More than 2,000 participants from as many as 900 Presbyterian churches are attending the convention, which concludes Friday. When it ends, the leaders of the new denomination will have a better idea of how many churches are interested in joining the Fellowship, Crosby said.

First Presbyterian of Orlando is hosting the convention starting Wednesday that will lead to the formation of a new denomination — the Fellowship of Presbyterians. One problem: First Presbyterian has decided not to join the Fellowship.

Pastor David Swanson was one of the original seven Presbyterian ministers who pushed for the creation of a new denomination. But his church elders decided that instead of the Fellowship their church should join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church when their congregation is formally released by the Presbyterian Church-USA.

“All pastors are subject to our board of elders,” Swanson said. “The Evangelical Presbyterian Church met with the elders. We are very much like-minded with them.”

This was not exactly how Swanson had planned it when he decided his church had to leave the PC(USA) over issues of ordaining gay ministers, deacons and elders; the sanctity of the Bible; and the belief in Christ as the only salvation. When he petitioned the Central Florida Presbytery for dismissal, Swanson presumed his church, with its 4,900members, would take a leadership role in the new denomination.

“They were depending on us to be the lead church,” Swanson said.

Fellowship President John Crosby said First Presbyterian’s reversal was unexpected, but perhaps not unusual.

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