Special Called Meeting of Presbytery

PRESBYTERY OF SACRAMENTO

Special Called Meetting of the Presbytery
Northminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, CA
Friday, April 11, 2003

Roll Call

	CLERGY	CHURCH	VOTES	ELDER COMMISSIONERS
P	Kenneth Winter	AUBURN P.C.	2
	Brent Benton	AUBURN P.C.
	Dan Wells SS	BURNEY, P.C.	2
P	Keith DeVries	CARMICHAEL P.C.	3	Harry Lindley, Howard Crowley, Hazel Angell
P	Carol Pagelsen, Interim	CARMICHAEL P.C.
	Stephen Schibsted	CHICO, BIDWELL	3
	Jeff Gephart	CHICO, BIDWELL
	Jim Coons	CHICO, BIDWELL
	Greg Cootsona	CHICO, BIDWELL
	Robert Yule	CITRUS HEIGHTS, CELTIC CROSS	2	Bill VanDuker
P	Thomas Tripp	COLUSA, FIRST	2
		CORNING, FIRST	2
	James Kitchens	DAVIS, COMMUNITY	3
	Mary Lynn Tobin	DAVIS, COMMUNITY
	Richard Hutchison(HR)-Interim	ELK GROVE, PEACE	2
P	Pam McNally-Anderson/TS	ESPARTO, COUNTRYSIDE	2
	Jong Choon Kim	CAPITAL KOREAN @ FAIR OAKS	2
P	G. Henry Wells.	FAIR OAKS, P.C	6	Don Snider, Jim Delk, Carl Hartbower; Luella Hartbower; Fred McNally; Jan Stone
	Margaret Suttle	FAIR OAKS, P.C
	Ed Longabaugh	FAIR OAKS, P.C.
	Delbert Burnett	FOLSOM, P.C.	2	Evelyn Weick
	Nick Sorani	GRIDLEY, FIRST P.C.	2
	David Ratcliff	LOOMIS, SHEPHERD OF SIERRA	2
	Jennifer George	LOOMIS, SHEPHERD OF SIERRA
P	Robert Cordier	MARYSVILLE, FIRST	2
	Robert Masiola	MC CLOUD, COMMUNITY	2
P	Toby Nelson, Interim	NEVADA CITY, SIERRA P.C.	3	Vaughan Wright; Selma Wright;Norm Fifer
	Tom Patterson	NEVADA CITY, SIERRA P.C.
P	Margaret ‘Peggy’ Cross	NO. HIGHLANDS, ST STEPHENS	2	Bob Justman
P	Christine Banfill	ORLAND, FEDERATED	2
	Stanley Henderson	OROVILLE, TRINITY	2
P	Sandy Peirce	PLACERVILLE, EL DORADO CO FED	3	G. R. Peirce
	Andrew Headden	PLACERVILLE, EL DORADO CO FED
P	Erika Funk	PLACERVILLE, EL DORADO CO FED
P	Gail Cullerton-Interim	RANCHO CORDOVA	2	Mary F. Hicks
P	Mary Harris	RED BLUFF, P.C.	2	Joe Harrop
P	C.K. Moore	REDDING, FIRST	2
	James Barstow	ROSEVILLE, FIRST	4
	Ron Oldenkamp	ROSEVILLE, FIRST
P	Lew Rooker	SACRAMENTO, BETHANY	2	Bob Betts
P	John Conley, Interim	SACRAMENTO, FAITH	3	Joyce Hathaway
	Joan Stock - SS	SACRAMENTO, FAITH
	Donald Baird	SACRAMENTO, FREMONT	4	Bruce Ogden
	Geordie Ziegler	SACRAMENTO, FREMONT
P	Jack McNary	SACRAMENTO, FREMONT
P	Keith Posehn, Interim	SACRAMENTO, GRACE	2	Peggy Cavaghan
P	Jack Raymore	SACRAMENTO, NORTHMINSTER	2	Lloy Harris; Granger Davies
P	Aart Van Beek	SACRAMENTO, PARKVIEW	2
P	David Thompson	SACRAMENTO, WESTMINSTER	3	Carol Blake, Janet Arunyakasem, Wendell Potter
P	Richard Pearson(HR) TS	SACRAMENTO, WESTMINSTER
	Philip Trinh	SACRAMENTO, VIETNAMESE BETHANY NCD	0
	Hong-Jei Lee	SACRAMENTO, ZION (KOREAN)	2
P	Jim Hardy, HR Temp. Supply	VACAVILLE, COMMUNITY	3	Jerry Hill
P	John Moser	VACAVILLE, COVENANT COMMUNITY	2
P	Larry Emery	WALNUT GROVE, COMMUNITY	2
P	Henry DeGraaff	WEED, GRACE	2
P	Brad VanSant, Interim	WEST SACRAMENTO, TRINITY	2	Carl Metcalf
P	Frank Anderson	WINTERS, PIONEER	2
	Gene Crumley-Interim. .	WOODLAND, P.C	2
	Kathy McIntosh-Smith (SS)	WOODLAND P.C.
	Christopher Kersting	YUBA CITY, ST. ANDREW	3

OTHER CLERGY PRESENT: Skip Herbert, Tom Smith, David Huusko, Dexter McNamara, Warren Barnes, Roger B. Newquist; Walter Link, Barry Cavaghan, John Robinson, Easton Long, E. Bruce Ellithorpe, Larry Huggett, Richard Wylie

VOTING COUNCIL ELDERS: John Peirce, Moderator; Marie Segur, Treasurer; Sally Hinchman, General Presbyter for Ministry Support; Elizabeth Groelle, Stated Clerk; Kathy Trott, At-Large Council Member (Woodland P.C.).

OTHERS: Bob McCarthy, CLP; Leola Davies, Recording Clerk; observers from Westminster P.C.; Mike Harris, Red Bluff.

OPEN

The Special Called Meeting of the Presbytery of Sacramento was called to order by Moderator John Peirce at 1:12 p.m. in the sanctuary of Northminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento. A quorum was present. Host pastor, the Rev. Jack Raymore welcomed the attendees to Northminster and gave the opening prayer.

PURPOSE OF MEETING

There are two items of business as requested by the Committee on Ministry (COM).

1. To elect an Administrative Commission to help resolve existing problems at Meeting Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento.
2. To specify the duties of the Administrative Commission.

BUSINESS

The Rev. Tom Tripp, Chair of Committee on Ministry, was called forward. He explained that COM was contacted regarding problems of conflict and tensions at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, in December, 2002. Westminster’s Task Force has been working with the situation, but there are still struggles and divisions. The need for an Administrative Commission is evident. The Committee on Ministry RECOMMENDS that an Administrative Commission be appointed by Presbytery.

>> In order to assist in better understanding of the issues the Whereas/Therefore document was distributed to those present and read by the Rev. Tripp as follows:

Whereas, the Committee on Ministry of Sacramento Presbytery has been in consultation with issues around the performance of the Rev. David Thompson, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, since December, 2002;

Whereas, the 2002 Personnel Committee raised issues regarding the pastor’s performance and the 2003 session established a Task Force to investigate the issues identified by the 2002 Personnel Committee;

Whereas, the Task Force concurred with most of the issues identified in the Personnel Committee’s report;

Whereas, the 2003 Annual Congregational Meeting of Westminster Presbyterian Church on February 2, 2003 was recessed two times (March 2, 2003 and March 30, 2003) and each of these meetings lasted over 3 hours;

Whereas, the Committee on Ministry had representatives at each of the meetings of the congregation and is convinced that the congregation is clearly divided;

Whereas, a significant number of the congregational members do not have faith in the process outlined by the session for corrective measures for the Rev. David Thompson;

Whereas, the Committee on Ministry believes that the Session of Westminster Presbyterian Church is unable to effectively perform the personnel oversight of the Rev. David Thompson;

Whereas, there is a void in leadership due to resignations of program staff, clerk of session and other church officers;

Therefore the Committee on Ministry (G-11.0502) recommends that the Presbytery of Sacramento appoint an Administrative Commission (G-9.0503) for Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, CA which shall have the authority:

1. To investigate the conflicts between the pastor, the congregation, the session and the staff with recommendations for remediation as may be required;

2. To secure an assessment of the leadership and professional skills of the pastor, in consultation with the Chair of Committee on Ministry and the General Presbyter for Ministry, with recommendations for remediation as may be required;

3. To determine if a recommendation should be presented to the presbytery to dissolve the pastoral relationship (G-11.0103 n & o) utilizing the process described in the Advisory Committee on the Constitution’s response to Request 03-5 regarding “involuntary termination” before the 215th General Assembly;

4. To assume original jurisdiction of the session for the following responsibilities:

• (G-10.0102 n) in respect to the supervision and evaluation of the pastor; and request that the session consult with the commission regarding contracting and/or hiring any professional program staff (both Ministers of Word and Sacrament and non ordained staff);

• (G-10.0102 r) to discipline members, including elders, if it deems necessary;

5. With the session to lead the congregation in ministries of personal and social healing and reconciliation in the communities in which the church lives and bears its witness (G-10.0102 g);

6. To request that additional commission members be appointed (if the commission determines additional skills of members are needed) by the Moderator of Presbytery in consultation with the Chair of Committee on Ministry, Stated Clerk, and the General Presbyter for Ministry in accordance with the Book of Order (G-9.0504 b[3]), and report such appointment to the next presbytery meeting;

7. To report to the Presbytery of Sacramento no later than September 26 - 27, 2003 stated meeting with recommendations which may include but not limited to dissolving the pastoral relationship (G-11.0103 o), and assuming original jurisdiction of the session (G-11.0103 s).

• Following the reading of the Whereas/Therefore document questions were invited before any debate would take place. Several questions were asked and answered.

• The Rev. David Thompson was given a point of personal privilege to speak to the presbytery. He stated his trust in the system of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

• Debate was invited -- there was none.

The Presbytery VOTED unanimously to approve the recommendation of the Committee on Ministry that an Administrative Commission be appointed for Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, CA.

• The nominees for the Administrative Commission for Westminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento, CA were presented by Committee on Ministry Chair Tom Tripp together with Recommendation of COM that they be approved.

Elders
Al Bare - Celtic Cross Presbyterian Church, Citrus Heights
Opal Collins - Northminster Presbyterian Church, Sacramento
Dick Dorf - Davis Community Church, Davis
Margaret Herman - Carmichael Presbyterian Church, Carmichael
Ralph Maurer - Shepherd of the Sierra, Loomis
Nancy Smith - Fremont Presbyterian Church, Sacramento

Ministers of Word and Sacrament
Rev. Jim Clark - HR
Rev. Peggy Cross - St. Stephen’s Presbyterian Church, No. Highlands
Rev. Keith DeVries - Carmichael Presbyterian Church, Carmichael
Rev. Jim Upshaw - HR
Rev. Aart Van Beek - Parkview Presbyterian Church, Sacramento
Rev. David Huusko - At Large

The Presbytery VOTED to approve the slate of candidates for the Administrative Commission as recommended by the Committee on Ministry.

ADJOURN

The stated business for today having been completed the meeting was adjourned at 2:05 p.m. The closing prayer was given by Moderator John Peirce.

Respectfully submitted,

Elizabeth Groelle, Stated Clerk

Leola Davies, Recording Clerk