EDMOND —
An agreement has brought an Edmond church closer to a “gracious dismissal” from its denomination.
Sunday morning Amy Schulke, an elder at the First Presbyterian Church of Edmond, informed the congregation that a settlement has been reached with its denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Schulke said on Jan. 27 church members will vote on a recommendation to leave the PCUSA and enter into a relationship with another Presbyterian denomination. Church staff have appeared to favor joining ECO, a recently formed and rapidly growing covenant order of evangelical Presbyterians.
Schulke said the date was chosen to give members time to reflect on their decision and to give the congregation time to focus on the true meaning of Christmas — Christ’s birth and the undying hope he brings to a broken world.
First Presbyterian Senior Pastor Mateen Elass said terms of the agreement would be publicized via a letter to be mailed to members. A thorny issue on the negotiating table was property. According to the PCUSA constitution, all property held by or for a congregation is “held in trust nevertheless for the use and benefit” of the denomination.
In a letter sent to members in March, Elass stated the church’s years-long efforts had not helped curb the decades-long unbiblical trends pursued by national PCUSA leadership. Instead, he stated, recent PCUSA decisions left the impression that the slide into non-orthodox theological liberalism and practice had only accelerated.
On March 3, First Presbyterian leaders voted to recommend that as a congregation they seek dismissal from the Indian Nations Presbytery into another Presbyterian denomination. Teams from the church and presbytery have been regularly meeting to negotiate the terms of the dismissal.
Numerous complex issues are related to the action. First Presbyterian leaders reviewed reasons to stay in the denomination and reasons to leave. While most members appear to favor leaving, several members in favor of remaining in the PCUSA have voiced their opinions. Presbytery leaders have made themselves available during the process.
In a report on discussion items for First Presbyterian’s denominational task force, reason one leaders cited for wanting to leave is the PCUSA no longer clearly communicates why and how Jesus matters to a world that needs to know.
During the 2001 PCUSA General Assembly, a national-level meeting, a motion was made to declare “Jesus is the singular saving Lord,” the report stated. Before passage, it was modified to say “Jesus is unique.” First Presbyterian leaders cited other language from the denomination, which stated that the triune God redeems all people.
In the report, First Presbyterian leaders cited a survey which indicated that more than half of PCUSA pastors do not believe Jesus is the only way to salvation. They stated that many PCUSA leaders “have rejected the authority of the Bible or have adopted unorthodox interpretations of it.”
First Presbyterian leaders also cited language in an amendment adopted by denominational leadership in 2011 that does not identify scripture as God’s word, God-inspired or as an authoritative foundation for the church’s doctrine and life.
And local leaders cited concern that First Presbyterian’s witness to the gospel is diminished by continued membership in the PCUSA, denominational dysfunction, relaxed ordination standards, new PCUSA government that contains a strong hint of religious universalism, the negative impact of PCUSA actions on evangelism and changes in the PCUSA’s discipline process.
marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108
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Like other Oklahomans, Edmond Police Detective Marion Cain was keeping an eye on the weather Monday.
The storm, which produced the tornado began at 2:45 p.m., about 4.4 miles west of Newcastle and its 20-mile long path went through Newcastle, Moore and south Oklahoma City. About 10 minutes after it formed, it was already causing EF4 damage. Maximum winds of the tornado, upgraded to an EF5, were 200-210 mph, according to information released at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday by the National Weather Service. Its estimated maximum width was 1.3 miles. -
UPDATE: How to donate, find drop-off locations for relief supplies
Below is a listing of where donations may be taken in the Edmond area to help the Moore/Oklahoma tornado victims:
• The Edmond Sun is serving as a drop-off location for the downtown Edmond area. Supplies only may be dropped off at 123 S. Broadway and residents may use the backdoor to enter the building. Parking is available behind the building at the Festival Market Place. From 5-10 p.m. donations may be taken to Café Evoke, 103 S. Broadway.
• Edmond North High School is serving as a drop-off location for bottled water through today
• Memorial High School is serving as a drop-off location for food through today.
• Santa Fe High School is serving as a drop-off location for supplies such as work gloves, tools, etc. through today. -
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Sometimes good things come from texting.
Monday afternoon, Sydney Richardson, who will be Santa Fe’s student body president next year, was driving home and it was raining. Once home, she talked to her mother, who told her about the tornado in Moore. Then she began seeing the damage on TV.
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The City of Edmond’s Field Services Division of Public Works will be collecting storm-related debris from the May 19 tornado in accordance with the City of Edmond’s Emergency Operation Plan’s Level Two Response.
Affected areas where debris pick up will occur include in the area beginning one-half mile south of 15th Street to 33rd Street and from Boulevard Avenue east to I-35; and the Territories and Timberlake additions. Please see the map for clarification. Pick up is available for residential homes located within the designated boundaries.
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Tuesday Ashley Cunningham, office manager for Red Dirt Septic on Waterloo Road in Edmond, and Mark Webb, owner of the Armor Vault Tornado Shelter in Oklahoma City, said their phones have been ringing consistently starting Monday afternoon. -
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“We are working hard to collect any and all numbers, but it’s just too soon at this moment,” she said. -
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