By a 75% - 25% margin, the Beaver-Butler Presbytery approved the dismissal terms to release the Chippewa U.P. Church from the Presbyterian Church (USA) Tuesday evening.
The 175-member Chippewa Church requested a dismissal from the PC (USA) to the more conservative Evangelical Presbyterian Church. In exchange for leaving the denomination, the Chippewa Church agreed to continue their current level of support for 5 PC (USA) missionaries for the next 3 years, and also agreed to pay 3-year's worth of per-capita to the Presbytery. In return, Chippewa keeps their church property.
The Trust Clause, which gives the local Presbytery the right to the property of the PC (USA) churches within the Presbytery, has been the source of more than a few court cases when churches decide to leave the denomination. Technically, when a church leaves the denomination, the Presbytery has the right to assume ownership of the property.
As a member of the Administrative Commission in charge of overseeing the dismissal process, I was very satisfied to see that the cause of Christ was placed first, and that an agreement that was “favorable to both parties” was reached.
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