Highlights of Presbytery – January 24
Some of the actions at the 799th Stated Meeting of New Castle Presbytery conducted
at Community Presbyterian Church, New Castle, on Jan. 24:
The following actions were taken on amendments forwarded from the 218th PCUSA
General Assembly (2008). In order for these proposals to be included in the Book of
Order, they must be approved by a majority of the 173 presbyteries, or 87
presbyteries. The deadline for action is May 15, 2009:
08-A: Requires all persons joining a PCUSA church to make a public profession of
faith after being received by the Session. This applies to certificate of transfer as
well as reaffirmation of faith or affirmation of faith. Approved.
08-B: Deletes language at G-6.0106(b) that currently requires ordained officers to
live in fidelity in a marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness,
and substitutes more general language requiring them to live lives “in obedience to
Jesus Christ, Head of the Church.” Approved on a vote of 82-48.
08-C: Replaces the word “sympathy” with the word “compassion” in describing
pastoral ministry. Approved.
08-D: Changes the name of the General Assembly Council to General Assembly
Mission Council to better reflect what the elected body does at the national level.
Approved.
08-E: Permits language-unique congregations to join a non-geographic presbytery if
their synod does not have an ethnic-language presbytery. This applies mainly to
Korean churches in synods without a Korean presbytery. The Synod of the MidAtlantic has the Atlantic Korean-American Presbytery within its bounds. Approved.
08-G: Gives the General Assembly Nominating Committee more flexibility in filling
GA-level committees by lifting the current requirement that all synods be
represented. Approved.
08-H: Requires candidates for the ministry to finish two years of seminary before
taking the ordination exams (other than Bible content) and requires specific
permission from the presbytery’s Committee For the Preparation for Ministry.
Rejected on a vote of 49-50.
08-J: Deletes the requirement in the Rules of Discipline (in the Book of Order) that
the accuser must agree to an Alternate Form of Resolution if negotiated by the
Investigating Committee and approved by the Permanent Judicial Commission. An
AFR is a form of “plea bargain.” Approved.
Amendments 08-F, I, K,L,M and N were deferred to March 6.
In other action, the Presbytery:
* Approved the recommendation of the Administrative Commission to dissolve
West Presbyterian Church at a date to be determined, with the last worship service
there to be April 26. The commission was created in November at the West Church
Session’s request to effect this dissolution, the church having concluded it has come
to the end of its 150-year ministry on the west side of downtown Wilmington.
* Approved the designation of “honorably retired” for Revs. Gary Baer and Lois
Lehman.
* Received the Rev. Steven Brundage to be pastor and head of staff at First Church
in Newark. He comes from Bethlehem, Pa., and the Presbytery of Lehigh.
* Approved Candidate Emily Schwenker (Westminster-Wilmington) for
ordination as minister of the Word and Sacrament. Her ministry as a spiritual
adviser was approved.
* Approved the ministry of Rev. Randall Clayton (currently pastor at West) as
administrative pastor at Meeting Ground.
- Reid K. Beveridge, Stated Clerk
Below is a YouTube video that Tom Davis prepared from photos and sound captured
at the Saturday, January 25th presbytery meeting at Community Presbyterian
Church. Would you like to learn how to make videos from still pictures? Tom is
giving a basic video skills workshop on February 21st at the Interfaith Resource
Center. Think about putting a video on your church's home page. Want to attract
young viewers to your website? Use video! Call the Interfaith Resource Center at
302-477-0910 or write IRC Director, Paula Hartzell at pwhartzell@hotmail.com to
register for the workshop.