wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Top church court rules per capita strictly

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #8541 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

04472
October 19, 2004

Top church court rules per capita strictly voluntary

Upholds synod PJC decision in Heartland Presbytery case

by Sharon K. Youngs, Office of the General Assembly
and Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE - The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) of
the Presbyterian Church (USA) has ruled that a session's failure to pay its
per capita apportionment cannot be the sole factor in the presbytery's
determination whether that congregation is eligible for requesting financial
assistance from the presbytery.

	In it's Oct. 18 decision in Johnston, et. al. v. Heartland
Presbytery, the commission also ruled that a congregation's failure to pay
its per capita apportionment and mission pledge could not be the
determinative factor in a presbytery's refusal to grant assistance to that
congregation.

	At the same time, the GAPJC determined that "a congregation's effort
to pay its full per capita apportionment and to fulfill a mission pledge is
clearly relevant as one factor among many others that a presbytery may
consider in exercising its stewardship responsibility to allocate limited
resources in action upon a congregation's request for assistance."

	The case was launched when Heartland Presbytery adopted a policy that
made any congregation that was not demonstrating "full participation" in the
fiscal and ecclesiastical life of the presbytery ineligible to request
certain financial assistance from the presbytery.

	Demonstration of full participation was defined as the payment of per
capita, making and meeting a mission pledge, and filing annual statistical
reports.

	The session of First Presbyterian Church of  Paola, KS, challenged
the presbytery's new policy in a remedial case with the Synod of Mid
America's Permanent Judicial Commission, which "vacated and set aside" the
policy. The GAPJC upheld the Synod PJC decision.

	In its decision, the GAPJC reiterated its earlier opinion that
payment of per capita apportionments by sessions and presbyteries "is a high
moral obligation, the fulfillment of which visibly demonstrates the
covenantal ties that bind us as the one church of Jesus Christ."

	The GAPJC also underlined the need and requirement for dialogue
between sessions and presbyteries for the sake of "furthering the great ends
of the church."

	The full decision and order of the GAPJC in this case is available at
www.pcusa.org/gapjc.

	For more information, contact Sharon K. Youngs, Communications
Coordinator, Office of the General Assembly, 100 Witherspoon Street,
Louisville, KY 40202-1396; phone (888) 728-7228, ext. 5750; email
syoungs@ctr.pcusa.org.

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