PCUSA 1001 Investigations and Issues

Thoughts about the 1001 investigations and issues

What happened (from June 1, 2015 article by Leslie Scanlon in The Presbyterian Outlook)

“In December 2013, an unauthorized corporation called the Presbyterian Centers for New Church Development Inc. was set up in California, and later $100,000 of PC(USA) grant money was sent to that corporation. All of the money was later returned, and Linda Valentine, executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, has said none of those involved were acting for personal gain.

“(Marilyn) Gamm (chair of the PMA Board) did say that the four employees were not given severance packages and that the amount paid since they were put on administrative leave on Nov. 15, 2014 was about $242,000.

“She also said that, to date, the PC(USA) has spent about $850,000 in legal fees to pay for the investigation – and that doesn’t include all the fees owed to John Sheller, a Louisville lawyer who’s represented the board in trying to resolve employment matters with the four men.”

According to a statement by teaching elder Craig Williams, one of the four individuals:  “On Monday June 1st, I, along with 3 colleagues, learned through the Presbyterian News Service, that we were no longer ‘with’ the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the PCUSA.” (from June 4, 2015 article by Leslie Scanlon in The Presbyterian Outlook)

What could have happened

What if, instead of treating these four people as “employees” of a “corporation,” we recognized that they were servants of the Church?

What if, instead of using a corporate business model of dealing with “subordinates” who made unauthorized decisions, the processes of Church discipline were engaged by the presbyteries in which these individuals’ memberships resided - either by the raising of allegations or by receiving a request for vindication?

In such a situation, each presbytery would have appointed an Investigating Committee, interviewed people, gathered data and information, and discerned a way forward.  In any cases where a committee found no basis for ecclesiastical charges to be filed, then the individuals involved could properly announce that their presbytery had investigated the matter, and that no disciplinary charges were being filed and/or that they were vindicated.  In any cases where a committee decided to file charges, then a fair and open trial would be held by a Permanent Judicial Commission, the issues(s) would be decided by that PJC, and the results would be publicly announced and then published in the presbytery’s minutes for all to see.

The purpose of Church discipline is expressed at the very beginning of the Rules of Discipline of the Book of Order:

“Church discipline is the church’s exercise of authority given by Christ, both in the direction of guidance, control, and nurture of its members and in the direction of constructive criticism of offenders. The church’s disciplinary process exists not as a substitute for the secular judicial system, but to do what the secular judicial system cannot do. The purpose of discipline is to honor God by making clear the significance of membership in the body of Christ; to preserve the purity of the church by nourishing the individual within the life of the believing community; to achieve justice and compassion for all participants involved; to correct or restrain wrongdoing in order to bring members to repentance and restoration; to uphold the dignity of those who have been harmed by disciplinary offenses; to restore the unity of the church by removing the causes of discord and division; and to secure the just, speedy, and economical determination of proceedings.” (D-1.0101)

I find it sad that some Church leaders immediately went into “corporate” mode to deal with “personnel” matters confidentially.  Wouldn’t it have been better, fairer to everyone concerned, and more transparent if the long-established procedures of Church discipline, which were put in place precisely for these kinds of situations, had been used?  Wouldn’t the Church have been better served?  Wouldn’t our public witness be stronger?  And, needless to say, the national Church, which already had to recall mission workers around the world because of lack of funding, would not have had to spend $850,000 (and counting) in legal fees.

All in all, seemingly everything done in this whole situation showed a lack of regard for, understanding of, appreciation of, and wisdom and healing to be gained by properly exercising the resources of our Church’s processes of discipline.  The people in this situation seem to have forgotten, or simply chose not to acknowledge, one of our key “Foundations of Presbyterian Polity:”

“Where Christ is, there is the true Church. Since the earliest days of the Reformation, Reformed Christians have marked the presence of the true Church wherever… ecclesiastical discipline is uprightly ministered.” (F-1.0303)

We believe this for good reasons.  Leaders of the Church who are in one of the ordered ministries of the Church have publicly pledged and vowed that they would “be governed by our Church’s polity, and... abide by its discipline” (W-4.4003e).  Those who cannot or will not live in accordance with this should graciously withdraw from leadership.