“When a denomination lacks a coherent theological center, mission gets sidelined. When a denomination lacks trust, relationships are difficult. When a denomination has a bureaucratic mindset, innovative ministry is hampered,” read the statement adopted by the Session. “When a denomination asserts control over a congregation’s property and assets, facility and asset development is compromised. We believe Hope Church would be better served in a different denominational home than the PC(U.S.A.).”

Hope Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis voted to leave Presbyterian Church (USA) and was dismissed back in May. The financial settlement for leaving was reached in late June.

The agreement was made between Hope Presbyterian and the PCUSA regional body it once belonged to, the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.

In return for being allowed to leave, Hope Presbyterian must pay the presbytery the sum of $1.2 million and lose one of its campuses, named the Oliver Christian Ministry Center.

David Lenz, pastor at Hope Presbyterian, provided The Christian Post with comments on the matter, including the large cost for being granted dismissal from PCUSA.

“We had hoped for a much smaller settlement and it took time to accept that this was the price we must pay to follow what we believe to be God’s call,” said Lenz. “Given that, we are glad that we will be able to keep our main campus in Richfield and Camp Ojibway, the camp we own and operate in Eden Valley, MN, for approximately 10 percent of the appraised value.”

Hope Presbyterian must pay for its church property due to an item known as the “Trust Clause.” Found in Part II of the Constitution of the PCUSA, Section G-4.0203, the “trust clause” states that all Hope Church’s property is held in trust for the benefit and use of PCUSA.

Hope Presbyterian will be joining the Evangelical Covenant of Presbyterians, a smaller more conservative Presbyterian denomination formed in 2012.

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Read about other churches withdrawing from the PCUSA:

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Mobile, Ala., exploring PCUSA dismissal policy

Bathgate congregation, Neche, N.D., leaves PCUSA for the EPC

White Clay Creek reaches property settlement with presbytery

A historic Delaware church that disaffiliated from the Presbyterian Church (USA) in December 2012 came to an agreement with its former presbytery to end a property dispute and avoid extended litigation.

The 318-member White Clay Creek Presbyterian Church (WCCPC), founded in 1721 in Newark, Del., as one of the first Presbyterian churches in the United States, and New Castle Presbytery (NCP) agreed to a settlement June 5 that was approved by Delaware Court of Chancery Vice Chancellor J. Travis Lester. The sides signed the agreement and closed it with a payment of $220,000 from the congregation to the presbytery.

In exchange for the financial compensation, New Castle Presbytery drops its claim that it owns the property, allowing White Clay Creek to retain its use moving forward as a part of ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.

Presbytery of East Tennessee dismisses churches

A pair of churches from the Presbytery of East Tennessee (PET) has been released from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).

Wilson Station Presbyterian Church was dismissed during the May 6 PET meeting, following the Feb. 22 dismissal of Farner Presbyterian Church.

The dismissals of the two churches came after First Presbyterian Church of Greenback was dismissed by PET in November 2013, becoming the first church in Tennessee to affiliate with ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.

Epperson Presbyterian and Brown Hill Presbyterian also were dismissed to the EPC by the Presbytery of East Tennessee prior to FPC-Greenback’s departure.

Upstate South Carolina church joins the EPC

A South Carolina congregation received transitionally by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) in March is now a formal member of the denomination.

Kershaw Presbyterian Church (KPC), located in upstate South Carolina, was dismissed from the Presbyterian Church (USA) March 13, 2014, by Providence Presbytery, less than a week after acceptance as an EPC transitional member. The 51-member congregation formally was received as a full member of the EPC on June 1.

The church, founded in 1891 in Lancaster County, started looking into the possibility of dismissal in July 2011, about two months after the PCUSA approved the ordination of gay pastors, elders and deacons with the passage of Amendment 10A, and sent a Resolution of Dissension informing the presbytery and all church session clerks of its intent to withhold all financial support to the denomination in November of that year.

Los Ranchos Presbytery OKs a pair of joint solutions

Los Ranchos Presbytery approved joint solutions for two more congregations during a special called meeting on July 31.

Multiple sources confirmed for The Layman that the presbytery gave its OK to recommendations regarding the dismissals of 260-member Journey Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Westminster, Calif., and 50-member St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Anaheim, Calif., to ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.

Sessions of the churches have to approve the terms agreed upon by the Joint Discernment Team (JDT) before the congregations can vote to accept or reject the agreements.