Well Pastor John, in light of the actions of General Assembly, what are you going to do now? I’m sad at the divisiveness of the Church. Scripture speaks against a “party spirit” (2 Corinthians 12), the fracturing of the Body of Christ into divisions and groups. The Greek word for this is “heresy.” The fractured…

Dear friends in Christ, During this week when some of you are discouraged about the PC(USA), I want to remind you that God continues to use Presbyterians to turn the world upside down. In the last 55 years the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, our Presbyterian partner which also includes Lutheran synods, has grown from…

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Meeting in Detroit, our 221st General Assembly has taken two significant actions on the teaching and practice of marriage according to the PC(USA)’s Book of Order. First, the GA approved an Authoritative Interpretation (AI) that now permits PC(USA) pastors to conduct same-sex weddings, and allows sessions to approve the…

“The time has come,” Jesus said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15 “Hey cutie, come over here!” I turned quickly to see who in the crowd said this and to whom. So did the eight fifteen year olds who were with me. The culprit was a…

PAUL DETTERMAN Welcome to a new blog at the start of a new movement – the Fellowship Community. A friend joked with me that we would never be able to translate “fellowship community” into Greek because it would be “Koinonia Koinonia” (or K2). The more I thought about it, the more I realized that’s…

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, It is with great joy and anticipation that we celebrate the launch of a new movement as the Fellowship of Presbyterians and Presbyterians for Renewal (PFR) join together to nurture and connect gospel-centered PC(USA) congregations and expand relationships with our counterparts in other mainline traditions. The Fellowship Community is…

Our Mission Affinity Group came together largely because of long-term relationships built on trust, accountability, and mutual respect. One of the things I love about being connected to the Fellowship of Presbyterians is the renewed emphases placed on these critical elements of pastoral ministry. Our MAG’s ability to come together last spring sprouted from similar soil as the Fellowship itself: a devoted, transparent group of pastors who gather together regularly for the sake of Christ...

Response from within the PC(USA) The Fellowship of Presbyterians was created in 2011 to help individuals and congregations who are committed to building flourishing congregations who make disciples of Jesus Christ. In early 2012, ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians was formed. While some who have joined The Fellowship anticipate an eventual transition…

On behalf of the combined boards of ECO and the Fellowship of Presbyterians I am thrilled to announce Dana Allin has accepted the call to be the first Synod Executive of ECO. The Synod is the highest body in ECO because, in our global Presbyterian and Reformed context, ECO believes itself to be an integral…

By M. J. Romano, Moderator, ECO Presbytery of the West Executive Presbyters Stated Clerks Presbyteries of the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Dear Colleagues, I am writing in response to the recent decision of the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii in the case of the…

by Jim Singleton, President of The Fellowship of Presbyterians A persistent question for both PC(USA) and ECO congregations in The Fellowship of Presbyterians is our relationship to the Essential Tenets document – the centerpiece of The Fellowship’s Theology Project. Many of us believe the problems with which Presbyterians now struggle have developed as a result…

As we move into the final months of 2012, PC(USA) presbyteries are meeting and more pastors and congregations are being dismissed into ECO.  Checkout the ECO page to see the names of congregations and individuals as they complete the process...

The label “congregationalist” is being tossed around somewhat indiscriminately these days in our Presbyterian circles, especially by those who are critical of recent moves by PC(USA) evangelicals. We need to be clearer about what we mean—or ought to mean—when we use that term. It is a useful label for describing a specific view of church…

13 congregations were officially dismissed to join ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians over this past weekend. “We extend the warmest of welcomes to all the congregations who joined ECO this weekend,” stated ECO President, Rev. Dr. Dana Allin. “We look forward to the partnership of these founding congregations to shine the beacon...

The Board of Directors approved the appointment of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and its division, Risk Placement Services (RPS), to work with our Churches and their designated agents in risk management networking and procuring the best coverage possible. We are grateful to our National Insurance Program Committee that oversaw the RFP for services:...

This week I want to address two issues some people are encountering; ECO’s recognition as a Reformed body and some confusion over the term “subscriptionism” regarding the essential tenets for The Fellowship and ECO.

As spring is emerging in its various forms across the country, we want to update you on ECO. The months since the Orlando conference have been filled with questions and answers, planning and preparation: many developments you will start to see more clearly in the very near future. These same months have also been filled with our observance of Lent and the joyful celebration of Easter. These themes of death and resurrection, and spiritual discernment, restoration, hope and new life, are permeating our lives. We continue to be excited to see what God is bringing about in our midst.

Dear Friends in Christ,

As we start the weekend where many people will be “springing forward” into Daylight Savings Time, I want to catch you up on what is springing forward with both The Fellowship and ECO.

Every week, interest and activity around The Fellowship and ECO are increasing. Hundreds of individuals and many sessions have already signed the Covenant and joined The Fellowship.  We have received nearly 100 requests for applications for ECO from individual pastors and from Sessions.