Denomination Updates

Links to Articles and Sermons:

Letter to the Congregation, May 11, 2011:

Dear Church Family:

Two days ago, voting by our denomination’s presbyteries reached the required majority to pass Amendment 10-A, thereby removing from our Book of Order the fidelity and chastity clause, which requires "fidelity within a covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness” for ordained leaders.

This is a sad day for us as it denotes a serious drift by our denomination from its commitment to the supremacy of God’s Word.  The primary concern here is not about standards of sexuality. The vote for Amendment 10-A is just a symptom of the denominational choice for culture over Scripture as the denomination’s guiding principle.

What does it mean for our congregation? With the session, let us assure you that we will not drift from the clear standards of sexuality as prescribed by God in His Word. We will continue to welcome all people to our church while teaching biblical truth and caring for each other through all of the challenges of life. In other words, this will not impact our church family or our standards for living as God’s people.

We also will continue to proclaim God’s truth in a loving and faithful manner to our denomination and maintain a lead role in facilitating fellowship and support among like-minded congregations in our presbytery. The renewal groups in our denomination are actively engaged in a process of exploring organizational restructuring within the PCUSA to ensure that churches like ours can continue to worship, minister, and give to God with complete freedom, support, and protection.

Let us entrust ourselves to Him who holds the future, and let us grow stronger and better as a church. Just as persecution has strengthened Christians and caused the church to grow through history, we can trust God to protect and use us for His glory in the days ahead!

Please join us for the Table Talk this Wednesday, May 18^th, to ask questions and learn more about how we can move forward as a church even with these denominational changes.

In Christ,

Bill Campbell,                         Carolyn Poteet,                                  Eloise Murray,
Pastor                                        Associate Pastor                                 Clerk of Session

Letter to the Hendersonville Times-News

An Open Letter from First Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville

On Tuesday, May 10, a majority of presbyteries in the Presbyterian Church USA voted to change the ordination standards requiring fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness for church leaders in the denomination. This is a significant shift from the historic stance of the PCUSA. While some congregations in our denomination are celebrating this change, our congregation is saddened because we see this as a departure from the clear teaching of the Bible.

We wish to assure the public that First Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville will continue to be the church it always has been. We are a welcoming family that loves everyone God brings to us. We will continue to be guided by the authority of Scripture in the way we worship, teach, and serve. We are committed to serving the community through local outreach and to serving the world through global ministry.

In other words, the changes in our denomination will not change who we are in any way. We are affiliated with Presbyterian renewal groups that are working within our denominational structure to ensure that congregations like ours can function freely and minister joyously while maintaining uncompromised commitments to God’s Word.

We are grateful to be part of the Hendersonville community where churches of many types and with various convictions work together to serve people in need and to share God’s love.

Elders of First Presbyterian Church, Hendersonville