CALLED MEETING
July 13, 2006
The Presbytery of Mississippi held a called meeting at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Thursday, July 13, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. with the Moderator, Rev. Chris Bullock, presiding. The meeting was opened with prayer by Rev. John Larson.
ROLL
A quorum was present with the following twenty-seven ministers and thirty-two elders enrolled for the meeting.
Ministers: Ned Beckes, Martha Blount, Charles Bowdler, Tim Brown, Annie Bryant, Steve Bryant, Lionel Cable, David Caldwell, William dePrater, John Dudley, Michael Herrin, Charles Jones, William Jones, John Larson, Joe Martin, Ron McFarland, Geoff McLean, Lynn Miller, James Rackley, Steve Ramp, Clarence Roberts, Lane Stephenson, Cory Stott, Sally-Lodge Teel, Jim Truesdell, Andy Wells, Jim White
Elders: James Lacy, Jr., First Canton; Gene Eblen, Diamondhead; Norma Loposser, Handsboro; Roberta Hill, Orange Grove; Francis Daniel, Westminster Gulfport; Barbara Stallcup, Westminster Hattiesburg; Betty Simmons, Briarwood; Dick Blount and Lewis Watson, Covenant; Shirley G. Middleton, Faith; Sallie Wilson, St. Luke’s; Henry Davis, Jr., First-Trinity; Richard Stratton, Liberty; illegible, Unity Memorial; Annie Ruth Thigpen, First Lucedale; Joe James, Vernal; Miller Brock, Grace Chapel; Charles Ray, C.L.P. Magnolia; Richard Moore, J.J. White Memorial; A.M. “Bubba” Martin, Trinity; John Williams, First Natchez; Peggie Herrington, Westminster Natchez; Alwyn Luckey, First Ocean Springs; Vance Sprague, Pineville; David St. Louis, Ruth Memorial; Jimmie Person, First Port Gibson; Robert Sanders, United Sandersville; Bobby Robinson and Blake Teller, First Vicksburg; Bob Friley, Yokena; Bill Pettey, C.L.P. Wiggins; Charles Whittington, Wiggins
Corresponding Members: Terry Newland, executive of Synod of Living Waters; Samford Turner, executive of Presbytery of South Alabama
Visitors: Norma Bassett, George Bates, Linda Bates, Sue Boyd, Jim Brown, Sara Brown, Rachel Caldwell, Ann Catron, John Catron, Mike Chancellor, Billy Copeland, Sarah Copeland, Shelley Cummings, Margaret dePrater, Jerry Goode, Verniece Goode, Berta Griffin, Eloise Gryder, Rusty Hays, H.J. Hedgepeth, Hank Holcomb, Marguerite Hudson, Jessie Jacobs, Janet James, Gary Knight, Logan Loposser, Ralph Loposser, Lou Nell McLeod, Peggy McLeod, Pete McLeod, Peggy Miller, Alice Rackley, Robert St. John, Diane Tucker, Mark Tucker, Bubba Valentine, Kaye Valentine
An excused absence was granted to all active minister members not present and to all congregations not represented.
An excused absence was also granted to Morris “Skip” Ehrlich and David Ray. The following ministers were absent without excuse: Barron Banks and Theophilus King.
The stated clerk introduced Rev. Terry Newland, synod executive, and Rev. Samford Turner, executive of the Presbytery of South Alabama, and moved that they be enrolled as corresponding members and granted the privilege of the floor. The motion passed.
I. The first purpose of the called meeting was to examine Candidate Scott Castleman for ordination to the gospel ministry. Mr. Castleman preached a sermon based upon
II Kings 4:1 – 7. The sermon was approved as satisfactory. Mr. Castleman then read his statement of faith and briefly related his Christian experience. Rev. Jim White, moderator of the Committee on Ministry, asked Mr. Castleman questions related to his views on theology, sacraments, and polity. Opportunity was provided for questions from the presbytery at large. The presbytery then sustained the examination of Mr. Castleman in all its parts, approved the calls of Handsboro Presbyterian Church and Orange Grove Presbyterian Church to Mr. Castleman to serve as pastor, approved the terms of call (which appear below), and authorized the moderator of presbytery to appoint an administrative commission to ordain Mr. Castleman to the gospel ministry and to install him as the pastor of Handsboro Presbyterian Church and Orange Grove Presbyterian Church.
Terms of Call
salary $20,117.40
supplement for Social Security 3,140.00
manse provided
utilities allowance 5,000.00
(paid by church)
full pension, medical, disability,
and death benefit under
the Board of Pensions
professional expenses
(to be reimbursed through
an accountable plan)
business travel expense $5,000.00
(at IRS rate)
professional expense 500.00
book allowance 200.00
continuing education 500.00
paid vacation – four weeks
paid study leave – two weeks
full moving expenses
II. The second purpose of the called meeting was to hear reports from commissioners to the 217th General Assembly and from overture advocates appointed by the presbytery. Neither Dr. Emett Barfield nor Ms. Margaret Brooks, the two commissioners from the Presbytery of Mississippi to the 217th General Assembly, was able to be present at this called meeting. Nor was Elder Pete Bloss, overture advocate for Overture #1, which dealt with the issue of divestment and the Middle East, able to attend this called meeting. Rev. Michael Herrin, overture advocate for the overture adopted by the presbytery related to the recommendations of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church, reported on his attendance and the action taken by the General Assembly on this overture.
III. The third purpose of the called meeting was to consider an overture from the session of Grace Chapel Presbyterian Church. Rev. Steve Bryant, pastor of Grace Chapel, moved that presbytery:
A. approve the following overture:
The Session of Grace Chapel Presbyterian Church overtures
the Presbytery of Mississippi as follows:
The Presbytery of Mississippi does hereby,
Declare that the action of the 217th General Assembly
in the passage of Recommendation 5 of the Peace, Unity, and Purity Task Force
Report, is a grievous error seriously lacking Biblical, Confessional and
Constitutional integrity, and of such magnitude that it places the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) in a state of constitutional crisis, requiring that the
Presbytery of Mississippi re-evaluate the nature of its relationship with the
General Assembly,
Reaffirm its strong conviction that all constitutional
requirements for ordination, including G-6.0106b, are binding on all the
sessions and presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church, (U.S.A.), and none are
subject to being considered "inessential" by any governing body of
the Church,
Reaffirm its resolution that no exceptions to the requirement that
all deacons, elders and ministers must "live either in fidelity within the
covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or in chastity in
singleness" will be allowed within the jurisdiction of this Presbytery,
and
Resolve that any governing body of the Presbyterian Church,
(U.S.A.) which abrogates this requirement has broken fellowship with the
Presbytery of Mississippi. Ministers from such unbiblical, unconfessional, and
unconstitutional presbyteries will not be received for membership in this presbytery
unless they personally affirm their belief in and their willingness to be
governed by this requirement.
Rationale
Interaction between the governing bodies of the Presbyterian
Church should be marked by mutual trust. That trust is simply not possible when
the highest governing body commits egregious Biblical and Constitutional error
and when some presbyteries are openly and flagrantly in violation of Biblical,
Confessional, and Constitutional standards. The Presbytery of Mississippi, in
seeking to be faithful to the Bible, the Confessions of the Church, and the
Constitution as lawfully approved by the presbyteries of the Church, cannot
therefore stand in full fellowship with officers engaging in unconstitutional
and unbiblical behavior, or with governing bodies which bless such behavior.
At the same time, we understand that within unfaithful governing
bodies there are many ruling and teaching elders who seek to be faithful to the
Biblical, Confessional and Constitutional standards of the Church. We welcome
such faithful elders and ministers of the Word and Sacrament into our
membership. But because of the unfaithfulness of their sessions and
presbyteries, we must examine them with rigor similar to that which is required
for ministers received from other denominations.
The action of the 217th General Assembly, in passing Recommendation 5 of the PUP Task Force report jeopardizes the role that Scripture and the Constitution play in the governance of the church, thus the constitutional crisis. As we grieve over this devastating action, we pray for God’s mercy and guidance as the Presbytery of Mississippi discerns the nature of faithfulness in this post-pup context.
(end of overture)
B. appoint a task force, consisting of presbytery’s commissioners to the last four meetings of General Assembly (2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006) with Dr. Emett Barfield as moderator, charging this task force with the responsibility to examine carefully the implications of the current crisis on the future of and the ministry of this presbytery and to report its recommendations at the October 2006 meeting of presbytery.
The motion was seconded.
An amendment was made and seconded to strike in part B of the motion the words “appoint a task force, consisting of presbytery’s commissioners to the last four meetings of General Assembly (2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006) with Dr. Emett Barfield as moderator, charging this task force” and to replace this phrase with “charge the Permanent Judicial Commission”. The amendment was not approved.
A motion was made and seconded to consider and to vote on part A and part B of the main motion separately. The motion was not approved.
A motion was made and seconded to refer the fourth paragraph of the overture from the session of Grace Chapel (“Resolved that any governing body of the Presbyterian Church … their willingness to be governed by this requirement”) to the task force to be appointed should part B be approved. The motion to refer was not approved.
Presbytery then adopted the main motion, approving the overture from the session of Grace Chapel (A above) and establishing the task force (B above). Rev. John Larson requested that his negative vote be recorded in the minutes of this meeting.
In a separate action presbytery took note of the fact that the communication from the session of Grace Chapel received by all minister members of the presbytery and all clerks of session contained not only the overture that was approved at this called meeting of presbytery but also the following:
Grace Chapel Presbyterian Church declares that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
is in a state of constitutional crisis. All real property occupied and used by
Grace Chapel is owned by Grace Chapel.
It was moved and seconded to refer this statement to the Permanent Judicial Commission. A substitute motion was made and seconded to refer this statement and several similar statements adopted by other sessions to the executive presbyter and the presbytery council for pastoral response, a report to be made on this pastoral response at the October 2006 meeting of presbytery. No amendment was offered for either the original motion or the substitute motion. The two motions were therefore declared to be perfected. The presbytery approved replacing the original motion with the substitute motion. The substitute motion was then approved.
The purposes of the called meeting having been fulfilled, the meeting was adjourned with prayer by Dr. William dePrater at 4:21 p.m.
Rev. Chris Bullock, Moderator
Dr. John C. Dudley, Stated Clerk