A church located in Texas has reached a settlement of $7.8 million with the Presbyterian Church of USA (PCUSA) for the church to leave the denomination while still possessing all of the church's property, which once had been owned by the Grace Presbytery, the regional governing body of PCUSA.
Highland Park Presbyterian Church's leadership decided to leave the denomination after its liberal changes in 2011, including allowing people in same-sex relationships to be ordained as pastors and deacons. According to Dallas News, another factor that led to the breakaway of the church from PCUSA is that the Grace Presbytery required that "candidates for the ministry come from certain seminaries."
"After much deliberation and prayer, "¦ HPPC's elders, trustees, and pastors unanimously approved the settlement agreement previously approved by Grace Presbytery over the ongoing property litigation," read an open letter from the Highland Park Presbyterian Church.
"This resolves once and for all that the congregation of Highland Park Presbyterian Church owns and controls the assets of Highland Park Presbyterian Church, free and clear of any claims by the PC(USA)."
In an article about "Frequently Asked Questions about the Settlement Agreement," the HPPC stated that it has no control over how the PCUSA uses the $7.8 million. "It is our hope and prayer that Grace Presbytery will steward these funds in a way that is honoring to God and advances God's mission in the world," the church stated.
HPPC must pay the $7.8 million by the beginning of November, and expressed that the session of the church is "committed to raising these funds in such a way as to not impact our missions, ministry, or staff."
The church is now a part of the ECO, a Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, which was decided "enthusiastically" by the church.
