Eastern Carolina
Greenville, NC (January 18, 1997)-Twenty-two ruling elders and twenty ministers, representing fifteen churches, gathered at Christ Presbyterian Church for the Winter Stated Meeting. TE Carl Brannan, Jr., of the host church preached on I Samuel 18:1-5, "Becoming Best Friends."
The request by TE Jeffrey Miller to be divested without censure was denied. Presbytery voted to "put you in remembrance that the gifts and calling of God are without repentance; and that you ought not to be hasty to doubt your calling simply because of the present lack of ministerial opportunity or your own weakness. We urge you to consider that God may be preparing you for a more fruitful time of service in the future. In the meantime it is good to teach in the church as you are doing and to preach here and there as you have opportunity."
Presbytery responded to an exception taken to its minutes of July, 1995, regarding the effort by TE Bill Marshall to have the wording of ordination question #1 modified so as "to avoid any implication that the manuscripts we have today are not authentical." Presbytery agreed that it "should have noted the irregularity in the commission's minutes and addressed it." The court also voted that "TE Marshall may provide clarifying remarks prior to propounding question #1 (BCO 21-5) to a candidate, namely that the inerrant autographs of Scripture have by God's _singular care and providence been kept pure in all ages' (WCF I-8) so that this preserved text is authentical."
Presbytery voted to receive Wallace Marshall (son of TE Marshall) as a candidate "pending presentation of his notice and 30 days expiring." (The requisite 30 days' notice had not been given.)
Presbytery took exception to Village Chapel Sessional minutes, as follows: "The pastor's call seems to be subsumed to the paying of other bills, thus bringing into question whether the Session on that date was open to defaulting the call to the current pastor." The court stated that it "welcomes the possible OPC new work in New Bern, among the former members of Village Chapel, with the understanding that we may still want to plant an additional church in New Bern ourselves in the future." TE Denver Blevins was approved as pulpit supply at Village Chapel for 1997. Presbytery approved the report of the Commission to Temporarily Govern Village Chapel, which included the installation of RE's Steve Folly and Charles Stewart. The commission was dismissed with thanks.
TE Jim O'Brien and TE David Bowen were nominated for Moderator, the term to begin on January 31. Mr. O'Brien was elected, 12-9. The following were elected by acclamation: RE Austin Leake, Stated Clerk; TE Norman Evans, Assistant Clerk; DE Bob McGee, Treasurer; RE Bob Brown, Parliamentarian.
RE Austin Leake, Stated Clerk
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