Eastern Carolina
Wilmington, NC (October 19, 1996)--The Fall Stated Meeting of Eastern Carolina Presbytery met at Trinity Reformed Presbyterian Church. Moderator TE James Routszong preached from I Kings 19.
The Session of New Covenant Presbyterian Church reported that in response to its letter written to presbytery's churches, its financial need of $1,262.00 on July 20th had been reduced to $1.55.
Presbytery approved a format of having commissioners form small prayer groups of three or four people to convene at 11:45 A. M., with sharing and prayer for the fifteen minutes before the lunch break. The court also approved a document, "Presbytery is Us--Suggestions for Improvements in Attendance and Participation in Presbytery," with the follwing items: "Send a Full Complement of Commissioners"; "Time Spent in Prayer Prior to Presbytery"; "Careful Study of the Docket"; "Seek Out Other Commissioners You Don't Know"; and "Be Prepared to Be Available for The Entire Meeting." By a 21-7 vote, the $41,000.00 budget was adopted.
TE Jeffrey Miller submitted a request that he be divested of office without censure. Presbytery docketed this item for the January meeting.
Reports were heard from several teaching elders, and from the following evangelists: Ted Trefsgar (Grace Church in Fuquay-Varina), Don Riley (in Rocky Mount), W. W. marshall (Grace Covenant in Durham), and Terry Traylor (Redeemer in Raleigh). With ten committed families, the Rocky Mount Presbyterian Mission was received as a mission of the Presbytery. TE David Bowen, Pastor of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church and Chairman of the MNA Committee, moved on behalf of his committee two possible options for the future of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Fellowship in Durham be considered:
"1). to appoint a commission of 2 TE's and 2 RE's (BCO 15-1) to serve as the temporary Session governing this work (BCO 5-3-3), "2). to remove authorization from this work as a mission of the PCA due to lack of evidence of viability after five years." A substitute motion, as follows, became the main motion and was approved: "The powers of Evangelist be granted an additional year to TE Marshall, with TE Jeff Hutchinson and RE Jeff Smith (Good Shepherd) being appointed as a committee to advise TE Marshall."
The MNA Committee had recommended that an overture from Antioch Session be answered in the negative. A substitute motion prevailed, that the following overture be answered in the affirmative: "To ensure concerns of existing churches be addressed, be it mandated that the MNA Committee and Eastern Carolina Presbytery obtain the approval of any PCA church Session within 20 miles of an expected church plant. If that Session refuses to grant approval, a 2/3 majority of Presbytery be required to plant that church."
Mr. Denton White of the Antioch Church was taken under care as a candidate for the ministry. TE Laurence Withington, a retired military chaplain, was dismissed to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Presbytery approved the dissolution of the pastoral relationship between Mr. Routszong and Village Chapel of New Bern. "[I]t was learned that the Session has also resigned effective October 31, a new Session has been elected, but the outgoing Session has refused to install the new elders." Presbytery appointed a Commission to act as a temporary government as of November 1.
RE Austin Leake, Stated Clerk
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