Southern Florida

Margate, FL (January 20, 1998)-The January Stated Meeting of Southern Florida Presbytery was hosted by First Presbyterian Church of Coral Springs. The Moderator Nominee, TE Michael A. Campbell, was elected Moderator unanimously.

At the opening worship service, TE Ronald L. Siegenthaler preached from Romans 5:1-2 on Justification by Faith, "the Article by which the Church stands or falls." During the communion service, memorials were read for the following ruling elders who had gone to be with the Lord in 1997: Matt Grennan (Old Cutler), Joseph Carlton High (Covenant), Crawford M. Kalehoff (Coral Ridge), Jonathan C. Liang (Rio Vista), and John McKnight Warren (Shenandoah).

TE Robert D. Dillard, Jr., sustained his examination for transfer from Louisiana Presbytery, and his call as Assistant Minister at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church was approved. TE Michael A. Milton of Heartland Presbytery and TE David Wang of the Korean Presbyterian Church in America were approved as Stated Supply at Seacrest Blvd. Presbyterian Church and Korean Bansuk Church, respectively. They will be examined for reception at the April meeting.

Presbytery examined and approved for ordination Licentiate David H. Crandall (called as Assistant Minister by Immanuel Presbyterian of Miami) and RE Robert A. Leuthold (called as Minister of Covenant Presbyterian of Ft. Lauderdale). With regard to Mr. Leuthold, Presbytery cited his age and his twenty-two years of ministry experience in employing the extraordinary clause and waiving requirements of an approved course of theological study, examination in Greek and Hebrew, and an internship.

Presbytery approved the calls by Granada Presbyterian Church, Coral Gables, to TE Danny Levi as Associate Minister and to TE Carlos Salabarria as Assistant Minister. TE Beryl T. Hubbard's Stated Supply relationship at Key Biscayne Presbyterian Church was extended to June 1, 1998. TE Anthony X. Chin's Assistant Minister relationship with Immanuel Presbyterian was dissolved.

Messrs. Bradford L. Hunter (St. Andrews, Hollywood), Scott P. Seidler (Coral Ridge), and Edward J. Yurus (Coral Ridge) were taken under care as ministerial candidates.

Presbytery took the second and final vote in divesting Frank Erdman from the gospel ministry. Mr. Erdman had renounced the Presbyterian faith by joining the Orthodox Church. At the October 1997 meeting, the Presbytery had delayed final action on divestiture in order to consider other information that had been received. At this meeting, the Presbytery voted "to retain in the records of Presbytery an indictment of Mr. Frank Erdman, charging him with moral failure according to the facts known or understood to be true by the Minister & Church Relations Committee, and also to retain any material evidence and the names of witnesses held by the Committee."

During the course of the meeting, Henry Morris of Reformed University Ministries at Florida Atlantic University presented a video about RUM; and Dr. Cortez Cooper, Coordinator of Mission to North America Committee, updated the court on the work of MNA.

The Presbytery amended its Standing Rules to read that "No minister shall be received from another Presbytery or Denomination without a Call to a particular work (save in cases where the minister is already honorably retired) except by a three-fourths voted of the Credentials Committee and Presbytery."

RE Daniel J. Domin, Stated Clerk

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