Sunday, October 21, 2012

Fremont Presbyterian Church & others leaving Sacramento Presbytery: good and gracious plans


Most of this posting will be about the good direction taken by the Presbytery of Sacramento and Fremont Presbyterian Church's negotiations. I will also add some other information about two other churches in the presbytery. I see people searching for information on my feed about Fremont and think that now that much of the work has been done, and it is good work, that others will both benefit from the work and will be able to let go of a bad beginning.

A good summary of the outcome of the negotiations can be found here:  Fremont Presbyterian Church. While both the congregation (Oct 28, 2012) and the Presbytery of Sacramento, (Nov. 10, 2012) have yet to vote on a final approval both the session of Fremont and the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry have approved.  Here are some of the highlights.

Fremont will join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and keep their property. They will pay the Presbytery $500, 000 over a period of ten years or a one time payment of $325, 000. The members who did not wish to join the EPC will be given office space and the chapel in which to have services for ten years. They will be allowed use of Fremont’s nursery and their children may attend the Sunday school.
 
The goals of the negotiating team were and are:

Result is God-honoring
Result reflects well on Christians to the community
Relief is provided to those who desire to change denominations (to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church – EPC)
Care is provided to those who want to stay in the PC (USA)
Agreement is accepted by both the Fremont congregation and by the Sacramento Presbytery 

The agreement fulfills all of those goals. A more detailed agreement can be found here: Dismissal Agreement and License Agreement. Be in prayer for all of the parties concerned that Christ will be honored.
 
There are two other Churches which have recently left the Sacramento Presbytery. In Weed California a small town at the far northern end of our Presbytery, Grace Presbyterian Church and their pastor, Jim Howe, have transferred to the EPC.

In Vacaville, California, Covenant Community Church has moved to a different presbytery, one that better fits their vision and theological outlook, that is Stockton Presbytery. The Pastor is Derek Richman. This was voted on by the Church, the Presbytery, the Synod of the Pacific and finally by the 220 GA.

All of these Churches and people are dear friends of mine and I will miss them very much. But I am very grateful that God has placed them in just the right places for their ministries. One of the interesting parts of this I have not mentioned is that Pastor Don Baird of Fremont is going to the EPC while Pastor Dan Willson of Fremont will go to ECO (A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians). 

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's never a happy experience when a church leaves the denomination (at least from my perspective). But I am glad that it is possible for the different parties to exhibit grace and mutual forebearance when confronting the inevitable. Thanks for sharing this report.

John Erthein
DeFuniak Springs, FL

Mac said...

I read through the actual agreements and it appears that the parties are satisfied. How large was the pro-PC(USA)group? The pro-EPC group?

I did not see any specific reference in the agreements regarding the NPC's right to send its children to the FPC Sunday School. How will that work? If FPC begins, e.g., using the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Shorter Catechism, and/or the EPC's Essential of Our Faith as the basis for its Sunday School curriculum, can the NPC folks object? Or is their option to form their own Sunday School? I can assure you that the EPC is serious about such things--which is why many of us left the PC(USA) and under less than gracious conditions. (One ordained former leader in Louisville suggested that my former presbytery drive a stake through my heart.) I will be praying that this agreement is fruitful for the Kingdom.

Mac McCarty
Downingtown, PA

Viola Larson said...

Mac, read page "Exhibit A-Additional terms of campus usage" first page, first paragraph. I am no longer sure of the numbers. I believe there are less than a hundred, and I know that some have already joined other churches.

Mac said...

Viola, when I scroll through the document, there is no text for Exhibit A, just a cover sheet.

Mac McCarty
Downingtown, PA

Viola Larson said...

Mac, I'm not sure why that is all you see. Try this
https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_nf=3&gs_mss=Dismissal%20Agreement%20%26%20Licene%20Fremont&tok=KVTQodJuPWIN9frD2tN1J
That's on google

Viola Larson said...

Mac, I'm not sure why that is all you see. Try this
https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_nf=3&gs_mss=Dismissal%20Agreement%20%26%20Licene%20Fremont&tok=KVTQodJuPWIN9frD2tN1J
That's on google