The Session Of The First Presbyterian Church

January 9th

On behalf of the session of the First Presbyterian Church I thank you for the opportunity to state our case.  And also I ask you to support the unity and purity of the Church of Jesus Christ by  challenging the session to continue our work of restoration and reconciliation, and by thanking the Commission for its work and concluding that work by dissolving the Commission, giving us at last the season of peace we so desperately need. 

You have received our letter.  And it is not my intention to go over point by point all the concerns we stated, or, as well, all the positive aspects of the health of our church that we talked about.    I do want to say this.  The Resolution of the Muskingum Valley Presbytery of December 2008 empowered an Administrative Commission to respond to serious allegations.    They investigated.  They dug deep.  They searched.  And after all that in the end their report clears the session, it clears the pastor, clears us of all these allegations.    No charges were brought against the session.  No charges were brought against the pastor.   We thank the Administrative Commission for its work.    We have heard its concerns.  We are responding appropriately.    But the fact is, for the peace and the unity and purity of this Presbytery and this First Presbyterian Church of Mansfield the unfounded allegations do not warrant the severe action that the Administrative Commission is now recommending. 

Our concern with what has been requested, as elders, as leaders, as those who have vowed to uphold the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church USA, is that the forced removal of a Pastor that is being suggested by this Administrative Commission  is a predetermined outcome that did not afford Dennis or the session or the church due process.  For just one example, even without charges Dennis has the right to cross-examine his accusers.  That opportunity was not presented by Constitutional process.  If we proceed as a presbytery to authorize this action we are effectively rubber-stamping a decision made by an Administrative Commission that did not follow the process for coming to such conclusion.  If this is acted upon it will not have afforded Dennis or the session or the church the opportunity to respond to any specific allegations which would merit the removal of a pastor.   

The Administrative Commission has not followed due process of the Constitution, of the Book of Order section G-9.0505b which states: “When an administrative commission has been appointed to settle differences within a church, a governing body, or an organization of the church, it shall, before making its final decision, afford to all persons to be affected by the decision fair notice and an opportunity to be heard on the matter at issue… Fair notice shall consist of a short and plain statement of the matters at issue as identified by the commission and of the time and place for a hearing upon the matters at issue.”   This Administrative Commission has made its final decision about settling the difficulties it contends are within Mansfield First Presbyterian.  But this Administrative Commission DID NOT, before making its final decision, again I quote:  “afford to all persons to be affected by the decision fair notice and an opportunity to be heard on the matter at issue.”    The Administrative Commission DID NOT issue “a short and plain statement of the matters at issue as identified by the commission and of the time and place for a hearing upon the matters at issue.”   These Constitutional protections did not occur.  In fact, it would appear that for some the removal of the pastor was a predetermined outcome. 

We value the process and procedures set forth in the book of order.  Presbyterian polity provides protection against exactly what is being suggested here, which is, again, the forced removal of a pastor who has not been charged per the Constitution, who has not been tried, who has not been given opportunity to face his accusers.    Permanent judicial commissions of the Presbyterian Church USA have repeatedly reinforced the concept that an Admin. Commission is only to perform the tasks which it is specifically delegated.  This Administrative Commission has gone beyond its assignment.  It’s assignment was specifically “to counsel with the pastor”, unless somehow we understand counseling with the pastor to mean making a decision to tell him to leave, and not observing due process for coming to that conclusion. 

If the Presbytery comes in to forcefully remove pastor and leadership, which has been approved unanimously by the congregation,  this will not bring about any desired peace.  This will not bring about any unity that is a stated desire of this Commission.  It’s been a long, process, hard on our church, taking time and energy we need to be putting into ministry and mission.  We need now a conclusion that does not include some kind of sword of Damocles hanging over our heads.  We need a full and free season of peace that we can go forward pursuing fully the purity and unity that a church must have, that our vows and your vows demand we seek. 

And doing so we do not wish to drag this Presbytery and Mansfield First into more destructive conflict.    We believe in the church.  We believe in the Biblical and Presbyterian Church USA Constitutional process.  We believe that well-intentioned though everyone might have been, Constitutional process has been overlooked.  Our particular church of Jesus Christ that we love, His Church that we believe in, has the inalienable right and even duty to respond, to fight, when due process has been overlooked or misused.    We have learned from Peter not to deny what is happening around us or remain quiet, but to stand up for our church whatever the consequences.      Should this proposed action of the Administrative Commission be carried out, we would have no choice but to appeal until we’ve exhausted all appeal, to appeal until we have tried everything to ensure that what we’ve vowed to follow is indeed being followed by us all. 

We are a group seeking peace.  The forced removal of a pastor who has not been charged per the Constitution, who has not been tried, who has not been given opportunity to face what has been throughout anonymous accusers,   who in the words of the Commission has not been found on any grounds to be guilty of malpractice, corruption, or wrongly intentioned ministry  – this proposed action against the will of the congregation will not result in the peace desired.         It will set a precedent that will affect every Muskingum Valley member congregation’s ability to govern its own functions.

So to that end, the session of Mansfield First Presbyterian asks you to support the unity and purity of the Church of Jesus Christ with us.  We ask you to thank the Administrative Commission for its work.  We ask you to support us as we continue the healing work that we are already doing, the reconciling work that is, even in spite of all this, having positive effect, and by that give us the season of peace that we after all this deserve and gracefully need.     Thank you.  For the sake of Jesus Christ may God give you strength.