Presbyterians bypassing dismissal process, planting new churches instead
By Jason P. Reagan, The Layman, Posted Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A North Carolina Presbyterian church greeted 2012 with its first public worship service and joined a growing number of disaffected Presbyterians who are choosing to simply start new churches rather than contend with the various Presbyterian Church (USA)s dismissal processes processes unique to each presbytery that often strip fleeing congregations of property and leave churches with mountains of legal bills.
Wedged between an indoor swimming pool and an IHOP pancake house, a group of 25 people met in a Ramada Inn ballroom in Asheville for the inaugural service of New Horizon EPC Mission Church.
Youre witnessing a new baby being born, the Rev. Bill Solomon said as he opened the service.
Although several Presbyterian churches have sought dismissal from the PCUSA to join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) or other denominations, many former church members are autonomously joining the EPC and starting non-denominational groups as new church plants rather than laboring through the PCUSA presbytery system.
Using both routes, a steady stream of church members are fleeing the PCUSA due to theological shifts within the denomination. Many have cited the 2011 approval of Amendment 10A and the passage of the new Form of Government (nFOG) as symptoms of a more serious underlying problem in the denomination: variant views of the authority of Scripture.
Amendment 10A deleted the explicit fidelity/chastity requirement from the constitutional ordination standard, which required fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness, and now allows the PCUSA to ordain gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people as deacons, elders and pastors. The new Form of Government has raised concerns of a more top-down PCUSA bureaucracy and a universalistic theology.
For members of New Horizon, the amendments passage represented an opportunity to start something new.
Some people were very concerned over the years of the drift of the PCUSA from the inerrancy of Scripture, New Horizon core-group member Mary Louise Carpenter said.
Carpenter, along with four others, eventually left Oak Forest Presbyterian Church of Asheville after the PCUSA deletion of the chastity/fidelity ordination standards.
Following the passage of 10A, Carpenter, a former member of Oak Forests session, was asked by fellow members to research various options in response.
Ultimately, the church decided to remain with the PCUSA but, as a result of Carpenters investigation, a few members decided on a different course.
We decided that perhaps it was time to step out in faith and start a church we felt comfortable with and that adhered to the inerrant word of God, she said. The EPC seemed the most like us, adding that the core group made no effort to recruit Oak Forest members.
After meeting with EPC officials, the group convened in September to officially organize and elect officers. In October, they sent a letter of intent to the EPCs Church Development Committee of the Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic. The committee approved them as a mission group and deployed Solomon as the groups church planter and consulting pastor.
A 72-year-old pastoral veteran with four church plants under his belt, Solomon said New Horizon doesnt want to be a mega-church but rather wants to grow to a point that it can hive off into other small congregations in neighboring areas.
Our focus is going to be on the un-churched and the lost, Carpenter added.
Solomon said his purpose would be to help develop New Horizon from a mission group to an official church of the EPC.
Its such a delicious, delicious procedure to be led by the spirit of God, Solomon said on Sunday, adding that the process would take however long God wanted.
During the service, Solomon emphasized one of New Horizons core values: No perfect people allowed.
There are no PPPs. There are no perfectly pure Presbyterians in the world, he said. The guts of the Gospel is that all of us in this room have warts. We have flaws. We have sins in our past.\
If you are perfect, youre in the wrong place, Solomon added.
Members of New Horizon Evangelical Presbyterian Church Mission share communion during the church's first service on Sunday in Asheville, N.C.
Later in the churchs first sermon, Solomon expounded on New Horizons values by using an acrostic of the word N.E.W.
Picking up on his earlier remarks about imperfection, Solomon said N stands for Not for perfect people.
Were just struggling to become like the Lord Jesus, he said. Holding up a bent 16-penny nail, Solomon added, Everybody in here is a bent nail and we will spend our lives being straightened by God.
Solomon went on to add that the letter E in N.E.W. represented the value of encouragement. He said in a world in which many groups oppose Christianity, church members needed to realize they are all in the same boat.
Lets not come to church and join them in being against other Christians lets be for one another, he said. This church is not a protest movement against anything, he added, Its a movement to encourage the body of Christ in getting closer to Christ.
When Christians start in-fighting, Satan does a little jig in hell, he said, adding that members should build each other up.
Worship represents the letter W, Solomon said, using the concept to lead into New Horizons first communion.
The church plans to offer small-group, Bible studies in homes.
God has moved in mighty ways
Citing similar opposition to the PCUSAs theological shift, some members of Presbyterian Church of the Covenant of Wilmington, Del., including its pastor, have also decided to start a new church.
The Rev. Kathi Busch, Covenants former senior pastor, resigned after 14 years over theological concerns and met with like-minded church members on Sunday during the first worship service of RiverCross Fellowship (RCF). Busch is among a small number of PCUSA ministers who are relinquishing their ordination to help start new churches.
Although Covenant is not seeking dismissal from the PCUSA, a recent congregational survey revealed that 70 percent of 177 members would consider joining a new congregation.
Busch said about 134 people attended RCFs first service on Sunday at a Wilmington theater mostly comprising Covenant members or former members.
Attenders welcome each other during the first worship service of New Horizon Evangelical Presbyterian Church Mission on Sunday in Asheville, N.C.
In a Facebook post, Busch described the churchs formation as amazing. In six weeks, God has moved in mighty ways to provide leadership, finances, a place in which to gather for worship and people, she wrote.
In an interview on Tuesday, Busch said the process has been both sad and sweet.
New beginnings are exciting, she said. The trouble with new beginnings is that they come from endings and so the ending has been very, very sad, Busch added, referring to the departure from Covenant.
Although she said she shouldnt be, Busch admitted she was surprised at such an outpouring of enthusiasm for RCFs new life.
When you preach for 14 years to the people and you tell them the word of God is true and that it has authority for our lives whether we understand it or not, whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not -- you know what? They start to believe that and then when you begin to say This is not right -- its just amazing, she said. Thats whats supposed to happen, she added.
Last week, Busch said the New Castle Presbytery removed her credentials after she renounced jurisdiction.
Since RCF does not currently belong to any denomination or organizing body, the church ordained Busch on Jan. 4 in what Busch described as a meaningful and beautiful service.
Its so totally a God thing, she said. It humbles me.
Although details are still developing, it appears the trend of new church starts from formerly PCUSA groups will continue and perhaps grow across the country.
The Layman Online
By Jason P. Reagan, The Layman, Posted Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A North Carolina Presbyterian church greeted 2012 with its first public worship service and joined a growing number of disaffected Presbyterians who are choosing to simply start new churches rather than contend with the various Presbyterian Church (USA)s dismissal processes processes unique to each presbytery that often strip fleeing congregations of property and leave churches with mountains of legal bills.
Wedged between an indoor swimming pool and an IHOP pancake house, a group of 25 people met in a Ramada Inn ballroom in Asheville for the inaugural service of New Horizon EPC Mission Church.
Attenders share coffee and snacks following the first worship service of New Horizon Evangelical Presbyterian Church Mission on Sunday in Asheville, N.C. Photo by Jason P. Reagan/The Layman
Youre witnessing a new baby being born, the Rev. Bill Solomon said as he opened the service.
Although several Presbyterian churches have sought dismissal from the PCUSA to join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) or other denominations, many former church members are autonomously joining the EPC and starting non-denominational groups as new church plants rather than laboring through the PCUSA presbytery system.
Using both routes, a steady stream of church members are fleeing the PCUSA due to theological shifts within the denomination. Many have cited the 2011 approval of Amendment 10A and the passage of the new Form of Government (nFOG) as symptoms of a more serious underlying problem in the denomination: variant views of the authority of Scripture.
Amendment 10A deleted the explicit fidelity/chastity requirement from the constitutional ordination standard, which required fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness, and now allows the PCUSA to ordain gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people as deacons, elders and pastors. The new Form of Government has raised concerns of a more top-down PCUSA bureaucracy and a universalistic theology.
For members of New Horizon, the amendments passage represented an opportunity to start something new.
Some people were very concerned over the years of the drift of the PCUSA from the inerrancy of Scripture, New Horizon core-group member Mary Louise Carpenter said.
Carpenter, along with four others, eventually left Oak Forest Presbyterian Church of Asheville after the PCUSA deletion of the chastity/fidelity ordination standards.
Following the passage of 10A, Carpenter, a former member of Oak Forests session, was asked by fellow members to research various options in response.
Ultimately, the church decided to remain with the PCUSA but, as a result of Carpenters investigation, a few members decided on a different course.
We decided that perhaps it was time to step out in faith and start a church we felt comfortable with and that adhered to the inerrant word of God, she said. The EPC seemed the most like us, adding that the core group made no effort to recruit Oak Forest members.
After meeting with EPC officials, the group convened in September to officially organize and elect officers. In October, they sent a letter of intent to the EPCs Church Development Committee of the Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic. The committee approved them as a mission group and deployed Solomon as the groups church planter and consulting pastor.
A 72-year-old pastoral veteran with four church plants under his belt, Solomon said New Horizon doesnt want to be a mega-church but rather wants to grow to a point that it can hive off into other small congregations in neighboring areas.
Our focus is going to be on the un-churched and the lost, Carpenter added.
Solomon said his purpose would be to help develop New Horizon from a mission group to an official church of the EPC.
Its such a delicious, delicious procedure to be led by the spirit of God, Solomon said on Sunday, adding that the process would take however long God wanted.
During the service, Solomon emphasized one of New Horizons core values: No perfect people allowed.
There are no PPPs. There are no perfectly pure Presbyterians in the world, he said. The guts of the Gospel is that all of us in this room have warts. We have flaws. We have sins in our past.\
If you are perfect, youre in the wrong place, Solomon added.
Members of New Horizon Evangelical Presbyterian Church Mission share communion during the church's first service on Sunday in Asheville, N.C.
Photo by Jason P. Reagan/The Layman
Later in the churchs first sermon, Solomon expounded on New Horizons values by using an acrostic of the word N.E.W.
Picking up on his earlier remarks about imperfection, Solomon said N stands for Not for perfect people.
Were just struggling to become like the Lord Jesus, he said. Holding up a bent 16-penny nail, Solomon added, Everybody in here is a bent nail and we will spend our lives being straightened by God.
Solomon went on to add that the letter E in N.E.W. represented the value of encouragement. He said in a world in which many groups oppose Christianity, church members needed to realize they are all in the same boat.
Lets not come to church and join them in being against other Christians lets be for one another, he said. This church is not a protest movement against anything, he added, Its a movement to encourage the body of Christ in getting closer to Christ.
When Christians start in-fighting, Satan does a little jig in hell, he said, adding that members should build each other up.
Worship represents the letter W, Solomon said, using the concept to lead into New Horizons first communion.
The church plans to offer small-group, Bible studies in homes.
God has moved in mighty ways
Citing similar opposition to the PCUSAs theological shift, some members of Presbyterian Church of the Covenant of Wilmington, Del., including its pastor, have also decided to start a new church.
The Rev. Kathi Busch, Covenants former senior pastor, resigned after 14 years over theological concerns and met with like-minded church members on Sunday during the first worship service of RiverCross Fellowship (RCF). Busch is among a small number of PCUSA ministers who are relinquishing their ordination to help start new churches.
Although Covenant is not seeking dismissal from the PCUSA, a recent congregational survey revealed that 70 percent of 177 members would consider joining a new congregation.
Busch said about 134 people attended RCFs first service on Sunday at a Wilmington theater mostly comprising Covenant members or former members.
Attenders welcome each other during the first worship service of New Horizon Evangelical Presbyterian Church Mission on Sunday in Asheville, N.C.
Photo by Jason P. Reagan/The Layman
In a Facebook post, Busch described the churchs formation as amazing. In six weeks, God has moved in mighty ways to provide leadership, finances, a place in which to gather for worship and people, she wrote.
In an interview on Tuesday, Busch said the process has been both sad and sweet.
New beginnings are exciting, she said. The trouble with new beginnings is that they come from endings and so the ending has been very, very sad, Busch added, referring to the departure from Covenant.
Although she said she shouldnt be, Busch admitted she was surprised at such an outpouring of enthusiasm for RCFs new life.
When you preach for 14 years to the people and you tell them the word of God is true and that it has authority for our lives whether we understand it or not, whether we like it or not, whether we agree with it or not -- you know what? They start to believe that and then when you begin to say This is not right -- its just amazing, she said. Thats whats supposed to happen, she added.
Last week, Busch said the New Castle Presbytery removed her credentials after she renounced jurisdiction.
Since RCF does not currently belong to any denomination or organizing body, the church ordained Busch on Jan. 4 in what Busch described as a meaningful and beautiful service.
Its so totally a God thing, she said. It humbles me.
Although details are still developing, it appears the trend of new church starts from formerly PCUSA groups will continue and perhaps grow across the country.
The Layman Online
