Fremont Presbyterian split -- and land holdings -- challenged

Sacramento Bee ^ | 12/30/11 | Jennifer Garza

[SmithL]

Most Fremont Presbyterian church members thought the turmoil in their congregation would end after they voted 427-164 to leave the national denomination in October.

Now that vote – and the future of the church – is being challenged.

Local Presbyterian leaders have called for an investigation of Fremont to determine if there is a schism, or significant opposition to the vote, within the church. Members voted to leave the Presbyterian Church USA to join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

If Sacramento-area Presbyterian leaders find there is a schism at Fremont, they would also decide which faction is entitled to the valuable church property.

This is the first time Presbytery leaders have asked local pastors to investigate a Sacramento-area church for a schism.

A vote on establishing the investigating committee will be held Jan. 9.

"There are a significant number of people at Fremont who did not want to leave the denomination," said Jay Wilkins, transitional presbyter of the Sacramento presbytery. "Before we move forward, we have to find out who the true church is."

The announcement by the presbytery has shocked Fremont church leaders, who said they followed Presbyterian guidelines on leaving the denomination.

They contend that presbytery leaders are changing the rules to keep the church and its 5 acres

[SmithL]

Changing the rules to keep a congregation from leaving?

Where have we heard THAT before?

[omega4412]

The law locks up the man or woman
Who steals the goose from off the common
But leaves the greater villain loose
Who steals the common from off the goose.

[MarkBsnr]

I didn’t see who keeps the lesbian Wiccan priestesses and who keeps the gender neutral Bibles.

[reaganaut]

Deja vu ping

[lightman]

Presbyterian polity is quite different from Lutheran; when it comes to departing the PCUSA congregations must pay a final assessment (tens of thousands of dollars) to the Presybtery.

In the case of a congregation in my county, they had to pay around $70,000.00 even though they were founded decades before the Donegal Prebytery was created.

[terycarl]

In the case of a congregation in my county, they had to pay around $70,000.00 even though they were founded decades before the Donegal Prebytery was created.

don't they understand the word "no" ???