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GA06041
Cumberland Presbyterian Church General Assembly set to convene 'Can a decentralized connectional church survive?'
by Pat White
executive director, Cumberland Presbyterian Publication Board
BIRMINGHAM, June 17 * As participants of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church (CPC) General Assembly begin arriving in Birmingham on Sunday afternoon, they prepare to discuss in the hallways, at meal times and in committee meetings the future of the denomination. The decisions made during this 176th General Assembly will have a direct influence on the future of the CPC, though the issues being debated deal with church center property.
At the 175th General Assembly meeting in Franklin, TN, in 2005, long debates and after-hour discussions resulted in an overwhelming majority vote to sell the current headquarters, which has been located in Memphis since 1951. A year-long intensive effort has been made to sell the property and raise funds to buy or build an adequate structure to house the headquarters. People in the pews have rallied to the theme, "I love my Church." Congregations and individuals have contributed and pledged.
Commissioners this year are faced with recommendations to sell the center property and to lay aside the decision of 2005 to buy or build adequate facilities. These commissioners will decide if they want to relocate center offices for a period of time, and put the center property campaign on hold. The Board of Missions and Red River Presbytery are asking that a paid outside consultant be hired to evaluate the effectiveness of our current denominational structure, leadership models and office location, including the possibility of decentralization. They cite this as a trend among other denominations, ecumenical partnership ministries and businesses.
Program boards not wishing to relocate will be speaking before the Program Planning committee and answering questions from other commissioners about how this will affect their work. The boards' arguments include seeing no need to relocate until a permanent home is found, and feeling that Cumberland Presbyterians cannot be a connectional church without a central headquarters.
The question being asked is, "Can a decentralized connectional church survive?"
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