MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF NORTH CENTRAL PRESBYTERY

December 9, 2007

5:00 p.m.

 

North Central Presbytery met in adjourned session with the Good Prospect CPC, Trilla IL on December 9, 2007 at five o’clock.  Stated Clerk Carroll Richards convened the meeting in the absence of both the Moderator and the Vice-Moderator.  Roll was called by Stated Clerk Carroll Richards.  There was a quorum present.  Rev.  Oscar Lee Nichols led presbytery in the Constituting Prayer.  The floor was opened to nominations for Moderator pro tem.  Rev. Ralph Blevins was elected and assumed the chair.  The program was adopted as printed.  There were no visiting clergy.

 

The Stated Clerk read communications which were acted on as follows:

 

1.  Requests for excuses were received from Revs. Bob Watkins, Geoff Bunting, Kevin Small, Terra Sisco, Jose Oliveira, Marcia Compton, Melissa Goodloe, Shirley Topar, Albert Smith and Kevin Vanderlaan; and the sessions of United, Lincoln,  Shiloh, Georgetown and Faith.  The excuses were granted.

2.  A letter of dismission was received for Rev. Richard Shugert from Grace Presbytery.  On motion Rev. Shugert was received as a member of North Central Presbytery and enrolled.

3.  At the October meeting of presbytery, the Board of Pastoral and Congregational Care had requested the approval of a pastoral relationship between Rev. Richard Shugert and the Good Prospect CPC.  On motion that relationship was approved.

4.  A letter was received from the session of the Fairfield CPC asking that presbytery dissolve the pastoral relationship between the Fairfield CPC and Rev. Joey Edwards and that Danna Patrick be designated their elder to serve communion.  (She has previously received the proper training.)  On motion the requests were approved.

5.  A report from the Commission to Install Rev. Joey Edwards on October 28, 2007 was received.  He was duly installed on that date.

6.  A report from the Commission to Ordain and Install Rev. Kevin Vanderlaan at Bethany on October 26, 2007 was received.  He was duly ordained and installed on that date.

7.  A report from the Commission to Ordain and Install Rev. J. B. Gates at Cumberland Chapel on October 28, 2007 was received.  He was duly ordained and installed on that date.

8.  A report from the Commission to Install Rev. Randal Leslie at Chandler on November 11, 2007 was received.  He was duly installed on that date.

The commissions were thanked for their service and dismissed.

9/10.  Communications were read from the Historical Foundation and the Board of Missions thanking presbytery for contributions to their ministries.

11.  A report from the Stated Clerk was read and on motion it was concurred in and its recommendations adopted.  It is marked “A” and placed on file.

 

The Moderator then moved to Other Business. 

 

Nominations were opened to elect a sixth member to the Board of Judiciary and Session Records, per the report just adopted.  Rev. Richard Shugert was nominated.  There being no other nominations, Rev. Shugert was elected by acclamation.

 

There being no other business, the Moderator changed roles to lead the presbytery in worship and the service of installation.  The worship was begin with an instrumental prelude “O Holy Night.”  The congregation was led in the singing of “We Have Come into His House” and “Who Is He in Yonder Stall?”

 

Rev. Ralph Blevins lead the congregation in the reading of Scripture from John 21:15-17 and preached on “The Pastor as Shepherd.”  He led the congregation and presbytery in prayer.

 

Rev. J. B. Gates called Rev. Rich Shugert to the front of the assembly to ask the Constitutional Questions for Installation.  Rev. Gates asked the session to stand and asked them the Constitutional Questions for Installation.  Rev. Gates asked the congregation to stand and asked them the Constitutional Questions for Installation.  The questions being answered in the affirmative Rev. Ralph Blevins declared Rev. Shugert properly installed.  Rev. Carroll Richards delivered charges to the pastor, the session, and the congregation.  Elder Jack Enlow prayed the dedicatory prayer.  The congregation was led in the singing of a closing hymn, “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us.”

 

The Moderator resumed the chair and called for the reading of the Minutes.  The Stated Clerk read the Minutes which were approved as read.  The Stated Clerk called the roll; a quorum was present.  On motion, presbytery was adjourned to meet April 4, 2008, 1:30 p.m. CDT with the Chandler CPC in Chandler IN.  Presbytery was dismissed with prayer by Rev. Richard Shugert.

                       

 

                       

                                   

Ralph Blevins, Moderator pro tem                 Carroll R. Richards, Stated Clerk

 

 

 

APPENDIX A               REPORT OF THE STATED CLERK

 

TO:  North Central Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in session with the Good Prospect C. P. Church, Trilla IL, December 9, 2007

 

On October 31, 2007, Rev. Joey Edwards submitted his resignation to the session of the Fairfield CPC and it was accepted.  Subsequent to that action the Fairfield session submitted to presbytery a letter of charges alleging clergy misconduct on the part of Rev. Edwards.  That matter is being properly investigated by the presbyterial Board of Pastoral and Congregational Care acting as the presbytery’s Disciplinary Commission.

 

This situation has raised two organizational issues for the presbytery.  One is that Rev. Edwards is a member of the board/commission investigating him.  The other is that if the Board of Judiciary and Session Records is called on to act as a commission to conduct a hearing on this or any other matter, it does not presently contain a quorum of presbytery as required by the constitution.  They would need at least four members who are either ordained ministers or ordained and active elders.  To rectify these problems I submit the following recommendations.

 

RECOMMENDATION ONE: That Rev. Joey Edwards be replaced by Rev. J. B. Gates on the Board of Pastoral and Congregational Care, with a term to expire in 2008.

 

RECOMMENDATION TWO: That Standing Rule IV of the presbytery be changed to increase the membership on the Board of Judiciary and Session Records from five (5) to six (6) members.

 

RECOMMENDATION THREE: That presbytery proceed to elect the sixth member of the Board of Judiciary and Session Records, with that member having a term to expire in 2008 in order to keep the terms in balance.

 

The person elected will need to be either an ordained minister or an ordained, active elder.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Carroll R. Richards

Stated Clerk (for a few more days)

 

 

Minister and Probationer RollBDec. 9, 2007
Name	Opening	Final
Alvarez, Rene	A	A
Aros, Jeremias	A	A
Axton, Durant	A	A
Barnett, Rudolph	EX	EX
Bender, Richard	A	A
Blevins, Ralph	P	P
Brown, Rosalie	EX	EX
Bunting, Geoff	ex	ex
Compton, Marcia	ex	Ex
Craig, Robert A.	EX	EX
Dallwig, Roger	A	A
Edwards, Joey	P	P
Furr, Wayne	A	A
Gates, J. B.	P	P
Goodloe, Melissa	ex	Ex
Gross, Ronald	EX	EX
Korb, Leon C.	EX	EX
Leslie, Randal	A	A
Lovelace, John G.	EX	EX
McCain, Sr., Terence R.	EX	EX
Messer, James	A	A
Montoya, Eduardo	A	A
Nichols, Oscar Lee	P	P
Oliveira, José	ex	Ex
Parman, David	A	A
Richards, Carroll R.	P	P
Shirley, Betty L.	EX	EX
Shugert, Richard	Enrolled	P
Sisco, Terra	ex	Ex
Small, Kevin	ex	Ex
Smith, Albert J.	ex	Ex
Springer, Robert J.	EX	EX
Topar, Shirley	ex	Ex
Vanderlaan, Kevin	ex	Ex
Wallace, Andrew	A	A
Watkins, Robert	ex	Ex
West, David	A	A
Yarce, Janeth	A	A
Gilding, Darlene (Lic.)	A	A
French, Hershel (Can)	A	A
Gifford, Jimmy (Can)	A	A
Goodloe, Timothy (Can)	A	A
McDuffee, J. C. (Can)	A	A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

          NORTH CENTRAL PRESBYTERY

                             Of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church