An update from Interim General Presbyter, Rev. Michael Thompson.
Friends,
Several of you have inquired about Grace Presbytery offering a more specific response and recommendations on dealing with the escalating cases of COVID-19 in the United States.
Our Presbytery Moderator, Council Moderator, Stated Clerk, and myself have put forward two motions listed below to consider in a conference call Monday morning.
Although the motions are not official until the council votes on Monday, March 16, we strongly recommend their adoption. The presbytery office will be closed on Monday, but staff may be reached preferably, by e-mail.
Motion #1: That due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Presbytery Council will suspend all face-to-face presbytery gatherings until further notice, including:
- all committees will meet by conference call or other electronic means,
- staff will work from home unless it is essential to go to the office for some necessity,
- all youth activities will be suspended, and
- the following addition to the Standing Rules will be sent via the United States Postal Service to all members of Grace Presbytery including all ministers of Word and Sacrament and all ruling elders eligible to serve as commissioners at a presbytery meeting:
If a presbytery meeting needs to be canceled or delayed for any reason, it will be announced on the Grace Presbytery website (gracepresbytery.org), eNews and through other electronic media. The decision to cancel or delay the start of a presbytery meeting will be made by the Moderator of the Presbytery in consultation with the General Presbyter and Stated Clerk. Rescheduling a canceled meeting is the responsibility of the Stated Clerk, in consultation with the Moderator and General Presbyter.
In the event of a natural disaster, a state of emergency, or other situation which would delay, postpone or cancel a meeting of the presbytery, the Presbytery Council is delegated the authority to act on behalf of Grace Presbytery and the Board of Trustees is authorized to conduct corporate business on behalf of Grace Presbytery, Inc.
Background and Rationale:
On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, the head of the National Institutes of Health Department of Epidemiology testified before Congress that all large group gatherings should be suspended including sporting events. The NBA has suspended its season. Many other conferences and events are being cancelled. Therefore, it is prudent for Presbyterians to limit unnecessary direct contact between individuals.
The Director of the NIH Department of Epidemiology and the Director of the Center for Disease Control have stated that the danger is especially high for senior citizens. Most participants in Presbyterian church activities are senior citizens, and younger people are a potential source for contagion.
If it becomes necessary to cancel a presbytery meeting, we need the proposed addition to the Standing Rules in order to avoid unnecessary delays in acting on time-sensitive business and other hardships caused by not having a presbytery meeting. Most decisions concerning the business of the presbytery have already been delegated to our various committees. However, there are a few things which only the presbytery can decide as a whole. These items include:
1. Changes to the Standing Rules
2. Approval of Candidates and Ordination Examinations
3. Approval of Commissioned Pastor Examinations
4. Approval of Honorable Retirements
5. Election of committee members, officers, etc.
6. Establishment of the Presbytery Budget
7. Overtures to the General Assembly
8. Approval of the dates and places for future presbytery meetings
9. Approval of minimum effective salary for full-time pastors & educators
The voting process for the proposed addition to the Standing Rules will follow our established guidelines. It will be a vote taken via United States Postal Service. All Book of Order and Roberts Rules of Order provisions will be followed in the voting process. For example,
- The recommended addition in the Standing Rules must be adopted with only affirmative votes or abstentions – and with no negative votes or votes asking for a delay until the next stated meeting of the presbytery.
- A simple majority of those voting is sufficient for approval.
- A quorum of the presbytery must vote in order for it to be approved.
Motion #2: That due to the coronavirus epidemic, the Presbytery Council recommends to sessions within Grace Presbytery that all face-to-face church gatherings be suspended, including worship services, until public health officials advise it is safe to resume group gatherings.
Included below is a list of churches that have chosen to worship in person this Sunday, March 15.
If you do not see a Grace Presbytery congregation listed here, they have made the decision to worship in an online/virtual capacity.*
- Bentwood Trail Presbyterian, Dallas
- Central Presbyterian, Waco
- Central Presbyterian, Waxahachie
- Grace First Presbyterian Church, Weatherford
- Grace Presbyterian, Plano
- Fairfield-Harmony Presbyterian, Fairfield
- FPC, Bonham
- FPC, Commerce
- FPC, Duncanville
- FPC, Forney
- FPC, Grapevine
- FPC, Garland
- FPC, Henderson
- FPC, Kaufman
- FPC, Kilgore
- FPC, Lewisville
- FPC, Mineral Wells
- FPC, Richardson
- Grace First, Weatherford
- St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, Dallas
- St. Phillip Presbyterian, Hurst
- United Presbyterian, Greenville
- West Plano Presbyterian, Plano
- Westminster Presbyterian, Corsicana
Current list of online worship services now available.
Let us continue to pray for healing and wholeness.
“Above all, let us remember and rejoice that ‘nothing in life or in death can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’” (Brief Statement of Faith; Rom. 8.38–39).
Mike Thompson
Interim General Presbyter
Additionally, in response to the Covid-19 outbreak in the United States, the Office of the General Assembly, PC(USA) has posted an advisory opinion from the stated clerk, Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II.
This advisory opinion addresses polity questions surrounding the postponement and/or cancellation of worship services and church/presbytery meetings.
Church in an Emergency/Pandemic has been made available via Presbyterian Outlook. Including translations in both Spanish and Korean.
*this is the most accurate list available as of 8:00 p.m., Saturday, March 14. If you have updates or corrections to share, please email us and edits will be made.