Presbytery Highlights: November 10, 2009

On an unusually warm November day, 169 pastors, elders and visitors took part in the November Presbytery meeting at Christ Presbyterian in Edina.

As the meeting began, Stated Clerk Nancy Grittman shared the following information she recieved the week prior:

On November 3, 2009, I received, by UPS Next Day Air, a Decision and Order, in Remedial case 219-08, David Bierschwale, David Lenz, and Carol Shanholtzer, Appellants, v. Presbytery of The Twin Cities Area, Appellee, decided by the Permanent Judicial Commission of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This case originated as a result of the decision of the Presbytery, in January, 2008, to restore Paul Capetz to the ordained office of Ministry of Word and Sacrament. The final appeal to the GAPJC was a result of the decision of Synod Permanent Judicial Commission on May 11, 2009, which upheld the decision of the Presbytery. However, at that trial, the SPJC excluded the public from attendance. That decision became Specification of Error No. 1, at the GAPJC trial, held on Friday, October 30, 2009 in Indianapolis, IN. That specification was sustained by the GAPJC; the SPJC was found to be in error.

There were six additional specifications of error in the appeal from the appellants, and none were sustained.

The decision of the SPJC is affirmed. The GAPJC found in favor of the Presbytery and the decision to restore Paul Capetz is finally upheld. This case is now closed and the papers and records are filed. The Decision and Order will be spread upon the minutes of this meeting of Presbytery, and an excerpt of those minutes containing this report will be transmitted to the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, as directed in the Order.

Among the other highlights of this meeting included visitors from General Assembly Meeting Service.  Deb Davies and Kerry Rice spoke to the Presbytery about the upcoming preparations for the 219th General Assembly which will be held in Minneapolis in July 2010. 

Afterwards, Committee on Local Arrangements Co-Chairs Manley Olson, an elder at North Como Presbyterian in Roseville and Sandra Hawley and elder at Plymouth Presbyterian in Plymouth came forward with several volunteers urging the Presbytery to get involved in welcoming Presbyterians from around the nation to Minneapolis for General Assembly and to consider coming to worship at the Convention Center along with other Presbyterians on July 4, the second day of the General Assembly.

Afterwards, discussion took place on the Third Great End of the Church: The Maintenence of Divine Worship.  Seated at tables, presbyters discussed what was going on in the congregations concerning worship.

Worship at this Presbytery meet was a little different than it has been in past meetings.  Presbyters were able to get a taste of The Table, Christ Presbyterian’s alternative worship community that meets on Sunday evenings.  Christ’s sanctuary was tranformed into a dimly lit worship space.  Tables were found in the chacel area.  The Table’s house band played old and new songs for their Presbytery guests to give people  a taste of what to expect at a worship gathering of The Table.

Senoir Pastor John Crosby preached a sermon explaining the ministry of The Table and the wider ministry of Christ Presbyterian focusing on how we can bring people to God’s table and not simply to church.  He shared examples of how members in the community have welcomed people by playing with an autistic child, helping a family whose wife is stricken with cancer, and helping an undocumented family.  The worship service ended with a celebration of the Lord’s supper.

After dinner, the meeting resumed with Presbyfest Chair Cindy Ray coming forward to explain why Presbyfest 2009 was cancelled due to low registration.  She explained that the committee would meet in the next few days to do a post mortem and also to create an alternative event in order to bring the planned keynote speaker to Minnesota. 

In other business, the Board of Trustees had one action to bring to Presbytery and that was approval of a loan for Kwanzaa Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis to formally purchase the fomer Calvary Presbyterian Church property at 3700 Bryant in North Minneapolis.  The Presbytery approved the loan.

Minister and Nominations Chair Betty Raitt brought several persons before the Presbyterty who were called to serve on various committees.  The Presbytery approved the following persons to serve:

CLEARWATER FOREST BOARD OF DIRECTORS

•    Chase Davies, elder, Shoreview, Church of the Way

 

            SELF DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE COMMITTEE

• Chair  Karen Kennerly, minister, Honorably Retired
• Grace Muengai, elder, St. Paul, Dayton Avenue Presbyterian
• Mauro Souza, minister, Columbia Heights, Church of All Nations
•  Avis Tilden, member, Burnsville, Church of the Apostles

            COMMISSIONED LAY PASTOR COMMITTEE

•   Leo Gelhoff, elder, Stillwater, First Presbyterian

            PERSONNEL COMMITTEE

•  Thomas Phillips, elder, St. Louis Park, Peace Presbyterian

Raitt also stressed the importance of having commissioners going to the 219th General Assembly.  She urged those who are interested to fill out a nomination form and turn it in by December 3.

Mission and Witness had a presentation on the Eastside Children’s Summer Program, a program sponsored by Arlington Heights Presbyterian Church in St. Paul.  Christian Educator, Sally Nahr explained how the program got off the ground and the invalubale work it has done on the Eastside of St. Paul.

The Presbytery also approved a new manual for those interested in becoming Commissioned Lay Pastors.  The manual is currently on the PTCA website.

The Committee on Ministry placed Robert Hamilton before the Presbytery for consideration as the new pastor at First Presbyterian in Claremont, MN.  He was approved by the Presbytery.  COM also placed before the people a proposal to leave the Presbytery minimums for pastors at 2009 levels.  This measure also passed.  The minimums for  2010 are as follows:

• $46,900 (metro)
• $41,985 (non-metro).

The next Presbytery meeting will be on Saturday, January 9, 2010 at Presbyterian Church of the Way in Shoreview.

Category: Headlines