First Presbyterian Church Aurora

1
First Presbyterian Church Aurora

• Informational Meetings
• March 14, 15, 19

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Scriptural Basis

• 2 Timothy 316
• All scripture is God breathed and is useful for
  teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
  righteousness.
• John 1510
• If you obey my commands, you will remain in my
  love, just as I have obeyed my Fathers commands
  and remain in his love.

3
Session Motion

• The session recommends that the congregation
  request the Presbytery of Blackhawk to dismiss
  the First Presbyterian Church of Aurora to the
  Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

4
What you will See and Hear

• This is a lengthy process
• This was not a reaction
• The Spirit of the Lord is moving at FPC
• Scripture
• Unanimity
• Nobody is angry
• We simply disagree/are not a match
• The best days are ahead of us

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Objectives

• Transparency in the decision making process
• Questions and concerns addressed
• Respect for people and ideas
• Unanimity going forward
• Honor for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

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Thoughts

• Write down your questions
• This is a lot of information
• Come back we can give you more info/time

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First Presbyterian Church

• A Brief History of PCUSA
• First Pres Efforts

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

• Adopting Act of 1729
• Doctrinal Deliverance of 1910
• Auburn Affirmation of 1924
• Confession of 1967

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF RECENT GENERAL ASSEMBLY
MEETINGS

• Whats the big deal about Jesus?

• 2001 GA
• 2002 GA
• 2003 GA
• 2004 GA

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF RECENT GENERAL ASSEMBLY
MEETINGS

• 2006 GA
• PUP
• Trinity Paper
• Pro-abortion

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2008 GA

• 1. Passed a new AI to the Book of Order
  which gives Sessions and Presbyteries freedom to
  ordain persons in violation of the provisions in
  the Book of Order

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2008 GA

• 2. Removed existing AIs which supported
  Biblical morality. PJCs will no longer be
  able to cite these in support of Biblical
  morality.

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2008 GA

• 3. New constitutional amendment which would
  replace the current language in G6.0106b which
  prohibits ordaining unrepentant practicing
  homosexuals .

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2008 GA

• 4. Approved changing the language of the
  Heidelberg Catechism to remove a reference to
  homosexual perversion

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2008 GA

• 5. Jesus is one of several viable ways to know
  and worship God and .
• all three Abrahamic faiths are part of one
  larger family of God.

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FIRST PRES HISTORY

• CCC formed in 2004
• Congregation was given a survey on core beliefs
  and asked to respond with level of agreement on
  10 statements.
• 1  Strongly Disagree
• 2  Disagree
• 3 No Opinion
• 4  Agree
• 5  Strongly Agree

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First Pres Survey Questions

• The human writers of the Bible were completely
  inspired by the Holy Spirit so that the Bible is
  free from human error.
• Our Lord Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin
  Mary.
• Jesus Christ physically died on the cross to save
  us from our sins.

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First Pres Survey Questions

•  On the third day, Jesus physically arose from
  the dead and with that same body, He ascended
  into heaven and there sits on the right hand of
  God.
• The Lord Jesus showed His divine power over
  nature by working mighty miracles.
•  

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First Pres Survey Questions

•  
• Jesus Christ alone is Lord and Savior and none
  come to the Living God except through Him.

20
First Pres Survey Questions

•  Our Church should not ordain practicing
  homosexuals as church leaders and pastors.
• Life is God-given and begins at the moment of
  conception.
•  

21
First Pres Survey Questions

•  
• Partial birth abortion is not an acceptable
  practice even if the woman and the doctor agree
  to do it.
• Moral absolutes do exist.

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FIRST PRES HISTORY

• 2005 - Voluntary Per Capita approved
• 2006 - Small Group education meetings
• 2008 - Covenant Network
• 2009 - Letter from Session to Blackhawk

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FIRST PRES HISTORY

• 10 Overtures presented to Blackhawk since 2005

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OVERTURE ON MARRIAGE( BLACKHAWK PASSED 69-59)
PRESENTED AT 2006 GA AND WAS REJECTED AT GA

• Marriage between a man and a woman is a gift God
  has given to all humankind for the well-being of
  the entire human family.
• No sexual union outside the bonds of marriage,
  such as in domestic partnerships or same-sex
  unions, is within the will of God or approved by
  this body.

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OVERTURE ON BIBLICAL INERRANCY(BLACKHAWK
REJECTED VOICE VOTE)

• Affirm the words of the Holy Scriptures ..
• We call upon those being ordained as officers in
  our denomination to affirm the words of the Holy
  Scriptures ..

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OVERTURE ON PASTORAL COUNSEL FOR SEXUAL SIN
(BLACKHAWK REJECTED 51/62)

• Offer pastoral counsel and support toward
  repentance, forgiveness, and new life in Christ
  to all those struggling, sometimes failing, to
  live a life in accordance with biblical standards
  .

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OVERTURE ON SEXUALITY CURRICULA AND MATERIALS NOT
CONSISTENT WITH BIBLICAL TEACHING (BLACKHAWK
REJECTED 53/60)

• Remove and discard all materials that fail to
  conform to the biblical standard of reserving
  sexual relationships to marriage bond between a
  man and a woman

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OVERTURE ON ISSUE OF PRO-LIFE(BLACKHAWK REJECTED
48-68)

• Stop funding any group and discontinue any
  lobbying that promotes abortion
• Ensure that no PCUSA monies are used to pay for
  abortion except in cases where the life of the
  mother is endangered.

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OVERTURE AGAINST PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION
(BLACKHAWK REJECTED 51-60)

• Viable unborn babies ought to be preserved and
  cared for .
• When late term pregnancies must be terminated, we
  urge decisions intended to deliver the baby
  alive.

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OVERTURE ON BAPTISM AND THE ADOPTION OF OUR
CHILDREN, BOTH BORN AND UNBORN (BLACKHAWK
REJECTED 34-68)

• Book of Order W-2.3008b shall be amended to add
  the following language (addition in italics), so
  that the section reads as follows

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Amendment

• b. The Baptism of children witnesses to the truth
  that Gods love claims people before they are
  able to respond in faith God pronounces that he
  adopts our infants as his children, before they
  are born. (John Calvin, The Institutes of the
  Christian Religion, IV1520)

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OVERTURE ON FOLLOWING THE CONSTITUTION WITH
REGARD TO ORDINATION STANDARDS (BLACKHAWK
REJECTED 48-68 )

• Lets follow our constitution with regard to
  ordination standards

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ANOTHER OVERTURE TO MOVE PCUSA BACK TO A PRO-LIFE
POSITION(BLACKHAWK REJECTED WITH VOICE VOTE)

• Concluding statement in presentation at Blackhawk
  was
• First Pres Aurora humbly stands for life. Would
  you please join us.
• Blackhawk decided not to review our slide
  presentation.

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OVERTURE ON Children ( BLACKHAWK PASSED voice
vote) PRESENTED AT 2008 GA AND WAS REJECTED AT
GA

• Lets set aside a special day to honor our
  children.

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FIRST PRES HISTORY SUMMARY

• Ten overtures submitted to PCUSA,
• Ten overtures rejected!
• Clear conscience with our Lord Jesus Christ
  ------ priceless!!

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Timeline of Sessions Inquiry Process
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Timeline

• May 2008 Session begins to address issues with
  the denomination and establishes a process for
  fact-finding in order to answer the question
  What does faithfulness look like in this time of
  denominational crisis?  We decided to hear the
  views of people representing a spectrum of views
  regarding faithfulness.  We would then conduct a
  SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,
  Threats) analysis of each viewpoint

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Timeline contd

• June 2008  
• The 218th General Assembly meets and makes the
  previously discussed decisions regarding
  Authoritative Interpretation and the PC(USA)s
  stance on homosexuality
• July 2008 
• Pastor Jeff writes his Presbyterian Disaster
  Assistance article in the newsletter

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Timeline contd

• August 10, 2008 
• We begin a season of 40 Days of prayer and
  fasting in order to seek the Shepherds direction
  for how to respond to the denominational crisis.

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Timeline contd

• August 21, 2008 Session and Confessing Church
  Committee (CCC) has Conversation 1
• Dr. John Armstrong of ACT3 brought a message of
  stay, ignore the denominational games and do our
  mission in spite of the PCUSA.  He said that our
  link to a form of government does not affect our
  faithfulness to Jesus Christ and His church. 
  Additionally, his opinion was that GA tactics
  (passing authoritative interpretations that
  dictate morality in the church) have left
  historic Presbyterianism.

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Timeline contd

• September 4, 2008 
• Session Update to the congregation regarding the
  Covenant Network not having a booth in our
  building at our hosting of Blackhawk Presbytery.
• September 9, 2008 
• FPC hosts Blackhawk Presbytery

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Timeline contd

• September 18, 2008 40 days of prayer and
  fasting concludes  Conversation 2
• Rev. John Rickard, General Presbyter of Blackhawk
  Presbytery and Rev. Paul Nelson.  Bring a message
  saying stay and give accountability and balance
  to the spectrum of theological beliefs that exist
  in the PCUSA

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Timeline contd

• September 30, 2008 Conversation 3
• Rev. Eric Geil of the Kishwaukee Community
  Presbyterian Church (EPC) who were dismissed to
  the EPC by Blackhawk Presbytery in November
  2007.  We listened to his account of their
  journey to dismissal from the PCUSA and transfer
  to the EPC. 

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Timeline contd

• October 2, 2008 Conversation 4
• Rev. Jim Tony is a leader in the Presbyterian
  Coalition, a renewal group in the PCUSA.  His
  message is stay and agitate for reform, mainly
  through legislative and judicial means.

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Timeline contd

• October 19, 2008
• Session Update 2 to congregation
• November 6, 2008 Conversation 5
• Session hears from CCC to hear directly from each
  of them their position.  The CCC was then given a
  sabbatical from their work.

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Timeline contd

• December 4, 2008 Conversation 6
• Rev. Paul Heidebrect and Elder Carolyn Nystrom
  from the EPC share knowledge about the ways,
  practices, and beliefs of the EPC.

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Timeline contd

• January 8, 2009 
• Session letter to Rev. Rickard responding to the
  mutual invitation conversation and accompanying
  motion from the MSRB committee of Blackhawk
  Presbytery on November 11 which said Recognized
  networks and partnerships may exhibit and present
  in presbytery meetings and their participation
  may not be restricted by any church or group.

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Timeline contd

• January 20, 2009 
• Session retreat when the elders were convicted by
  the Holy Spirit and confessed their sin to God to
  one another and the congregation.  We also
  discovered complete unanimity among us to pursue
  dismissal from the PCUSA.

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Timeline contd

• February 22, 2009 
• Special Session meeting to act on the motion to
  recommend that the congregation request the
  Presbytery of Blackhawk to dismiss the First
  Presbyterian Church of Aurora to the Evangelical
  Presbyterian Church. 

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Scriptures
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Session Statements
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Mike Gerhard

• Psalm 1382 says, For God has exalted above all
  things His Name and His Word. The PCUSA has a
  different view.
•  
• When in 2006 at the General Assembly, it was
  encouraged that we consider alternative names for
  The Father, Son Holy Spirit such as Mother,
  Beloved Child Life giving Womb or Rainbow,
  Ark Dove thus reducing God to a mere metaphor,
  it was an outrage. And when our church sought to
  affirm that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God
  and the authority for our lives, and our overture
  was voted down by our Presbytery, it became clear
  to me we are not the same faith.
•  
• It appears the PCUSA has a primary commandment of
  tolerance tolerance of all kinds of beliefs
  whether true or false, whether good or evil.
•  
• It is time. God wants us to separate from the
  darkness and partner with those who seek God and
  His Word.

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Craig Zimmerman

• (What did it for me?) The joy expressed by church
  representatives from people who have made the
  transfer. They stated what a blessing it was to
  attend Presbytery meetings and participate with
  people who agree on faith fundamentals. In the
  past people from our church attending most (if
  not all) Presbytery meetings come back
  frustrated, discouraged, or angry. Secondly, our
  pastors have stated (I would feel the same way)
  that they do not want to put the great amount of
  time in that it would take to "stay and fight."
  It is more important to reach out to new people
  and take care of the congregation as it grows.
• (Right thing for our church?) We and the pastors
  should not be using our time trying to change
  minds in the Presbytery and General Assembly
  about fundamental tenants of the Christian faith.
  We should be in a body that recognizes
  fundamental biblical truths and then we use these
  basic truths to bring as many others as possible
  into the family of God through Christ.

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Mike Platt

• What did it for me?
• I was a fence sitter for a long time. The Lord
  finally helped me to see that there was to much
  time and energy being spent on the legalities
  within the denomination a denomination that I
  believe is turning away from God's word. Jesus
  did not spend a lot of time fighting the legal
  issues with the church rulers of the time. He
  spent most of his time teaching of God's love and
  desires for us.
• Why is this the right thing for our church?
• People in our congregation have talked to me for
  a long time about their frustration with a
  denomination that seems to be turning away from
  biblical teachings. It will bring a peace
  regarding denominational issues to our church and
  has been missing for a long time. This will
  allow us to focus more on the real work that the
  Lord desires for and commands of us.
• If we do not hold to God's teachings we are like
  salt with no taste, no longer good for anything.
  Matt 513

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Mary Faye Vasen

• What did it for me? 
• After attending several Presbytery meetings over
  the last two years, I realized the lack of unity
  and understanding of Scripture that we share with
  our denomination.  We are no longer of "one
  spirit and one mind, striving side by side for
  the faith of the gospel." (Phil 127)
•  
• Why is this the right thing for our church? 
• Our vision is to bring lost people to Jesus. To
  stay in the PC(USA) and fight would require time,
  resources and emotional energy. This would
  negatively impact our efforts to share the
  gospel.  In joining the EPC, we will be working
  alongside those who share our vision for the lost

56
Tom Hartman

• Im longing to
• Embrace the Truth with other believers.
• Be part of a living, growing denomination.
• Worship and enjoy our Lord Jesus Christ with new
  friends.
• Discover nurturing opportunities for our pastors
  and leaders.
• Im ready to
• Quit being discouraged and defensive after each
  presbytery meeting.
• Be heard on important issues.
• Praise God and to call ourselves Evangelical!

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Dawn Pulgine

• What did it for you?
• After being on staff for nearly 5 years and
  knowing the issues FPC faced
• with PCUSA and Blackhawk Presbytery, I thought
  that being the light that
• shines in darkness was the right path to take.
  However, once I understood
• the magnitude of our theological disagreements
  and realizing that this
• hasn't been an issue for just 5 years but nearly
  30, I knew that our "light"
• wasn't enough. Their (PCUSA Blackhawk
  Presbytery) hearts were hardened.
• What did it for me was when during our Session
  retreat this past January
• each person on Session individually came to the
  conclusion by the leading of
• the Holy Spirit through prayer and Bible study
  that it was time to move.
• Collectively we agreed that if we didn't obey
  immediately there may be
• consequences our church would face that would
  possibly destroy us.
• Why is this the right thing for our church?
• Our church has always been the bright light that
  shines upon this hill here
• in Aurora. We do not want God to remove His
  discerning hand from us because
• of lack of obedience causing that light to
  diminish. We as a church family
• are grounded in Scripture believing that God's
  Word is infallible and

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Bob Porter

• Last March, I presented our pro-life overture to
  Blackhawk.  I was shouted at and heard the murmur
  of disgust from many at the meeting.  I
  definitely felt disrespect.  As I drove back
  home, feeling like I had let the Lord and our
  congregation down, the first Psalm immediately
  came to mind.  Blessed is the man that does not
  sit in the seat of the scornful.  I decided at
  that time that we needed to leave PCUSA.    Why
  is this the right thing for our church?
• Replace man with church in the first Psalm
  (the church is the people) and the answer is
  clear.

59
Wally Daunheimer

• As I listened to comments made in our discussions
  it became clear to me that too much time and
  physical and mental effort was being spent on
  PC(USA) negatives. We need to follow scriptures
  and concentrate on being a church that is about
  Gods work finding and bringing souls to
  Christ.

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Randy Aspen

• a. What did it for you?
• Coming on session, I was neutral to the whole
  issue. I have known about the problems in PCUSA
  and the tremendous loss of members over the past
  40 years. It was during the session retreat, that
  after fervent study and confession, it became
  clear. I have felt the power of God many times in
  my life, and this was one of them. In my heart I
  felt that God wanted us to move. This feeling has
  not left me since that day, and I am ready to
  suffer any consequences that may arise, because I
  feel that I am doing Gods will.
• b. Why is this the right thing for our church?
• First Pres Aurora has had a difficult past ten
  years. But the trouble of the past has developed
  a strong congregation of Biblical faith, grounded
  in Gods word, under great leadership of Reverend
  Moore. This is in conflict with the direction of
  PCUSA where it seems like out of desperation to
  maintain membership numbers, values have eroded
  away to allow more members in with different
  values. This is very sad, and will only speed up
  the decline of a once great denomination. First
  Pres Aurora is a very conservative congregation
  operating in a very liberal denomination. I hear
  Gods call to move.

61
Joe Johnson

• What did it for me?
• For a long time, I was paying more attention to
  what was going on at the Presbytery level than
  what the General Assembly was doing.  I was
  concentrating closer to home our Presbytery. 
  As long as they let us do our ministries as we
  believed God and His Word would have us do, I
  didnt get too excited about other things.  In
  going through our due diligence process, the
  focus broadened to include the entire picture.  I
  stepped back and put into perspective that we
  were carrying living under a banner that didnt
  represent what we believed, taught and were
  about.  Secondly, we have had people attending
  that struggled in deciding to join because of
  what the PCUSA represented i.e. things as the
  Bible not being the inerrant Word of God. 
  Lastly, the Presbytery is making it more
  difficult for us to feel at home.  Of late, we
  have encountered a number of difficulties.  For
  example, after requesting and being accommodated
  that the Covenant Network group not be allowed to
  have a booth at First Pres, the Presbytery
  proposed an amendment that would force us to
  allow a booth in our church even though it would
  not represent what we believe.  
• Why is this the right thing for our church?
• We arent a good fit in the Blackhawk
  Presbytery.  We need to be where we feel we have
  purpose and can contribute to the overall mission
  of the organization and be represented by those
  that believe the things that we do.  It is a
  better situation for First Pres in most all
  aspects.  It is where we know that we can do
  ministry under the guidance of an organization
  that follows and believes the scriptures the way
  First Pres does. 

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Liz Teitge

• What did it for you?
• Questioning the deity of Christ and the
  authenticity of scripture.
• Why is this the right thing for our church?
• We have to stand firm in the Word and truth. If
  we're not for God we're against Him. It's time to
  move and follow Jesus.

63
Tim Pavey

• What did it for me?
• There are multiple reasons that ultimately
  contributed to my decision, but there were two
  things that really spoke to me during this
  process. The piercing and convicting Truth of
  God's Word. And not wanting to myself, nor
  feeling our church is called to be a "missionary"
  to the PCUSA, when we have a mission field all
  around us.
• Why is this the right thing for our church?
• Our core bedrock beliefs, that have been recently
  reaffirmed, do not align with the PCUSA, and
  quite frankly, I believe never will. They are
  drifting further and further from the Word of
  God. I believe from where we've been to where the
  Spirit is leading, our church is ready to stand
  and declare that, "we are willing to risk
  everything to follow Jesus!"

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What is the Evangelical Presbyterian Church?
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History

• Formed in 1980-81 by pastors and elders from
  other mainline Presbyterian denominations.
• Distressed by liberalism within their
  denominations
• Wanted a church that took seriously the words of
  Scripture, the theology of the historic
  confessions of the faith, and the evangelical
  fervor of Presbyterian founders
• Headquartered in Livonia, MI near Detroit, and
  part of the Mid-America Presbytery

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Two Key Phrases

• In Essentials, Unity
• In Non-Essentials, Liberty
• In all things, Charity
• The EPC is Presbyterian in Polity, Reformed in
  Theology, Evangelical in Spirit, and Missional in
  Purpose

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Denomination Build on Essentials

• Absolutes
• Intentionally brief
• Must accept the essentials as well as the
  Westminster Confession of Faith to be ordained as
  a pastor in the EPC
• Focused on Reformed theology and Presbyterian
  government
• Focused on evangelically sharing the good news of
  salvation through Jesus Christ

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EPC Essential

• All Scripture is self-attesting and being Truth,
  requires our unreserved submission in all areas
  of life. The infallible Word of God, the
  sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is
  a complete and unified witness to Gods
  redemptive acts culminating in the incarnation of
  the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. The
  Bible, uniquely and fully inspired by the Holy
  Spirit, is the supreme and final authority on all
  matters on which it speaks.

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Additional EPC Essentials

• Trinity Father, Son, Holy Spirit
• Jesus Christ Fully God, Fully Man
• The gift of the Holy Spirit
• Salvation through grace alone
• The true Church is composed of all saved by
  Christ
• Jesus Christ will return
• Proclamation of the gospel

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In Non-Essentials, Liberty

• Even though the founders of the EPC valued purity
  of faith, they wisely saw the danger of division
  over non-essential issues.
• The essentials will not be compromised, but all
  other decisions will be left to the local
  congregation e.g. worship style, ordination of
  women, etc.

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Other Important Factors

• The local church owns all properties
• Evangelical
• Women can be ordained as elders and deacons
• No pastor or leadership can ever be placed over a
  congregation without its consent

72
Other Important Factors

• Our pastors transfer, upon examination, without
  interruption to benefits and packages
• Denomination is ruled by elders Each church may
  send two elders for every clergy to Presbytery
  and General Assembly

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Comparison Chart
74
Going Forward
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Process Going Forward

• Presbytery is filling a review committee
• Congregational Meeting on April 5 at 3 p.m.
• Negotiations Including property decision
• Our Negotiating Team Wally Daunheimer, Dan
  Farnum, Mary Brake

76
Process Going Forward

• Regular Updates to the Congregation
• Further Congregational Voting
• Presbytery in September/November
• Formal Transfer to EPC for pastors and members

77
Questions

• Answers?