The Spring 2019 Stated Meeting of Charleston Atlantic Presbytery was held Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at First Presbyterian Church, Moncks Corner.

ReCAP

On arrival, commissioners and guests were greeted warmly by church members and offered a delicious selection of breakfast items. The Rev. Sam Martin, Moderator, opened the meeting in prayer, the Rev. Timothy Schoonover of First Presbyterian Moncks Corner gave a welcome and invited one of the church elders to give a history of the church. New commissioners and guests were introduced. In particular, a group of visitors from the Can Bay Presbyterian New Church Development were recognized and invited to speak about recent events at Cane Bay NCD. Earlier this year, the congregation and their organizing pastor parted ways, realizing they had different visions for the future. With the guidance and assistance of a new advisory team from the presbytery, the NCD is “doing a reset.” They have found a storefront to lease that will afford them exclusive space for office, worship and activities, rather than renting space for Sundays only. A retired PC(USA) minister in the group has agreed to preach. The group asked that the presbytery approve the four year lease being proposed by the Shepherding Team, to be voted on later in the meeting.

Worship included communion and a sermon by the Rev. Peter Bynum, who expounded on the parable of the mustard seed. Seeds “live and wait and live and wait,” he said, and even forgotten seeds can one day emerge from the ground, grow and bear fruit. The offering collected to support youth attendance at the Youth Triennium was seen as a way to help sow and nurture the seeds of discipleship.

An outstanding example of seeds bearing fruit was the ordination of Colin Kerr as a minister of the word and sacrament. It is rare that the presbytery ordains a new minister; usually they are ordained by the congregation of the church they will serve, or, sometimes, their home church. Because Rev. Kerr will be the organizing pastor of the Parkside Presbyterian New Church Development, the presbytery is the ordaining body. A charge to the Pastor was made by Rev. Will Deitrich.

During the business portion of the meeting, special presentations were made concerning the Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina, Hands of Christ, S.T.E.P.S. and the recent mission trip to Puerto Rico.

The Committee on Representation asked for a received affirmative votes on the nominations of Rev. Ashley Sanders to serve on the Nurture Team and Rev. Stephanie Dion to serve on the Shepherding Team. Elder Jim Deavor reminded all present that the COR needs nominations to all teams, committees and commissions of the presbytery.

The Commission on Ministry, in addition to asking Colin Kerr (right) to share his faith journey, also introduced Elder Robert Norris (left) who has been commissioned as a Commissioned Lay Pastor (also know as a Commission Ruling Elder) to serve Sea Island Presbyterian Church.

The Shepherding Team presented four resolutions for vote, all of which were approved without dissent:
1. The “Third Amendment to the Agreement of Purchase and Sale” plus the “Assignment of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale,” were approved as one resolution necessary to move forward with the sale of the presbytery office building on Highway 61 in preparation of moving the office to the Park Circle property.
2. The resolution to approve the request of the Cane Bay NCD Advisory Team to enter into a lease for a space to be used for program, worship and office space, was approved.
3. The resolution to allow Rev. Mike Fitze to negotiate an agreement with the St. Barnabas Lutheran Church for the Parkside NCD to use the building and facilities of that church for office, worship and program activities, was approved.
4. The resolution that Dorchester Presbyterian Church be authorized to apply for and enter into a construction loan in the amount of $500,000 secured by a mortgage on church property–spoken to by Rev. Jeff Kackley of Dorchester PC–also was approved.

All other agencies of the Presbytery reported by written reports in the Commissioner’s Handbook. After reports of the standing committees on Attendance and on Resolution of Thanks were approved, the meeting closed with prayer and with a benediction by the newly ordained Rev. Kerr. Then an excellent lunch was served by First Presbyterian Church of Moncks Corner.

The next presbytery meeting is scheduled for Saturday Sept. 21 at Zion Olivet Presbyterian Church in North Charleston. Commissioners are reminded and requested please to obtain, to either print or download and to read the Handbook prior to the meeting. Anyone, not just commissioners, may obtain the handbook and visitors to presbytery meeting always are welcome.

Submitted by Catherine Byrd, Stated Clerk

For more information read the HANDBOOK and SUPPLEMENT.

Please enjoy the Spring 2019 Presbytery Joys Video HERE.  Thank you to all the churches who submitted photos!

RECAP: WINTER STATED MEETING

The 2019 Winter Stated meeting of the Charleston Atlantic Presbytery was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, in the West Ashely area of Charleston on Saturday February 23. Arriving commissioners and guests were welcomed by a small army of WPC volunteers who directed parking, served a lovely array of pastries, coffee and fruit, and directed the way to the sanctuary where Moderator (Rev.) Sam Martin called the meeting to order with prayer at 9:30 a.m.

Opening worship was organized by the Moderator Elect, elder Susan Mellichamp, and members of the Global Missions arm of the Service to Others Ministry Team. Illustrating a bit what it is like to be in a place where one does not speak the language, the sermon was delivered in Spanish by Antonio Colon Roman and translated by his wife, elder Sandra Otero Agosto. His message “The Table and the Shared Bread: Proposal for a Receptive Church” based on the story of Eutychus from the book of Acts, highlighted the tradition of hospitality and generosity in the early church, suggesting that today’s church does well to embrace this tradition. The “Immigrants’ Creed” by Jose Luis Casal was used as the Affirmation of Faith. The members of the Presbytery Mission Team to Puerto Rico were commissioned in advance of their trip beginning March 9 and an offering of $1864 (blessed in Spanish by CAP’s own Rev. Spike Coleman) was collected to support the disaster recovery work of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Puerto Rico.

During the business portion of the meeting, Hope Moore of the Bethelwoods Ministry Team of Providence Presbytery shared the many good things happening at the camp and conference center: from upgraded roads to “Camp in a Van.” This latter is an opportunity for small churches to join together to have “summer camp come to them” in lieu of or to augment VBS this summer.

The Commission on Ministry presented two pastors who have assumed new positions at CAP churches: Rev. Lawrence Peebles has been called to Santee Presbyterian Church; Rev. Russell Benton has been called to Harbor View Presbyterian Church. Each spoke briefly, with full faith statements published in the Commissioners Handbook.

With regard to future member of the clergy, the Preparation for Ministry Team presented Inquirer Cibele Santos, recommending she be moved to Candidate status. After an examination by Rev. Richard Cushman and a short statement by Ms. Santos, the recommendation was approved. Elder Kay Keeler, Moderator of the Team also reported that Antonio Colon Roman was being taken into care as an Inquirer.

Representing the Service to Others Ministry Team, Rev. Alonza Washington presented Self Development of Peoples Grant Awards to Twelve Steps Ministries, Inc. and the Wallingford Senior Ministry Stock the Pantry Mission. The grants are funded by the “One Great Hour of Sharing,” one of the Validated Special Offerings commended to CAP churches by the Stewardship of Financial Resources Ministry Team in its report (a recommendation passed by the Presbytery as part of the Consent Agenda).

Reports of all other agencies of the Presbytery were included in the handbook, as were annual reports by Presbytery Staff. After reports of the Standing Committees on Attendance and Resolution and Thanks, the meeting adjourned with prayer and benediction in plenty of time for enjoying a tasty lunch and time of enjoyable fellowship.

MORE RECAP:
What’s with the Spanish sermon? The immigrant’s creed? Blessing the offering in Spanish?
The Global Mission arm of the Service to Others Ministry Team was offered the chance to create a worship service in recognition of and to include the commissioning of the members of the first Presbytery-wide mission organized in many years. Eight people from various churches (see list below) will travel to Puerto Rico on March 9 to spend a week assisting the work of a PC(USA) congregation in the town of Aguada, where recovery from Hurricane Maria continues.

The sermon was presented by two members of Summerville Presbyterian Church, Antonio Colon Ramon (a new Inquirer under care of the Preparation for Ministry Team) and his wife Elder Sandra Otero Agosto. Sandra and Antonio are natives of Puerto Rico and chair the Mackey Presbyterian Ministry, an outreach of the Service to Others Ministry team, building relationships within the Hispanic population in the Ladson/Summerville area. Hearing the sermon in Spanish and depending upon a translator to understand, those assembled got a sense of what it is like to be an immigrant or a missionary in a place where the language is not one’s own.

The Prayer of Thanksgiving for the offering received was given in Spanish by Rev. Spike Coleman, in recognition that it would go to support the work of the mission team and the ongoing recovery efforts of the PC(USA) in Puerto Rico. (Mission team members pay their own travel and other expenses; money collected at this meeting and at the Fall Stated Meeting goes directly to the work.)

The Immigrant’s Creed is a beautiful exposition of the Apostles Creed as applied to displaced people. The Holy Spirit in which we believe, it points out, “…speaks all languages, lives in all countries, and reunites all races.” It ends with the prayerful belief: “Beyond this world, I believe in life eternal in which no one will be an immigrant but all will be citizens of God’s kingdom, which will never end. Amen.”  You can read the creed in its entirty HERE.

AMEN!
Submitted by Catherine Byrd, Stated Clerk

MEMBERS OF THE CAP MISSION TO PUERTO RICO:
Bobby and Catherine Byrd (First Scots PC and CAP Staff)
Antonio Colon Ramon (Summerville PC)
Holly Horseman (Palmetto PC)
Allison Hubbard (James Island PC)
Cassie Oliver (St. Andrews PC, Chas)
Jeff Taylor (Mount Pleasant PC)
Tom Thornton (Summerville PC)

We had technical difficulties and weren’t able to share the Presbytery Joys video at the meeting, but we hope you enjoy watching it now:

Download the HANDBOOK and SUPPLEMENT for more information.