REPORT FROM PRESBYTERY

Our congregation is one of 132 congregations in New Hope Presbytery, which extends roughly from the Virginia border south to the lower edge of Johnston County, and east from the Outer Banks to Chapel Hill. Three times a year, commissioners from the churches attend a presbytery meeting to discuss denomination business and act on important questions affecting the larger church. The most recent meeting was held on Saturday, February 21 at Cary Presbyterian. It was a meeting filled with information and controversy. Here is a brief report on the actions that day.

Six new pastors were welcomed into the presbytery, including one who was to be ordained for her first call. Also, the new director of Camp Albemarle, Tom Hussmann, was introduced. He commented on the long range plans for renovation at the camp and distributed brochures for interested summer campers. A new moderator of presbytery, Rev. Leigh Gillis, was installed.

The most significant business at the meeting was to vote on the overtures sent to the presbytery from the last General Assembly. 14 items required consideration, including four that were drafts of ecumenical statements of cooperation with other denominations. By far the most controversial of all overtures was item “B”, which sought to remove the clause in the Book Of Order that denied ordination to persons living together outside of marriage and to practicing homosexuals. The presbytery voted to approve overture B, meaning that (if enough other presbyteries agree) the restriction clause will be removed from the church’s constitution and the decision to ordain gays or lesbians, or unmarried people living together, to church officer and clergy status will revert to the local church and presbytery. The vote was 177 in favor, 139 against, and 10 abstentions, so you can see the issue has potential for further division in the presbytery. Most of the other overtures were largely procedural matters, important but not controversial.

Stated Clerk/General Presbyter Barbara Campbell Davis gave her annual report to the presbytery, with some interesting facts. There are 32,518 members in the presbytery, roughly the same amount as nearly 20 years ago when the presbytery was formed. 18% of the clergy in the presbytery are women, and that number is growing rapidly. 28 pastors are of racial-ethnic designated churches. It might also be noteworthy that a task force is currently studying whether to move the presbytery offices from Rocky Mount to the Raleigh area. Although Rocky Mount is closer to the geographic center of the presbytery, Raleigh is much more the population center.

One final note of interest to our congregation: a task force has been working with the New Hope congregation in Willow Spring in Wake County, up Hwy. 42 toward Fuquay/Varina. It had experienced some financial difficulty last year due to an underfunded building project and lack of staff oversight. The task force reports that there are still about 150 members of the congregation, though down from 300 a few years ago. 60 loyal giving units are helping to get the congregation back on a sound financial footing. Bills are being paid regularly, though there are still serious mortgage issues. No full time staff is currently under contract, though regular pulpit supply does provide continuity. An incentive fund of $90,000 has been raised through presbytery efforts, which is used to encourage church members to step up their contributions.

Every church in the presbytery is allowed to send its pastor and at least one elder representative to the meetings. We will try to provide you with regular reports on the actions of New Hope Presbytery. Meanwhile, if you would be interested in serving on a committee or task force of the presbytery, please contact Rev. Hix.