Kirk of the Hills Church, a 2,665-member congregation in Tulsa, Okla., has taken unusual steps to withdraw from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).The Session and pastors took that action in a Session meeting of August 15 and the members endorsed that decision in a congregational meeting held August 30.
An unprecedented process
The withdrawal actions followed an unprecedented process of dissolving the church and reincorporating as "Kirk of the Hills Corporation, an independent congregational church, built on Presbyterian structure and Reformed theology." The two pastors, Tom Gray and Wayne Hardy, resigned from affiliation with the PC(USA)--renouncing jurisdiction--and were then "hired by the Kirk of the Hills Corporation as co-pastors of the church," as stated in the Kirk's press release. The Session anticipates "...reuniting with the faithful Presbyterian church by seeking admission into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church." When questioned about their irregular separation efforts, Gray responded that the denominational leadership provoked them to take such actions. On his personal blog he explains, "We realize that we are not doing the process as set out in the Book of Order. This has been intentional. Also, we know that we have no assurance of retaining our property in this ordeal. The basic avaricious and punitive attitude of the denomination doesn't breed confidence."
Kirk of the Hills Church, a 2,665-member congregation in Tulsa, Okla., has taken unusual steps to withdraw from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).The Session and pastors took that action in a Session meeting of August 15 and the members endorsed that decision in a congregational meeting held August 30.
An unprecedented process
The withdrawal actions followed an unprecedented process of dissolving the church and reincorporating as "Kirk of the Hills Corporation, an independent congregational church, built on Presbyterian structure and Reformed theology." The two pastors, Tom Gray and Wayne Hardy, resigned from affiliation with the PC(USA)--renouncing jurisdiction--and were then "hired by the Kirk of the Hills Corporation as co-pastors of the church," as stated in the Kirk's press release. The Session anticipates "...reuniting with the faithful Presbyterian church by seeking admission into the Evangelical Presbyterian Church." When questioned about their irregular separation efforts, Gray responded that the denominational leadership provoked them to take such actions. On his personal blog he explains, "We realize that we are not doing the process as set out in the Book of Order. This has been intentional. Also, we know that we have no assurance of retaining our property in this ordeal. The basic avaricious and punitive attitude of the denomination doesn't breed confidence." The "avaricious and punitive attitude" cited arises out of an early August publication of a paper prepared by PC(USA) Associate Stated Clerk Mark Tammen from the Office of the General Assembly. The paper encourages presbyteries to file affidavits in city or county courts to assure that all congregations' properties are held in trust for the denomination, something that had been done last March in Eastern Oklahoma. "Our biggest concern arose out of that leaked paper from the OGA legal office," Gray said. "If we felt that we would be left alone with strictly what our presbytery would do, we'd probably be in the process with them. We'd probably be looking for dismissal, but we would have stuck with the normal process. But there seems to be a great rarity of churches that are being graciously dismissed. Needing to pay some portion of their property seems to be the rule not the exception. The discovery of the affidavits started this. The fact that that paper by Mark Tammen began by recommending filing those affidavits, well, that hit too close to home to what had been done in our presbytery." Greg Coulter, General Presbyter of Presbytery of Eastern Oklahoma, explained to the Outlook that the presbytery did file affidavits on March 2 and then announced that they had done so five days later, at the stated presbytery meeting of March 7. The reason for doing so was that three Native American congregations' deeds had been filed in tribal offices but not in county offices, and now one of those congregations had requested help to get their property back from an outside group that had claimed the land. The presbytery decided to update the title status for all the churches in all the county offices.
Who can preach and moderate? Gray reported on his blog, dated Aug. 26, "Our clerk of our board of elders just played a message on her answering machine from Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery. They have informed her that the presbytery is sending a supply pastor to preach tomorrow, and someone else to moderate the congregational meeting on Wednesday [Aug. 30]. This has happened before, a part of the 'game plan' of the PC(USA). [This is] ... what happened in a Torrance, California, church a little over a year ago. The denomination came in and pushed their way into the pulpit, creating chaos for a brief moment in worship. We will not allow that to happen." In fact, the moderator of the presbytery's Committee on Ministry had called the clerk, stating that, under Book of Order obligation, the clerk was being contacted to offer a stated supply to preach in the services and a moderator to lead the congregational meeting, since the church is technically without a pastor. The Book of Order directs the presbytery to assure that worship services and congregational meetings are led by authorized persons. However, the message added, no leaders would be sent unless the clerk returned the call and made such a request. As for the congregational meeting, the presbytery council authorized the presbytery's moderator, Jim Miller, a respected evangelical, to moderate the congregational meeting. He agreed to do so, but only if invited by the church. In the meantime, the Session declared that only members of the Kirk would be allowed to attend the congregational meeting.
Attempts to build trust
Coulter acknowledged to the Outlook that the pastors "are concerned about the kind of forced takeover that leaves them without options," as has been reported in the Torrance Church. Accordingly, "they thought they needed to preempt us." However, the presbytery has avoided taking a heavy-handed role with the Kirk leaders. "We reassured them that that would not happen." The presbytery, says Coulter, has sought to work with them to discuss and find better ways through the concerns before them. "Our posture is to bring as much grace to the situation as possible." The presbytery council had contacted the Kirk's Session early in the summer, hoping to meet with them to discuss the concerns of the church leaders. The earliest possible date the Session and trustees could find to meet was August 23, which was accepted by the presbytery leaders. However, Coulter says, "that was cancelled when the Session voted to disaffiliate from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on behalf of the congregation." "What we've resolutely tried to do is to bring honor to Christ and to Christ's ministry in this presbytery and the Kirk of the Hills church.," he added. Nothing the presbytery has said or done has changed the situation. Says Gray, "It is sad that at this time we live in an atmosphere of mutual suspicions. That will continue to drive a lot of actions." The New Wineskins connection The Kirk of the Hills Church hosted the convocation of the New Wineskins Initiative this past July. At that conference some participants expressed a desire to disaffiliate from the PC(USA), but the lack of consensus led the organization to form a task force to study all options and prepare recommendations to be presented at the next NWI gathering, to be held in February, 2007. NWI Moderator Dean Weaver, pastor of Memorial Park Church in Allison Park, Pa., told the Outlook, "We support them in terms of their freedom of conscience in being faithful as Presbyterians to how God leads them. We would hope that the denomination would consider -- if not a moratorium then at least --a recommended sabbatical from a disciplinary posture in favor of a pastoral posture." Weaver explained that affiliation with NWI does not hinge upon being in the PC(USA). "At least in this period of transition, we've taken a one-foot-in and one-foot-out posture, for churches that stay and for churches that go, and also for churches in other denominations that want to relate to us." In fact, he added, "We are actively talking with the leadership of other denominational entities who are interested in partnering with us."
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For the past 11 years I have been sitting on the front steps of the church watching and often crying and missing sleep because of what I see. For forty years I was front and center inside of the church. I had power, real power. I could set the tone of the session and convince and direct the congregation. This power is dangerous! If I was not getting my share of attention in the Presbytery, or I was passed over for some appointment or if I had some long held Biblical bias, my stance in the pulpit could have pushed and had folks leaning in my direction.
It would have been a grievous error, if not a sin. I believe I could have talked the Session of the church to follow me, with the support of a few strong and like minded elders, to leave the denomination. How could I? The church was not mine. I have been in three Presbyterian denominations in the past 50 years and never moved my membership, PCUSA (northern), UPCUSA (United), and PC (USA)...the church that was divided repented and returned to their senses. It's time for pastors and sessions to sit on the front steps of the church.