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Published on: 6/2/2008
Last Visited: 6/2/2008
The past 20 months have been a difficult time for pastor Dr. Don Elliott and the congregation at First Presbyterian Church, but now the congregation is preparing to share a time of renewed thanksgiving and commitment for their church family, their community and their Lord.
Having been through loss, controversy and tension for just over a year and a half has now brought the church to four days of renewal meetings and the community is invited to the event -- "Something Old ...Something New" -- April 20-23."This is all really a time of thanksgiving for the Lord having brought us through the past 20 months, it is a time of healing and it is really about what the Lord wants for us next," said Elliott.
The beginning of the church's recent trauma began with controversy over what many have seen as a heavy leftward sway to the Presbyterian Church (USA).
"A lot the dynamics of this denomination had become a source of personal concern for me and for some of the congregation.Things like liberal drifts, losing Biblical authority, pro-choice position on abortion, declining membership, declining commitment to missions and numbers of missionaries ... and the whole issue of the ordination of homosexuals," Elliott explained.
Due to the increasing changes, FPC's pastor noted that he had been an active part of the renewal movement to bring about change.
As a congregation, the church had managed to stay together and remain part of the PCUSA until two explosive reports delivered at the denomination's General Assembly in June of 2006: 1.) The Peace, Unity, Purity (PUP) Report - stating that they (as a denomination) believed in the ordination of gays in some corners of the church. 2.) The Trinity Report that allowed for other formulas to be used for the Trinity other than the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. "That hit this congregation like a bombshell," recalled Elliott.
The pastor's remark was no understatement, considering what followed.He said the congregation was shaken to its core over denominational differences.Everyone did not agree and a crashing wave of change swept over the church.
A group of FPC members left in the fall of 2006.They joined the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA) and formed Trinity Presbyterian Church.
The remainder of the congregation sought to pray and hold meetings to discuss the issues and try to discern what God would want them to do, Elliott said.In November 2006, the Session at First Presbyterian (church Elders), made the decision for the congregation to leave the PCUSA.
Adding to the difficulty the aforementioned decision led to, was the fact that not everyone in the church wanted to leave the PCUSA and the Presbyterian churches within the organization are not independent, they are connected to other churches.
In order to leave, First Presbyterian had to work with their presbytery -- the Presbytery of St. Andrew.The reaction of the presbytery in the start of 2007 was shocking, according to Elliott.
The presbytery gave a warning to Elliott as pastor and they recommended to file a lawsuit against First Presbyterian as to who actually owned the property.The debate and the lawsuit over the property prolonged the issue of leaving.Due to the threat of a lawsuit, First Presbyterian filed a preemptive lawsuit in February of 2007.
The lawsuit -- which put the church in an adversarial position with the presbytery -- upset many of the church members, but the elders -- Elliott said -- remained united.
...
It has been gut wrenching for our congregation," said Elliott. The session negotiated with the commission and reached a settlement agreement, which ended up where the church paid the presbytery a certain amount, agreed to stop the lawsuit, and they would be dismissed to leave -- with their property -- to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
After the settlement agreement, a congregational vote was held and the overwhelming vote was to leave, said Elliott. The presbytery met on Feb. 5 and approved FPCÕs leaving without a dissenting vote.This gave the congregation a measure of closure.The next week First Presbyterian Church was received into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
"That ended a 20-month period of phenomenal tension, prayer and debate in our congregation.It was the most difficult time I've ever been through in my ministry," said Elliott.
The church has suffered hurt and lost some members.Now, they will come together in an event they want to invite the community to -- "Something Old ...Something New," beginning Sunday, April 20 through Wednesday, April 23, at FPC located at 919 Shiloh Road in Corinth.
Elliott said he is aware that many in the community have prayed for FPC during their time of difficulty and the congregation would like to thank everyone.
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