissal task force noted concerns in its final report that involvement of “[Palm City] clergy in the discernment process at Palm City in support of departure from the denomination might be inappropriately public and biased.”
The report referenced a letter signed by the church’s pastor that Tropical officials claimed “countered, point by point, a letter presented in [the presbytery’s newsletter] in support of remaining in the denomination.”
However, the church removed the online letter and the two sides reached an agreement under which Palm City will pay three years of per capita — $46,856 – and a $3,000 mission pledge in order to keep its property, valued at $3.19 million.
As with Indian River, Tropical expressed concern that the PCUSA will lose a major presence in the area.
Memorial Presbyterian Church, West Palm Beach
Memorial Presbyterian Church stands in a unique position among the nine departing churches – Tropical’s presbytery administrator, Amalie Ash, is currently a member and candidate for ministry at the 300-member church.
The presbytery’s task force for Memorial noted that Ash plans to transfer her membership prior to dismissal.
Like the other churches, Memorial voted to seek dismissal at the end of April by a 90-percent-plus margin of 118-6.
Also like the other churches, Memorial will retain its property – valued at $1.485 million — and agreed to pay three years of per capita totaling $28,170, in addition to a $5,000 mission contribution.
Faith Presbyterian Church, Pembroke Pines
Unlike the eight other departing churches, Faith Presbyterian Church of Pembroke Pines is headed to the EPC after voting 103-5 to seek dismissal in March.
In its request for dismissal, Faith expressed “deep concern the movement of the PCUSA away from what the session sees as being faithful Biblical theology and practice.”
The 191-member church agreed to pay Tropical $17,615 in per capita over three years and to make a mission contribution of $7,393 — also to be paid over three years. The congregation will retain its property, valued at $2.04 million.
All Villages Presbyterian Church, St. Lucie West
All Villages Presbyterian Church of St. Lucie West has a challenge – for the past five years, the 131-member church has been trying to sell a tract of church property valued at $1.8 million.
In light of its decision to seek dismissal, the church included in its final agreement with Tropical a promise to pay the presbytery a “love offering” representing 10-percent of the land’s sale price, should any portion of the land be sold within the next five years.
The church voted to seek dismissal in April with a vote of 80-4 and has agreed to also pay Tropical a total of $12,300 over the next three years as well as a $1,000 mission contribution.
First Presbyterian Church of Miami Springs
A 73-member church, First Presbyterian of Miami Springs voted to seek dismissal on April 15 by a vote of 42-1, claiming the PCUSA has “[drifted] away from viewing the Bible as infallible in matters of what we put our faith in and how we practice our lives.”
The presbytery’s report noted that the church’s pastor, the Rev. Van Lahmeyer, “might not accompany the congregation to ECO.”
“ECO has given assurance that the Presbytery of the East is well able to supply their pulpit and provide candidates for the position,” presbytery leaders explained.
Tropical agreed to grant Miami Springs dismissal without any payments and with its property intact.
Kirk of the Keys Presbyterian Church, Marathon
After a congregational meeting on April 25, Kirk of the Keys Presbyterian Church of Marathon agreed to seek dismissal by a vote of 49-1.
The 72-member church will retain its property, valued at $2.55 million, and will pay Tropical three years worth of per capita in the amount of $6,762 in addition to a $1,000 mission contribution.