PRESBYTERY FALL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Tennessee-Alabama
The Tennessee-Alabama Presbytery held its fall meeting on Sept. 21-22, 2012 at the Connections Presbyterian Church in Madison County, AL.
- Accepted Rev. Robert Washington as a retired member of the Presbytery upon transfer from the First Presbytery.
- Accepted Rev. H. L. “Buddy” Roberts as a member of the Presbytery upon transfer from Presbytery of Middle Tennessee of the PC(USA).
- Approved a call from the Hopewell Church to Rev. Roberts as its pastor.
- Approved Rev. Gabe Cotton’s request to be transferred from the Tennessee-Alabama Presbytery to the Red River Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
- Commended Rev. Stephen Jordan as a candidate for ministerial positions and noted its appreciation of his pulpit ability.
- Approved Stephen Jordan as the stated supply of the English-language pulpit of the Hanmaum Mission.
- Approved a $400 per month supplement for the Hanmaum Mission during the first three months of 2013 for Rev. Jordan’s travel expenses.
- Approved a $400 per month supplement for the Riverside Mission during the 2013 calendar year.
- Encouraged the youth of the Presbytery to participate in the Southeast Alabama Presbytery (PCA) Fall Youth Retreat.
- Heard a report on the progress of the sale of the Cornerstone (Muscle Shoals) property.
- Approved an expenditure of $1,000 to assist Rev. Stephen Jordan with recent medical expenses.
- Established a Diaconal Fund to provide assistance to presbyters in need and encouraged members to contribute to the fund.
- Approved an increase in the Presbytery Assessment from $2 per active communicant member to $8 per active communicant member.
- Elected Roy Hulling as treasurer of the Presbytery.
- Elected Scott Mitchell to a full term as stated clerk of the Presbytery.
- Adopted a resolution requesting that the Moderator of the General Synod be more inclusive of all presbyteries in his appointments to moderator’s committees and commissions.
Appointed a commission to install Rev. Roberts as pastor of the Hopewell Church. - Appointed a committee to review the Presbytery’s Manual of Procedure and report any recommended changes at the 2013 spring meeting.
- Accepted an invitation from the Camden Church to host the 2014 spring meeting.
- The next meeting of the Tennessee-Alabama Presbytery will be March 15-16, 2013, at the Riverside Mission in Prattville, AL.
Catawba Presbytery
Catawba Presbytery met Oct. 9, 2012 at Chester (SC) ARP.
- Received James W. McManus by transfer from Second Presbytery effective Nov. 1, 2012.
- Approved a call from the Bethel Church for Mr. McManus effective Nov. 18, 2012. He is to be installed at a later date.
- Received John Gaillard {Gil} Martin, Jr. as a licentiate from Fellowship Presbytery, PCA effective Oct. 9, 2012.
- Approved a call from the Sharon Church for Mr. Martin, who will be ordained and installed at a called meeting at Sharon on Oct. 21, 2012 at 5 p.m.
- Received Philip Stanley Bunch, Jr. as a candidate by transfer from Second Presbytery effective Oct. 9, 2012. He was examined and licensed to preach.
- Approved a call from First Rock for Mr. Bunch to serve as associate pastor. He will be ordained and installed at a called meeting at First Rock Hill on Nov. 11, 2012, at 4 p.m.
- Received Scott E. Hultstrand as a student of theology. Mr. Hultstrand is a Middler at Erskine Seminary and a member of Grace Mission, Columbia, SC.
- Received Patrick M. Ward as a student of theology. Mr. Ward is a Middler at Covenant Seminary in St. Louis and a member of First Columbia.
- Heard the Middler sermons of Brooks Willet and Soren Kornegay and the Senior Sermon of Philip Bunch.
Second Presbytery
Second Presbytery met on Oct. 9, 2012, at the Young Memorial ARP Church
- Heard a report from the Moderator of Synod, Steven Suits.
- Approved the 2013 budget.
- Received Mr. Robert Glen Rhyne as a student of theology. Mr. Rhyne is an elder in the Unity ARP Church.
- Received, pending transfer, Mr. Tim Erskine as a retired minister. Mr. Erskine has previously served two congregations in Second Presbytery. He will be transferring from the PCUSA.
- Gave approval to the honorable retirement of R. Douglas White effective Dec. 31, 2012. Mr. White will be resigning as pastor of the Louisville (GA) ARP Church.
- Noted that licentiate Will Barron is planning to go to Spain to teach in a missionary school. He and his wife, Sarah, hope to leave for Spain in January.
- Approved the terms of the call to Patrick Malphrus to become the pastor of the Devenger Road ARP Church. He will be installed on October 21.
- Elected Steve Kern as moderator-elect. Mr. Kern is a ruling elder at the Devenger Road ARP Church.
Mississippi Valley Presbytery
Held Oct. 1-2, 2012, at Brighton (TN) Presbyterian Church.
Elected Rev. Mike Yarman, a retired U.S. Army chaplain, as incoming Moderator of MVP.
- Heard a report from Mrs. Kathy Keiter about the Dunlap Retirement Center.
- Formed a committee to follow Synod’s request to consider the possibility of restructuring the geographical boundaries of the presbytery.
- Heard a report by Dr. David Norman on the work of Erskine College and Seminary.
- Heard a presentation by Dr. Ken Priddy, director of Church Renewal for Outreach North America, on the topic of church revitalization.
- Entered into a season of prayer for the renewal and revitalization of churches in the presbytery.
- Removed Mark Jones as a student of theology at his request.
- Examined and received the transfer of Rev. Benjamin Glaser from Northeast Presbytery. Rev. Glaser will be laboring outside the bounds of presbytery as the pastor of Ellisville Presbyterian Church in Ellisville, MS.
- Held first vote to receive the Ellisville Presbyterian Church into the presbytery (pending a second vote at the Spring 2013 stated meeting)
