A letter from former session members of the church also was sent to the membership. It noted that the congregation was “a house divided” and that the session initiated the gracious separation process because of a conscience that no longer permitted it to support the will of the majority within the PCUSA.  The letter notes that a sizable group within the congregation “is unable to support the will of the local church majority to be dismissed from the PCUSA. Thus the process has led us to this time to part ways. We do so with immense sadness.”

“If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Those words found in Mark 3:25 ring true for First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City in Georgia, which has split into a pair of congregations.

The Easter Sunday service for First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City was the first with segregated congregations, one remaining at the Willow Bend Road location with the other meeting at an alternate site.

A large faction of the Georgia church broke away to form as a new member of ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.

That group, compromising the bulk of the nearly 700-member congregation, had its first service on Easter, March 31, at the Peachtree City United Methodist Church Annex located at South Peachtree Parkway.

About 425 people attended the 9 a.m. service at the facility shared with the congregation of All Saints Anglican Church, which came in later for a 10:45 a.m. service. All Saints was formed almost six years ago when it broke away from the Episcopal Church.

The new Presbyterian church has been incorporated and is operating under the name of the New Church, Peachtree City, according to its web site. It is slated to be accepted into ECO during a May 1 denominational meeting and will continue meeting at the Methodist Annex for the time being.

While those members were beginning life anew, those remaining at FPC-Peachtree City had their Easter service with a smaller congregation under the direction of the Rev. Joan Gray, one of two interim pastors appointed by the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta following the retirement of Pastor David Miller, effective March 27.

The Rev. Stephen Kolderup, who confirmed the pastoral appointments by the presbytery, also was sent to serve as an interim pastor at the church.

Miller, who had been at Peachtree City for nearly nine years, decided to retire after 33 years of ministry with the Presbyterian Church (USA). He submitted his retirement to the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta the week before Palm Sunday and preached his final service at FPC-Peachtree City on March 24. Like the congregants who departed FPC-Peachtree City for the New Church of Peachtree City, Miller intends to join ECO and serve as pastor for the New Church, Peachtree City. The new church’s current web site lists him as the senior pastor.

In the September 2012 church newsletter, Miller wrote that “For almost two years your elders have struggled with the issues, debated with each other, listened to your thoughts and concerns, and prayed for God’s guidance. They have come to the conclusion that now is the time to begin the process of Gracious Separation from the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta. … Let me assure you, the congregation will still be Presbyterian whether our members vote to remain in the PCUSA or vote to be dismissed to the ECO (Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians).”

As reported in the October 2012 edition of The Layman, the session of First Presbyterian Church of Peachtree City voted to enter into the Gracious Separation Process with the Presbytery of Greater Atlanta.

According to the announcement found at that time on the church web site, which now is no longer operational, “This decision comes after months of prayer, debate, study and listening to our congregation. At the conclusion of this process the session intends to join the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO).”

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