The 119th Stated Meeting of Covenant Presbytery met on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at Riveroaks Reformed Presbyterian Church in Germantown, TN

The meeting was opened through worship and a sermon by TE William Spink, Jr. (Senior Pastor of the host church) preaching on 1 Timothy 4. The Moderator RE Paul Bush opened in prayer.

The Administration Committee report was given and recommended that the Resolution sent up from First Presbyterian Church of Indianola, MS to call upon General Assembly to divide the presbytery into two or three new presbyteries be voted down. (Full overture is at the end of this article)

A motion was made and passed that the topic of this overture be postponed until the May 2011 stated presbytery meeting. Later a motion was made from the floor to have the Administration Committee appoint a sub-committee having representatives from all areas of the presbytery to discuss the dividing of the presbytery, which passed.

Another recommendation was made to table an Overture to amend BCO 59 on marriage, which came from First Presbyterian Church of Winona, MS. A motion was made and passed to postpone the recommendation until the October 2010 meeting of presbytery.

The Church Care Committee recommended the following motions which were passed. To remove TE Sam Murrell from the rolls and release his credentials to the Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), to dissolve the pastoral relationship between Covenant Presbyterian Church of Hot Springs, AR and TE Corey Pelton and that his credentials be transferred to Calvary Presbytery, to dissolve the pastoral relationship between the Main Street Presbyterian Church and TE Craig Barnard and that he remain on the rolls without call, and that TE Matt Schillings have his credentials transferred to Grace Presbytery where he will labor out of bounds.

TE Marc Scheibe transfer from North Texas Presbytery to be Pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church of Hot Springs, AR, TE Parker Tenent transfer from Southwest Presbytery to Independent Presbyterian Church of Memphis, TN as Assistant Pastor, and TE Philip McRae transfer from Grace Presbytery to Pastor the Blackmoton and Shongolo churches of Vaiden, MS were approved as well as their calls.

Mr. Chad Watkins, Rev. Patrick McGill, and Mr. Andrew Perrie were licensed by the presbytery.

Mr. Richard Owens and Mr. Billy McGarity were examined for licensure and ordination and passed. Mr. Owens’ call was approved to be the Assistant Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Greenwood, MS. Mr. McGarity’s call was approved to be Pastor at Grace Community Church Mission in Union City, TN.

The following churches were approved for particularization: Grace Community Church Mission of Union City, TN; Christ the King Mission of Joplin, MO, and Christ Covenant Mission of Hernando, MS.

The next stated meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, October 5th, 2010 to meet at Main Street Presbyterian Church, Columbus, MS.

The meeting was adjourned with prayer by Moderator RE Paul Bush.

Complete Overture from Session of First Church, Indianola
Whereas, Covenant Presbytery was organized in Indianola, Mississippi, in 1973, at a time when there were, virtually, no other churches now in existence which wished to be in the new Denomination, not yet formed; and

Whereas, Covenant Presbytery encompasses all of Mississippi from Highway 82 North, all of Arkansas, West Tennessee, and a small tip of Missouri; and

Whereas, at the time of the formation of Covenant Presbytery and at the time of the new Denomination [now known as the Presbyterian Church in America], the only Tennessee church was Eastland memorial Church, but there were no strong churches outside of Mississippi until churches were planted in Fayetteville and Little Rock in Arkansas and Joining and Receiving place River Oaks in Covenant Presbytery; and

Whereas, now there are approximately five churches in Arkansas, and approximately eleven churches in Tennessee, as well as approximately twenty-one in Mississippi; and

Whereas, there is a vast amount of travel involved in requiring Commissioners or others to travel from Columbus to Fayetteville, or vice versa; and

Whereas, there are other substantial differences because of geography, etc.:

Be It, Therefore, Resolved that the Session of First Presbyterian Church, Indianola, Mississippi, requests Covenant Presbytery overture the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America to allow the Presbytery to divide into two Presbyteries [or should the Arkansas and Memphis churches desire, into three Presbyteries] with the churches in Mississippi to constitute one Presbytery and the churches of Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri to constitute one Presbytery [or two should they desire]; and

Be It Further Resolved that the Presbytery consisting of the Mississippi counties be deemed to be the continuing Covenant Presbytery.

Unanimously Adopted this the 16th day of March, 2010.

The Session of the First Presbyterian Church
Indianola, Mississippi

/s/ John D. Spencer, Clerk
/s/ Robert D. Thacker, Pastor