An Open Letter to Mid Council Leaders in Southern CA and HI
By M. J. Romano, Moderator, ECO Presbytery of the West
Executive Presbyters
Stated Clerks
Presbyteries of the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing in response to the recent decision of the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii in the case of the Session of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church vs. the Presbytery of Santa Barbara. The decision states that ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians and its Presbytery of the West were mischaracterized as a Reformed body.
The decision, however, reflects a number of statements that are simply inaccurate since the time the complaint was initially filed on June 2, 2012. I’m writing to address the inaccuracies in order to assure you that ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, and its Presbytery of the West are indeed Reformed bodies, as our polity and theology clearly evidence.
Let me begin by addressing questions of theology and the Essential Tenets. As most are aware, ECO adopted all 11 confessions and catechisms from the Book of Confessions of the PC(USA). We believe these still guide our ministry in the name of Jesus Christ.
In order to clarify what we believe to be the core theology of these confessions from a distinctively Reformed and evangelical perspective, a task force drafted the Essential Tenets for The Fellowship of Presbyterians and ECO. This task force included The Reverend Dr. Laura Smit, Associate Professor of Reformed Theology, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI; The Reverend Dr. Jerry Andrews, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, San Diego, CA; and The Reverend Dr. Joseph Small, former Director of Theology, Worship, and Education, PC(USA). We believe this document reflects a Reformed understanding of the Christian faith.
Individuals seeking membership in churches in the Presbytery of the West are NOT required to sign any document affirming the Essential Tenets. The only requirement of men and women joining ECO congregations is, “testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior” (ECO Polity, 1.0303). I am truly baffled as to how this misunderstanding about church membership arose, since our polity clearly states otherwise.
With regard to the role of the Essential Tenets for church leaders, the Presbytery of the West—along with the rest of ECO–requires elders, deacons, and pastors to reply in the affirmative when asked in their ordination vows:
“Do you receive and adopt without hesitation the Essential Tenets of the ECO as reliable exposition of what Scripture teaches us to do and to believe, and will you be guided by them in your life and ministry?” (ECO Polity 2.0103c)
It is our expectation that, if a governing body together affirms the Essential Tenets document as a reliable doorway into Scripture and the Confessions, it is the job of that governing body to decide how to deal with any person within the governing body, or seeking membership in it, who does not agree with a particular aspect of the theological position. A governing body together makes an affirmation about how they believe on important matters. However, if a particular member of the governing body disagrees with a piece of that belief, the key question at hand is whether that person can submit to the decision of the whole and allow the governing body to function with that belief – even though privately they may have disagreement.
Finally, a consistent question has arisen regarding ECO’s membership in the World Communion of Reformed Churches. ECO is applying to the WCRC this year, and we will prayerfully await the vote by WCRC leadership. Unfortunately, this appears to have become a litmus test for some presbyteries, a misrepresentation of intent and misuse of the purpose of membership in that worldwide organization.
Let me continue by addressing questions of polity and structure. As of this writing, Presbytery of the West consists of nine congregations who have been fully dismissed and received into our body. They are:
- First Presbyterian Church of Tacoma, WA
- First Presbyterian Church of Jerome, ID
- First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs, CO
- First Presbyterian Church of Monte Vista, CO
- Kirkwood Memorial Church of Penrose, CO
- United Presbyterian Church of Canon City, CO
- First Presbyterian Church of La Junta, CO
- First Presbyterian Church of Lamar, CO
- Advent Presbyterian Church of Spring, TX
Congregational membership in these churches totals just over 6,000 members.
In addition, the following churches have been received into the Presbytery of the West pending dismissal from their PC(USA) presbyteries:
- First Presbyterian Church of Sibley, IA
- Montesano Presbyterian Church of Montesano, WA
- First Presbyterian Church of Moses Lake, WA
- Gateway Presbyterian Church of The Dalles, OR
- Glenkirk Presbyterian Church of Glendora, CA
- First Presbyterian Church of Covina, CA
The Presbytery of the West has also assumed full ecclesiastical authority over the clergy serving the congregations whom we have received. We currently have 12 Teaching Elders and two Commissioned Ruling Elders serving within our bounds, as well as three Teaching Elders who serve ECO churches while retaining membership in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Those persons serving the churches whose memberships are still pending total 8 more Teaching Elders and another Commissioned Ruling Elder.
The Presbytery of the West employs no staff, though we call regularly upon the resources of our
national ECO staff members. Instead, the Presbytery of the West thrives on the volunteer
commitments of its officers and committee members. At our first stated meeting on November 3, 2012, we elected our first Presbytery Governing Council, consisting of myself as Moderator, Rev. Andrea Messinger (pending her dismissal from San Gabriel Presbytery) as Vice Moderator, Rev. Rory Gillespie as Stated Clerk, and Elder Jim Brown as Treasurer. Minutes of the meeting are available upon your request. We’re happy to share them.
The Presbytery of the West also elected members to our Ministry Partnerships Team (our equivalent of the Committee on Ministry), Pastoral Ministry Ordination Team (our equivalent of the Committee on Preparation for Ministry), and, finally, a Permanent Judicial Commission.
I am aware that some early concerns were expressed about the Presbytery of the West’s leadership being “appointed” rather than nominated and elected to office. In the first few months of the Presbytery of the West’s existence, I was indeed serving as Moderator at the request of ECO’s Board of Directors. This was a temporary arrangement, though, and I have since been duly elected, as noted above. No other such appointments have ever been made within the bounds of the Presbytery of the West.
The Presbytery of the West currently supports a number of programs for clergy, missional outreach, and benevolence. ECO nationally offers a comprehensive medical insurance, death and disability coverage, and a pension plan through Envoy Financial. We also have a nascent Ministers’ Assistance Fund (small but growing!).
The Presbytery of the West supports church planting efforts nationally, and we offer all ECO members access to RightNow Training, an online leadership and ministry training resource. Our regional and national gatherings focus on training and empowering our churches with nationally recognized speakers.
The Presbytery of the West, through ECO, is currently in full partnership with three mission agencies: The Outreach Foundation, Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship, and the Antioch Partners.
The Presbytery of the West also enjoys a strong relationship with Fuller Theological Seminary and Azusa Pacific University. Our Pastoral Ministry Ordination Team has already been in contact with over two dozen potential candidates, who will begin the ordination process with us as soon as our Ordination Manual is approved at our first national Synod meeting in January.
Finally, the Synod PJC’s decision refers to the Presbytery of the West as a “non-geographical presbytery.” This too is inaccurate. The boundary between the Presbytery of the West and Presbytery of the East is the Mississippi River, with the understanding that the whole of the state of Minnesota falls within the Presbytery of the West’s boundaries, while the whole of the state of Louisiana falls within the
Presbytery of the East’s boundaries. Granted, it’s a large piece of geography, but we are geographically bound.
I will not address further claims made in the Synod PJC’s decision, as my purpose in writing today is only to address questions related to ECO and the Presbytery of the West as Reformed bodies. We are of a different flavor of the Reformed tradition, certainly, but I can assure you that we are nevertheless thoroughly Reformed in our polity and theology.
The Reverend Dr. MJ Romano, Moderator Presbytery of the West
ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church
La Junta, CO