No one seems to want to talk about the lawsuit which will, I suspect, come to be known as Erskine College vs. ARP Synod – for many years to come if something does not change soon.

Calls and emails to the law offices of the Complainant (Erskine College) have all been answered with the same sentence. “Mr. Griffeth is away until Monday and no one else here can help you.”

(James) Griffith is the attorney who arrived at the office of the Clerk of Court for Abbeville, S.C. at 4:45PM Wednesday to file both a Complaint (lawsuit) and a request for a restraining order and ever since has been unavailable via phone or email. As reported earlier in The Aqulia Report, that Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) was granted and the officials at the Synod office of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP) in Greenville, SC were notified late yesterday.

The Aqulia Report has a copy of the full complaint and will publish a full story after a few facts are cleared up and responses are received from a representative of the Synod. Those who have read the complaint know what the Erskine College board thinks, including charges of conspiracy and malicious intent. Or perhaps, we know what Board Chairman Scott Mitchell thinks.

The Aquila Report has heard via electronic means from two reliable sources, but has been unable to confirm, that the actual lawsuit was NOT the result of the action of the administration of Erskine but rather was filed through the individual actions of the current Board Chairman, Mr. Scott Mitchell. Of course, a third (and more likely) option is that the current board, or at least Executive Board of the College met (a much smaller number than the full board) and voted to file the complaint.

No officials available at the Greenville offices of the ARP Synod would speak publicly on the issue and all requests now are being referred to the Moderator (elected presiding officer for the year 2010), the Reverend Dr. J. Richard deWitt, the now retired pastor formally Senior Minister at First Presbyterian Church, Columbia. Dr. deWitt has not yet responded to our inquiries.

While rumors are abounding, we will continue to check facts and to hope to hear back from at least one official of the Synod before filing a more complete story.