For those who may not be familiar with this name, Providence is a relatively new Presbytery that was formed of churches in Northern Alabama, formerly part of Evangel Presbytery

The Fifth Stated Meeting took place at First Church, Tuscumbia on February 9th. At this meeting the Presbytery took the following actions:

The presbytery adopted the body of the General Assembly’s report on Federal Vision, New Perspectives, and Auburn Avenue Theology as their own position on these matters without change or alteration. The also adopted the following recommendations:

1. That the Presbytery commends to Ruling and Teaching Elders and their congregations this report of the Ad Interim Committee on NPP, AAT and FV for careful consideration and study.

2. That the Presbytery reminds the Church, its officers and congregations of the provisions of BCO 29-1 and 39-3 which assert that the Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms of the Westminster Assembly, while “subordinate to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, the inerrant Word of God,” have been adopted by the PCA “as standard expositions of the teachings of Scripture in relation to both faith and practice.”

3. That the Presbytery recommends the declarations in this report as a faithful exposition of the Westminster Standards, and further reminds those ruling and teaching elders whose views are out of accord with our Standards of their obligation to make known to this court any differences in their views.

4. That the Presbytery reminds the Sessions of Providence Presbytery that it is their duty “to exercise care over those subject to their authority” and “to condemn erroneous opinions which injure the purity or peace of the Church” (BCO 31-2; 13-9f).

Mr. Ashley Dusenbery, licentiate who has been called to be Assistant Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Ft. Payne was approved for ordination. The service was scheduled for March 14, 2010 at 6:00 P.M at Grace Presbyterian Church, Fort Payne

Approved a budget increase $2,000 annually to help support a new Campus Minister at Alabama A&M. The Committee met with a candidate for the potential RUF work and he will be meeting with the State Alabama Joint Committee on RUM. If he is approved in the Joint Committee he will be presented at the 6th Stated Meeting of Providence Presbytery.

Heard a report from TE Brad Tubessing, Campus Minister at the University of Alabama Huntsville. Many students who are non-believers have been coming to RUF meetings. Two students who have come, who have various backgrounds and have been dramatically impacted by the message of the Gospel and are thinking about their lives in relation to the Gospel. The ministry held a “Thrift Store” prom and raised $200 for relief work in Haiti. Intern Casey Washing is doing an excellent work with the female students and is seeing fruit from the work of the ministry. (Two days after the Presbytery meeting, the well-publicized murder at UAH took place and Brad Tubessing was deeply involved in grief ministry and counseling.)

TE William Plott, church planter of Valley Presbyterian Mission, reported on the emergency issues in Madison City. A 9th grader shot a fellow student at the local Middle School and a number of families in the mission church had students there. TE Plott, along with TE Ralph Keel, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes director for the University of North Alabama, were helping with counseling. The Presbytery took time for prayer for the situation.

TE Joel Linton made a motion to consider an overture to General Assembly to “Amend BCO 9-7 to Clarify a Prohibition of Deaconesses”. The Administrative Committee recommended the motion be defeated for the following reasons:

“It seeks to conclusively address certain aspects of a complex subject that has been under discussion for some time. There have been conversations at the Assembly, other overtures, articles in byFaith, Presbyterion and likely other publications. Throughout this, the various courts of the church have upheld the provisions of the BCO. We have been working together to discuss good practices and appropriate boundaries while ministering in the name of Christ consistent with scripture and our polity. We applaud the notable, collegial public conversation between two of our leaders at the last Assembly (Ligon Duncan and Tim Keller) who have differing views on this topic but respect for one another and willingness to dialogue.”

After an extensive debate, the motion to adopt the overture was defeated.

The 6th Stated Meeting of Providence Presbytery will be at the Decatur Presbyterian Church, Decatur, on May 11th