It’s an unenviable position: the challenge of leading a church body comprised of two groups in hardened opposition to one another. There is no middle ground. There is no room for compromise.

One group stands firmly on the letter of the law, describes “what if” scenarios and labels the opposition as liberal wackos. The other group advocates an unlimited grace, is dismissive of all potential negative consequences and labels its opposition as mean-spirited hate-mongers. No, I’m not describing the denomination. I’m describing Middlesex Borough, New Jersey where Rev. Neal Presa, candidate for Moderator of the 220th General Assembly, serves as pastor and presently finds himself herding cats.

What may have initially been an internal matter regarding church property use, the preschool sandbox, providing sanctuary for undocumented residents and basic aesthetics, the situation in Middlesex has mushroomed into a national debate. The issue? A cat colony.

The New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that Middlesex Presbyterian Church is at the center of a controversy over a colony of cats that occupies an unauthorized structure on the church property.

Originally tenants at the Borough’s recycling center which is adjacent to the church’s property, the cats have found sanctuary on the church property for eight years. Sometimes they mistake the church’s preschool sandbox for a litter box but in good Presbyterian fashion, several women have insured that the cats were all neutered, vaccinated and fed.

One church member, without authorization, had a $3,500 structure built on church property to accommodate the cats. It is the government’s intent to remove the animals from the settlement and relocate them to an animal shelter, but that has raised the alarm of capital punishment.

According to the article, “Volunteers and their supporters say sending these animals to a shelter would be a death sentence.”

But the mayor and others see the cats’ presence as a community health risk, and they raise concern about the children at the preschool also housed in the church.

Like all issues these days, the Middlesex Presbyterian cat colony has attracted vociferous input from outsiders and outliers. The felines have advocates from the Lawyers in Defense of Animals and the Animal Defense League. There’s a social media campaign, and “Borough board of health president John Madden said he got e-mails from groups he never knew existed.”

All of this provides excellent training ground for an aspiring moderator of PCUSA, the office for which Middlesex Presbyterian Church pastor, Neal Presa, is standing.

In the midst of trying to balance the competing interests of:
· the church property trustees,
· the church session,
· the women who are personally involved in the feline outreach ministry,
· the disenfranchised cats,
· the Borough health department and the mayor,
· the preschool staffers and parents,
· the neighbors,
· the outside lobbyists and special interest groups,
· the media, bloggers and people like me …

Presa is getting real training for the position.

There are more than 250 signatures on a petition to save the cats but apparently not 10 of those people are willing to adopt the homeless felines. The church’s board of trustees intends to comply with the board of health’s decision and timeline for removing the cats, but that is not likely to mollify the Presbyterian women engaged in what they see as ministry. Yes, I think herding cats in Middlesex is rich preparation for serving as moderator indeed.

Disclaimer: This is not to be construed as an endorsement or rejection of any particular candidate, nor does it express the author’s opinion of cat houses.

Carmen Fowler LaBerge is president of the Presbyterian Lay Committee and executive editor of its publications. This article first appeared on The Layman website and is used with permission.

[Editor’s note: the original URL (link) referenced in this article is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.]