Grace Presbytery has stripped Joseph B. Rightmyer of his ordination as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA). The presbytery’s Permanent Judicial Commission (PJC) ruling found Rightmyer guilty on eight counts related to the process that resulted in the departure of Highland Park Presbyterian Church from the denomination.
A letter from Grace presbytery reads, “The censure imposed … was removal from the ordered ministry of teaching elder. This means that he is no longer a minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and is no longer a teaching elder member of Grace Presbytery. This is the highest level of censure permitted by the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA).”
The allegations stem from events that transpired in the months immediately following the presbytery’s approval of Rightmyer’s service as HPPC’s Interim Pastor.
Rightmyer was found guilty of:
- Charges 1 and 2: “the offense of advocating and facilitating a process for Highland Park Presbyterian Church to determine whether to remain a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).” Shepherding the process for the church where he was serving as the Interim Pastor, the PJC ruled, was in violation of two ordination vows related to governance, polity, and furthering the peace, unity and purity of the church.
- Charges 3, 4 and 5: “the offense of moderating the Session” of HPPC “and permitting it to vote to call a congregational meeting” on the question of denominational affiliation. The PJC ruled “this action is in violation of the Book of Order G-1.0503 which defines and limits the business that may be conducted at congregational meetings” and a violation of the aforementioned ordination vows.
- Charges 6, 7 and 8: “the offense of moderating a congregational meeting of” HPPC “and permitting it to vote on whether to remain a member of the” PCUSA. Again, the PJC found this to be a violation of ordination vows and the Book of Order G-1.0503.
Three other charges, related to Rightmyer’s part in “permitting in the dissolving of the installed pastoral relationship” of a particular teaching elder were not sustained.
Rightmyer was ordained by the Atlanta presbytery in 1972. He served faithfully for more than 40 years as a renewal leader. From 1995 to 2004 he served as the Chief Administrative Officer of Presbyterians for Renewal (PFR). Since leaving that position Rightmyer served as the interim pastor of Westlake Hills church in Austin and then as an associate pastor of HPPC since 2008. On June 1, 2013 he became the Interim Pastor of HPPC which was already fully engaged in discerning its relationship with the PCUSA.
The Rules of Discipline allow for an appeal of the verdict to the PJC of the Synod of the Sun. But for now, the reality remains that ordained as Reverend on 7/1/1972, Joe Rightmyer was defrocked by the PCUSA on 1/7/2015.
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61 Comments. Leave new
Just to be clear, the position of the PCUSA is: Ordain a homosexual in defiance of Scripture, Confessions & the Book of Order – no problem. Perform a homosexual “marriage” in defiance of Scripture, Confessions, and the Book of Order – no problem. Hold a Congregational meeting to talk about these issues – a topic not specifically authorized by the Form of Government – and you must be fired. Interesting place to set the limits.
I suspect he will not be too upset by this action. It’s too bad PCUSA doesn’t spend more time pondering why so many with deep in abiding faith in Christ have lost faith in it.
But, hey, on the bright side, at least they’ve found ONE thing they can regard as incompatible with peace, unity and purity. 😉
I’m kidding, of course, but I could do with a bit of analysis here. My instinct is that they may have had at least a strong *literal* case against Rev. Rightmyer based on specific ordination vows about what role a minister, as opposed to a session, may take in a congregation. Is that a fair statement?
I also hasten to point out that the ironically named “Grace Presbytery” issued one of the more threatening-sounding press releases I have seen after settling the dismissal lawsuit with HPPC. http://www.pcusa.org/news/2014/9/10/grace-presbytery-highland-park-presbyterian-church/ In particular, their anouncement celebrates their defense of the property trust clause and concludes, “Grace Presbytery believes that the resolution of this lawsuit has accomplished this goal, and fervently hopes that it can avoid all legal disputes with congregations in the future.” Translation: “Anybody else wanna piece a’ me?”
Comment received via email from Lloyd Lunceford:
There is an illuminating backstory to this report. After a long and honorable career, Rev. Rightmyer had already retired from active ordained ministry prior to the initiation of the Presbytery’s proceedings against him. The Highland Park property litigation had also already been settled. And there was nothing that the Presbytery could do to touch Rev. Rightmyer’s already-vested pension. Nevertheless, Grace Presbytery went after him, out of principle or spite depending on one’s point of view.
Some in the Presbytery had hoped that Rev. Rightmyer might moot need for any PJC proceedings, by falling on his sword and “renouncing jurisdiction.” He declined to play along, though, and saw the proceedings as his day in court an opportunity to speak his mind freely.
All of the eight guilty verdicts stem from a common root — the PCUSA’s dogmatic stance that a local church can’t leave the PCUSA unless the PCUSA says it can, via “dismissal” by a presbytery. Although it is technically correct that the Book of Order only mentions “dismissal” explicitly as a means of exit, the right of a congregation to act on its own to terminate its voluntary relationship with the PCUSA must be read as implicit within the pages of the Book of Order if the denominational constitution is to be understood and applied in a way that is consistent with, and not contrary to, basic religious liberties that are enshrined in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. There is, after all, supposed to be a “USA” in the PCUSA.
More than fifty years ago the U.S. Supreme Court held, ” Freedom to engage in association for the advancement of beliefs and ideas is an inseparable aspect of liberty. Of course, it is immaterial whether the beliefs sought to be advanced pertain to political, economic, religious, or cultural matters…” NAACP v. Alabama, 357 U.S. 449, 460-61 ( 1958). Subsequent court decisions have made clear the logical corollary of the right to associate — the right not to associate. Accordingly, several state supreme courts, in New York, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana, for example, have had occasion to acknowledge that local church membership in a denomination is voluntary.
The guilty verdicts against Rev. Rightmyer myopically ignore these long-established, basic legal realities and reflect a worldview that intransigently refuses to acknowledge fundamental American freedoms. They indicate an unreflective, head-in-the-sand consumption of the PCUSA Kool-Aid by the Presbytery’s PJC panelists. In choosing to banish Rev. Righmyer from the ranks of PCUSA ministers because of his exercise of conscience, while at the same time turning a blind eye to the widespread rejection of Biblical orthodoxy elsewhere among some quarters of the PCUSA ministerial ranks, Grace Presbytery has sadly chosen to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.
Rev. Rightmyer, the Highland Park session, and the Highland Park congregation are to be commended for their devotion to Christ, to the teaching of the Bible, and to the God of all grace and truth.
I continue to be profoundly disappointed in how far the PC(USA) has fallen. Joe Rightmeyer always offered gracious and irenic leadership in the PC(USA). It was the trademark of his work as executive director of Presbyterians For Renewal. This action is one more example of how a denomination with a great legacy has reduced itself to acting like the worst characterizations of petty and vengeful middle school children.
If, as noted, Mr. Rightmyer’s pension is secure, I’m guessing he’s not too worried about this action by the so-called “Grace” Presbytery. His ordination is recognized by a higher authority than those petty bureaucrats.
Probably one of the finest pastors I have ever known. It is tragic, and a travesty that the PCUSA would overlook so many pernicious issues within the denomination and in turn act so petulantly against Joe Rightmyer.
Grace’less’ Presbytery strikes again.
Why doesn’t he just quit and ask anyone who wants to quit, to quit with him? Then they can just form a group and join another denomination like OPC? I’m sure they would ordain him with no problem if he passes a smell test. Nothing wrong with quitting an apostate and sodomite denomination.
He’s in good company–J Gresham Machen, for one.
Joe is a great man! I admire him. I hope he transfers into a Bible-believing denomination.
This decision is wrong on so many levels I don’t know where to begin. I don’t know whether to be ANGRY that Grace (hopefully they will consider changing their name) Presbytery has treated a 42 year faithful servant of the PC(USA) and its predecessor so shamefully. Or SAD, that Joe Rightmyer, as fine a man, a Christian, and a Presbyterian Pastor as I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and serving with has been slandered in this way. Or DISGUSTED, that the denomination that we once loved has become so hateful that it would drag someone out of their retirement in order to exact a meaningless pound of flesh. Somewhere deep inside I can try to imagine that the members of the PJC and Ms DeVries think they have done something honorable and that they have struck a blow for the PCUSA. But I suspect that its just another sounding of the death knell of the denomination.
To quote a friend, “Happiness is the PCUSA in the rear view mirror!”
Actions like this by the PJC of the PCUSA Denomination further disclose the spirit of the organization and its leadership. Sadly and tragically, that spirit is revealed to have become divorced from The Holy Spirit.
My prayers are with Rev Joe Rightmyer. I also pray God would change the hearts of those who actions appear to be based on spite rather than love or any other fruits of the spirit.
These actions also highlight the wise course of action taken by HPPC to sever ties with PCUSA. I am thankful to God that our congregation was also able to sever those ties and join ECO. It is wonderful to be finished with denominational squabbles which attempted to take our eyes away from Jesus Christ, rather than firmly fixed upon Him.
Emetic.
While I agree with your sentiments, I have to point out that this was the PJC of the Grace Presbytery, not the PJC (sic) of the PCUSA (or the General Assembly PJC) which is the highest Judicial body in the PC(USA) aside from the General Assembly itself.
This particular presbytery has shown in the past few years that it has lost any semblance of acting in accordance with its name.
FYI…Kool-Aid was not the drink of choice of the suicidal/murderous followers of Jim Jones. Please don’t besmirch an iconic American childhood favorite.
That is true RC. Many presbyteries have shown gracious acceptance of people who have moved their ordinations to the EPC and ECO. Grace Presbytery has just proven to be Graceless. No real surprise there. At least this godly man has the comfort that Luther would give him a hearty handshake. After all, they kicked out him too.
Exactly. Pastors have been defying the constitution for decades. Nothing was done. But those who act out of conscience, well those who are evangelical, are booted. Message loud and clear!
Getting the boot from this bunch of graceless presbyterians is a badge of honor, I should think.
Awwwe, poor presbytery. They have to defrock a man of integrity, while they retain those who preach against the doctrines of Reformed Christianity daily. They retain those elders and pastors who believe sodomy glorifies God. They retain those who turn God’s truth into a lie. What a bunch of cowards who bring shame upon our church! And what an honor it must be to be dismissed from a flock of Pharisees.
I met Joe Rightmyer many years ago at a PFR Seminarians’ conference. I was moved by his graciousness and kindness. I felt blessed to make his acquaintance. I am most sorrowful that this good man has been subjected to this action, which is nothing but retribution. This is an un-Christian action by the Presbytery’s PJC.
The adulterous woman;
was forgiven offense,
for the one without sin
did provide her defense.
The pharisee prayed,
“Thank God I’m not a sinner.”
The tax man, contrite,
justified before dinner.
The man blind from birth,
that with mud he did heal,
not for any crime done;
for God’s glory revealed.
In all of the gospels
and epistles therein,
there’s only one mentioned
unforgivable sin.
In Jesus’ time;
the spirit to grieve,
presbyterian crime;
organizing to leave.
This does answer the question, does the PCUSA still have heresy trials? Of course they do. Heresy or apostasy in the PCUSA is now defined as lack or failure of institutional or corporate loyalty, and or actions, speech against the institution. Where in times past matters of heresy or apostasy was adjudicated over matters of theology or confession, now it is dumbed-down to matters of corporate governance,
In the contemporary PCUSA one can easily say on the floor of any Presbytery Jesus and Paul were in essence gay, and Jesus had a biological child with Mary. I doubt anybody would bat an eye. Threaten the institution on either a fiscal or financial level, power, money, control, one is cast into the outer darkness.
The property in trust clause was indeed the poison pill it was designed in 1972. But the poison and death it inflicts are on those who try to use it to persecute and inflict pain on those of faith.
In 2014 there are really only 2 sins left in the PCUSA. Disloyalty to the governing elites. And any question as applied to the pluralism/diversity/multicultural/relativistic orthodoxy. Outside of that, one can pretty much say and do, and believe and affirm, or not, as they damn please.
Meanwhile I know of a PCUSA pastor who is in good standing with his presbytery and who openly pushes atheism and universalism on his web site. I’d like to ask him “How are you different from the Unitarian/Universalist church?”
If it is indeed true that Rightmyer helped guide the congregation to leave the denomination as an interim minister in that congregation, and then did not do the honorable thing and renounce jurisdiction (which he basically did in guiding them to that decision), all for the sake of “having his day in court,” then he got what he wanted. He had his day in court, the court found him guilty (which he was), and a sentence was pronounced.
He either led, enabled, or stood by mute while a congregation left the denomination, and then he did not renounce jurisdiction and leave along with them. He is guilty.
The presbytery got what they wanted $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, this was just petty and vindictive.
Amen
I cannot wait until the Houston 1st Pres case goes to court, and then maybe once and for all it will take the smirks off of all the faces of the overpriced PCUSA presbytery leaders in Texas.
I understand about the charges of leading HPPC out of the PC (USA), but I am puzzled about charges of allowing the session or congregation to, etc. Also, isn’t there a process for called congregational meetings, that under certain circumstances, the congregational meeting is not restricted to the same limitations of content (questions) as an annual congregational meeting? Were the charges possible because TE Rightmyer was an interim pastor?
I’m glad you are satisfied with the verdict Chris! Never mind all those that retain their ordination yet defy Part I of our constitution daily. Any words of compassion for all those years of honorable service?
I share the deep gratitude for Joe’s ministry to so many and would encourage him to regard whatever wounds have come his way as a result of this action as “stigmata” –signs of faithfulness to Jesus Himself. I am stunned by this.
The issue isn’t so much the earnestness of belief, but another instance of placing procedural fidelity before theological fidelity.
This is ironic when the presbytery involved has a segment in their policy “Commitment and Dialogue without threat of Punishment.” Grace Presbytery has a horrific reputation in their treatment of congregations, teaching elders and ministry candidates and they allegedly have a ‘black list’ of teaching elders who will never be allowed to serve within their bounds. This action is a warning shot across the bow of any who would dare to event hint discussion of dismissal.
Another obvious irony is that the ‘purity’ issue is usually set aside when flagrant immoral and unbiblical behavior is involved and the subsequent ignoring of polity. The number of Sessions guilty of ‘exercising’ their conscience in regard to ordination standards prior to BOO changes is numerous. The number of teaching elders who knowingly ignored Biblical, Confessional and polity standards resulting in promoting heresy is great. Jack Haberer, when asked about heretics and the lack of cases against them by a member of Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston during a gathering around the issue of dismissal, responded: “we don’t bring charges against them because they are nice people and the financial cost is too high.”
This action is a scorched earth reaction and in very poor taste and I would say evil in its intent. One more for the devil!! Joe was faithfully serving the Lord as he believed called to do so.
New Covenant Presbytery has a Gracious process but due to recent congregational departures there are many seeking to harshen the policy amending it with less gracious language and repercussions. The COM has twice now sought to adopt policy effecting Teaching Elders and their ability to engage even in conversation with church members about dismissal issues. The first attempt was to stop temporary teaching elders such as interims. This was fought and eventually recanted. The second and more recent was to have the same effect upon all teaching elders. That action has been postponed until the next meeting in March. A case such as this will further give ammunition to the fear mongering individuals who promote the idea that such policies are necessary and legitimized under polity. It will be a sad day if they succeed.
Per the concluding paragraph of G-1.0503, “whenever permitted by civil law, both ecclesiastical and corporate business may be conducted at the same congregational meeting.” Am I missing something?
I’ve known Joe Rightmyer since my college days in the ’70s when he pastored a nearby church and led Bible studies on our campus. We saw each other many times in the years since then. I’ve always had the utmost respect for Joe, and know him to be a humble godly man. His work with PFR speaks volumes about his loyalty to the PCUSA and working for renewal within the denomination. This is a travesty, especially in light of so many other Teaching Elders who have blatantly violated the Constitution through the years with impunity, and even when there was punitive action taken and upheld by the GAPJC nothing was done to enforce that (Jane Spahr and Redwoods Presbytery).
In our region there was an interim pastor (PCUSA) who served a church which, during his tenure, moved from the PCUSA to the EPC. He has remained in the PCUSA, and that church has now called an EPC pastor. It seems that it is just going to get more and more difficult for churches to leave, as they will only be able to do it with their current pastor. Interim pastors can’t facilitate the discernment and decision-making process without jeopardizing their ordination. And presbyteries sure won’t allow churches to call new pastors who show any hint of dissatisfaction with the denomination.
This is just one more confirmation that my decision to leave the PCUSA two years ago was the right one. The presbytery I left took a long time simply to grant me a “dismissal” to another Reformed body (EPC), trying instead to put words in my mouth of “renunciation.” I will continue to pray for those who will feel increasingly trapped. Clearly there are more difficult and Grace-less days ahead.
Grace Presbytery is a JOKE!
Joe was not in interim minister at HPPC. He was a called associate pastor who then stepped in at the request of the congregation (with the approval of the presbytery) as the interim senior pastor during their search process. His role as senior pastor was an interim role, but his calling as a pastor of the congregation was an official call.
I do not accept your premise that a pastor who engages in shepherding his/her flock where their strong desire is to be dismissed to another denomination has somehow done wrong, and should then do “the honorable thing” by renouncing jurisdiction. The PCUSA Constitution permits churches to be dismissed to other denomination, and pastors to be transferred in good standing, if they so request. Joe has been a loyalist to the denomination all his long career, even when many others of us debated with him on the virtues of departure. In this his last call at HPPC, he acted in what he believed to be the best interests of the congregation and the cause of Christ. When the new senior pastor was called, Joe decided to retire honorably. What a shame that his terminal presbytery was not willing to honor all his years of service, but in a fit of resentment decided to rip his honorably retired status from him and strip him of ordination. For this spiteful and petty action, they have earned a new prefix for the name of the presbytery: Dis-Grace.
I never cease to be amazed at the parallels between the current apostate PCUSA and the apostate Catholic Church prior to the reformation. Rejection of scripture, power grabs, focus on money, salvation by works (tolerance….right thought etc). The only big difference is that the pre reformation church was the world…..the current PCUSA is merely trying to conform to the world. It would take a rather large book to enumerate all the parallels. But I digress.
This is a great one. The parallel is when Pope Formosus was exhumed and defrocked in the (in)famous Cadaver Synod. And it has the same effect. And it is just as ludicrous.
I was honored to ask that my name be stricken from the role of elders as I renounced the authority of the apostate and wordly PCUSA. Joe Rightmyer should be an order of magnitude more honored that his witness was sufficiently strong that the PCUSA recognized it.
“Grace” Presbytery: using money from the collection plates of its congregations to pay lawyers for the purpose of extracting $11 million from Highland Park church. Then defrocking this retired, long-time faithful servant.
It must be an exciting thing to be in the offices, the corridors of power, of “Grace” Presbytery. They must feel very proud and pumped every day as they come in and plan where next to direct their energies in the service of the Lord.
The Honorable Rev. Rightmyer (and I am using those terms sincerely), was attacked by the venal petty thieves of Grace Presbytery, Joe simply had to face a star chamber. Those who passed this judgement on him will have to stand before the Ultimate Judge of us all (of course, many, if not most of them do not believe in Judgement Day).
The difference of character will be that, while these “judges” eyes are filled today with glee, Joe’s, on that Day, will be filled with tears. Such is the character of this fine pastor whom the presbyters of “Grace” believe they have the right to judge.
So much for “inclusivity and diversity.” I thought they PC(USA) was supposed to be a “broad umbrella” that welcomed and tolerated many different views. The truth has come out, however. This isn’t how you build trust or support the peace, purity, and unity of the church.
Looking to judicatories, it is interesting how much power a Teaching Elder is deemed to possess. The input, conscience, and actions of Ruling Elders are relegated to a meaningless status. The same holds true of the voices of congregations. The actions of judicatories reveal their beliefs about those who are “beneath them.” Elders and congregations are just victims who need to be saved.
Jesus was rejected too. knowing as much as we do now about what’s going on in the PCUSA if he’s as holy as everyone says he is i’d be upset if the PCUSA didn’t reject him. those who are angry and upset about this have it backwards.
So true Joan, I can understand criminals needing regulated, but to be dismissed over voting issues???
Truly there was an angry bipartisan that felt they needed vengance of some kind.
When will people allow the love of God to mortar the walls that are broken down by betrayal.
It has to begin in the hierarchy.
We are witnessing the death throes of a dying Godless denomination.
I would respond to George in that what we are witness too is not the death of a religious denomination, but the end result of 40-50 years of structural and systemic decline of an organization. I have posited for sometime that the PCUSA is not so much a religious group, in the normative confession, word and sacrament sense, connectional church sense, as it is now a lose affiliation of narrow interest, liberal policy groups under a masthead.
The only functional structure that really holds the remnant of the organization together is the Board of Pensions, and that too will collapse over time given its negative demographic risk pools, age related numbers of its members, and the attempts of liberal activist to use its assets as their personal piggy bank to make political statements. Punish Israel, gas companies. The list is endless.
Sadness of course for a once great religious tradition that lost its way , but again, they brought this current state of affairs upon themselves.
Welcome to 1692. Lucky for him no one saw apparitions floating around the room, making the congregation ill and the crops fail. These people are a bunch of bullies, with about as much charm and wisdom as those of the Spanish Inquisition. I just hope that this fine teaching elder/pastor (so sue me, I like the term better) is grabbed up by another fortunate praying church who will welcome a man of courage and conviction with open arms.
… brings back memories of J. Gresham Machen, Northern Presbyterian Church & Princeton Seminary –
his work “Christianity and Liberalism” is still relevant, especially as applied to PCUSA.
Indeed. Those who allowed the PC(USA) to stray from a Biblical foundation are those who are at fault here.
The unrighteous defrocking of the godly, Honorably Retired Rev. Joe Rightmyer by this Disgraceful Presbytery is shameful.
The PCUSA undermines the authority of Scripture by insisting that the Scriptures “are nevertheless the words of men” and that “the Church, therefore, has an obligation to approach the Scriptures with literary and historical understanding” (Book of Confessions 9.29), by which it means that the Church is obligated to submit the Scriptures to the authority of literary and historical criticism–thereby binding the conscience to the doctrines and commandments of men in the interpretation of Scripture–for the purpose of declaring the Scriptures to be fallible and unreliable when it suits its purposes. And then, on that basis, it allows seminary professors and pastors to preach and profess unbelief in essential Christian doctrines, such as the Virgin Birth, the reality of Miracles, the Substitutionary Atonement, the historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the reality of His physical Second Coming, and the Justification by Grace Alone through Faith Alone in Christ Alone, as if unbelievers could be saved from their sins apart from explicit faith in Christ as He is revealed through the Scriptures. Moreover, on the basis of the supposed fallibility of Scriptures, the PCUSA has declared that homosexuality is not a sin, those who impenitently practice it may be ordained as Deacons, Elders, and Ministers of Word and Sacrament and even married to individuals the same gender as themselves.
And if an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament should facilitate a congregation’s discernment process to consider disaffiliating from the PCUSA and said Disgraceful Presbytery, and should said congregation discern that God is leading it to disaffiliate and instead affiliate with another Reformed body, which upholds the authority of Scripture, insists on its officers “holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience” (I Tim. 3.9) and “holding firm to the trustworthy word as taught” (Tit. 1.9), well then, God have mercy on his soul!
Five years ago, I was a member (and deacon) in a church in Kansas City that entered into a season of discernment that ultimately led to its disaffiliation from the PCUSA and from a presbytery, like the aforementioned Disgraceful Presbytery, that has a litigious spirit. Now I live in a city in northern Texas with five Presbyterian congregations, three of which are affiliated with the aforementioned Disgraceful Presbytery, one of them only half a mile from my home. I have never attended any worship services at any of these three congregations, and Grace Presbytery’s disgraceful actions in the defrocking of the Honorably Retired Rev. Joe Rightmyer have testified to me that I would not be welcome in any of them should I ever visit them.
While spending a week in Montana with Eugene, Chuck, Jeff, and Ken back in October 2011, I had an inspiration/indigestion that continues to plague me while rebirthing me.
While reading Holy Scripture next to Flathead Lake one early morning, it hit me.
Clergy killed Jesus.
Joe is a good man.
There was a time when he chastised those who said the franchise is irretrievably apostate under current management.
I remember those days well.
Now he has been on the receiving end of that truth.
Somewhere between PFR and HPPC, he learned something frightfully real: the franchise is irretrievably…
These kind of actions will increase.
Women/men like Joe will be hated for Christ’s sake.
He said it would be that way.
Let us not pretend to be stunned.
Let us be resolved to be remnant; whether in but not of…or…
In this meantime, I pray Joe feels the embrace of the Savior who says He will take care of us now and forever if we endure with Him now before then.
😉
Grace Presbyterian made a big mistake by not using those millions of dollars to hammer the PCUSA into submission. As a retired attorney I, for one, would have been happy to volunteer my services.
No, that money will go instead into the PCUSA’s coffers and, from there, some of it will make its way to the Middle East. Look at the international outreach, if you don’t believe me. Some of that money will eventually reach the wrong people.
WRITE GRACE PRESBYTERY! Have you written Grace Presbytery to protest Rev. Rightmyer’s treatment by the Star Chamber? If not, DO SO!
Log on to gracepresbytery.org for contact info.
Perhaps Rev. Rightmyer is greatly relieved of the burden
of being affiliated with the PCUSA.
The PCUSA has reached the point where the only heresy is Christian orthodoxy and the only discipline and punishment is reserved for pastors who are seeking to be faithful and obedient to Christ. The ecclesiastical judges are, indeed, stoning the prophets. For them, light is darkness and bitter is sweet.
Right on! Keep up the fight . Bruce Larson was my mentor all his time at UPC.
I retired in Grace in 2000. If an ordained minister moderates a session meeting in which motions are moved and seconded and approved by the majority of the ruling elders on the session, I do not see how the
minister has failed to keep his ordination vows.
I read the charges against the condemned clergyman, but find no fault
in him.
I know the powers in Grace are dismayed to lose the income stream from HPPC but for some years, with good management, the leadership can survive in style, perhaps not the style of the past.
Aside from the money involved, it seems the Judicial Commission wanted to find a scapegoat to explain the deparure of HPPC and they
have one.
The presbytery choice of scapegoat does not go unnoticed across the
PCUSA. And this action will not intimidate other clergy who preside in
session meetings that produce results that are favored by a majority of either the ruling elders or the membes of the congregation.
If the PJC had made a finding in favor of something most folks here support they would be quite pleased. Rightmyer either did or did not violate the Book of Order and Ordination Vows. The same Book of Order that people refer to when insisting that process be followed.
Its all about the money. The “management” of PCUSA continues to contort scriptures and to use mind boggling interpretations of Biblical theology to BLACKNMAIL churches who are operating in accordance with their principals. PCUSA is an organization that practices extortion to fatten their own pensions. This is the reason that the Presbyterian Church USA is destroying the denomination. Its not hard to figure out. BS is still BS, Just follow the money!
Rightmeyer was charged with violating the vow about furthering the peace,unity and, purity of the church.yet, since the late 1950’s to early 60’s the general assembly has taken one stand after anther that has caused more than a million members to affiliate elsewhere. Why haven’t they ben charged and defrocked or depositioned?
Amen brother. Any one who looks st the actions of the GA and Other units of government, even if he is blind, can easily spot the hypocracy taking place in PCUSA for more than 50 yrs..
While taking a course in Presbyterian polity several yrs. ago, when we got to the Book of Discipline, we watched a film of a PJC process filmed in a hotel room in Louisville.
In this ficticious case, a minister was on trial for having an extramarital affair.While it didn’t go on to show the outcome of that trial, it gave the impression that he was to be defrocked.Yet, had he been a practicing homosexual,that would have been ok by the gospel of saint social, even though the old testament clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination in the eyes of God.
So, what can we do about it? First, recognize the the ultimate human power in the church is in the hands of the people;second,when we elect pastors or elders, if they won’t take an added vow acknowleging that scripture alone is the word of God and that they will lead with that alone.
If we do this, that local change will spread up through the higher levels of government.