Southern Florida
Lake Worth, FL (October 15, 1996)-The fall stated meeting of Southern Florida Presbytery was hosted by Lake Osborne Presbyterian Church. The Moderator Nominee, RE Phil Rich of Old Cutler Presbyterian Church, was elected unanimously as Moderator.
TE Jan Sattem, Chairman of the General Assembly Arrangements Committee, gave a final report. The approximately $4,076.00 of income in excess of expenses will be given to the Missions Committee for church planting.
The pastoral relations between TE Stephen L. Doan and Covenant Presbyterian Church, Wilton Manors, and TE Nicholas W. M. Simpson and Christ Presbyterian Church, Vero Beach, were dissolved. Also dissolved were the Assistant Minister relationship of TE Norm Wise and Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, and the Associate Minister relationship of TE Barry Waugh and the Presbyterian Church at Weston. Mr. Waugh is engaged in graduate study at Westminster Theological Seminary. Mr. Wise was called by First Church West as its Pastor, and Presbytery approved the call (including a salary package of $50,000.00 cash and housing, $9,600.00 for family health/life insurance, and $6,000.00 annuities) and established a commission to install him on November 3. Included as a non-voting member of the commission was TE Jonathan Gerstner, a minister of the Reformed Church in America.
TE Timothy D. Rott, who was retiring as a Navy chaplain, was transferred to Susquehanna Valley Presbytery in order to become Senior Pastor of the historic Faggs Manor Presbyterian Church, Cochranville, PA. (In his seminary days at Westminster, Mr. Rott had served as student supply in that area of Pennsylvania at Gethsemane Chapel, a now-dissolved church which later came into the PCA.) It was reported that TE Addison Soltau has retired from Evangelism Explosion IV International. The Associate Minister relationship between TE Rubins Ferraz and Shenandoah Presbyterian Church, Miami, was dissolved, and Mr. Ferraz placed under the supervision and care of the Missions Committee. It was also reported that TE William Thompson and the Session of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church has been appointed as the Session of Providence Presbyterian Church, West Palm Beach, replacing TE Robert Reymond and RE Ralph Mittendorff.
Chairman TE James M. Bowen presented the Administration Committee report. The 1997 Proposed Budget Based on Committee Requests of $133,340 was used as the basis for 1997 Askings ($7.45/member) and the 1997 Administration Committee Proposed Operating Budget of Estimated Cash Receipts and Cash Disbursements of $73,340 was the basis for 1997 operations. "[A]ny excess of undesignated cash receipts over the amount projected in the Administration Committee Proposed Operating Budget may be used by the Missions Committee to fund items that are in the 1997 Proposed Budget Based On Committee Requests but are not in the 1997 Administration Committee Proposed Operating Budget subject to the provision that Presbytery's Operating Cash Balance remains at $10,000."
Presbytery voted, overwhelmingly, in favor of seven of the eight BCO presented to it. It voted against Item 4 (amending BCO 19-1 with regard to licensing ministers from another presbytery).
TE O. Palmer Robertson, a member of Potomac Presbytery, was granted permission to labor in the bounds of Southern Florida as Professor at Knox Theological Seminary for six monts per year. The other six months Dr. Robertson will be continuing to minister at African Bible College in Malawi.
TE Andrew Boswell spoke about the worldwide persecution of Christians. The "Presbytery assembled into small groups to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ around the world."
Mr. John J. Moore of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Hollywood, came under care as a ministerial candidate. Mr. David G. Hoffman was transferred as a candidate to Covenant Presbytery, and Mr. James T. Roberts' candidacy was transferred to Evangel Presbytery.
RE Barry Smith gave the Christian Education Committee Report. TE William Iverson, Ph. D., spoke about the Nehemiah Institute; and Mr. Jonathan Taylor of Covenant Seminary gave a report on the school.
Miami, FL (January 21, 1997)-Old Cutler Presbyterian Church hosted the winter stated meeting of Southern Florida Presbytery. Moderator Phil Rich exhorted the court with the words of Paul in Philippians 2:1-11, to the effect that we are "called to love Christ and His Church." The annual communion service was conduced by TE's Michael Khandjian, George Garrison, and Danny Levi, assisted by ruling elders from the host congregation. During the service, Memorials for Ruling Elders who went to be with the Lord were read. Those memorialized included Carl Johnson (Coral Ridge), William Johnston (Old Cutler), George John Lang (Covenant), Forrest F. "Pa' Patterson (Granada), Richard Raymond (Coral Ridge), William Frederick Sorensen, Jr. (Granada), and TE William A. Swets (Coral Ridge).
TE Brian Kelso, Moderator Nominee, was unamiously elected Moderator.
It was reported that the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC) had upheld the Presbytery in the complaint of Hugo Andrino, with regard to his administrative removal by the Session of Shenandoah Presbyterian Church from the Board of Shenandoah Christian School. It was also reported that the SJC had ruled that the Presbytery should grant a new hearing in the Jupiter complaint and in the complaint of David Stockment because of proceedural errors. Both of these cases revolve around the failure of Presbytery to transfer TE Dennis Slack from Great Lakes Presbytery to become Pastor of Jupiter Presbyterian Church, because of concerns about his "theonomic" views. Presbytery authorized the Moderator to appoint a judicial commission to adjudicate these cases.
TE Dominic Aquila reported for the Missions Committee. Phil Harvey, a missionary with Latin America Mission, gave a presentation of his ministry.
TE James Bowen gave the Administrative Committee report. Presbytery unanimously suspended the Standing Rules for Presbytery Operations so that RE Daniel J. Domin could be elected to a fourth three year term as Stated Clerk.
TE Richard Gillen, who as pastor of Jupiter Presbyterian Church had been a member of the Presbytery, was examined and transferred from Western Carolina Presbytery to be Organizing Minister of Faith Presbyterian Church, Okeechobee. The former Organizing Minister, TE Steve McGee, was granted permission to labor out of bounds at Covenant Independent Reformed Church, Wayland, MI (this is a church formed by former members of the Christian Reformed Church). TE G. Michael Saunders was examined and transferred from Northern Illinois Presbytery to accept the call as Assistant Minister of Granada Presbyterian Church.
Presbytery dissolved the pastoral relationship of TE John B. Crimmins, III, and Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church; and approved that TE Beryl Hubbard be called as Stated Supply of the congregation. The court approved the call of First Church, Coral Springs, to TE Addison Soltau as a part-time Assistant Minister. Presbytery dissolved the Assistant Minister relationship of Frank J. Erdman, Jr., with Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, and voted to carry him on the Roll of Presbytery "Without Call". The minutes state that "since his letter of resignation indicated that he is planning to accept secular employment that as a condition of this status he be required to meet with members of the Minister & Church Relations Committee for counsel before the next meeting of Presbytery. We cite BCO 17-3, which indicates that ordination is to a specific work, which may not include the employment TE Erdman has in mind."
TE Donis Watkins, former pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church, Vero Beach, was given the status of laboring out of bounds on account of his work as a Hospice Chaplain. Presbytery also voted not to object to his work with Morning Star Chapel in Vero Beach, but required him to submit quarterly reports of his work. "TE James M. Bowen, Jr., requested that his negative vote on this action be recorded."
Presbytery voted to approve the request of Christ Presbyterian Church, Vero Beach, to transfer to Central Florida Presbytery "with the clear understanding that the Presbytery of Southern Florida is not agreeing to any change in its geographical boundaries or is relinquishing its right to plant a church anywhere in the Vero Beach area."
RE Daniel J. Domin, Stated Clerk
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