Session Request Transfer to Geneva Presbytery — Dr. James Henery

During the past two years, one “quiet” yet often discussed subject has been on Session’s agenda. It centered on our relationship and connection to our presbytery, Susquehanna Valley Presbytery (SVP) whose office/building is in Bainbridge.

This column will be about Session’s decision to leave the presbytery, join Geneva Presbytery (same synod) and vote to do so at the annual congregational meeting on Sunday, 29 January. Session voted in favor of leaving, 14-0 (one abstaining), at their December meeting.

Some history. Our church perhaps 25 years ago was placed on the western fringe of SVP whose boundaries range from us to Preble to Worcester to Stamford to Hancock to Binghamton to Waverly and all points within, 50 churches of which Ithaca is the largest. The two closest churches to us, Trumansburg and Spencer, belong to Geneva Presbytery as well as Burdett, Horseheads, Watkins Glen and Lodi.

For almost 10 years, SVP has been in what is called “transition or transformation” and a sequence of interims have assisted or led the process. To this point, nothing definitive has happened, the presbytery is still in transition; much money has been spent on salaries (with questions about the propriety of spending mission dollars for operating expenses) and also the cost of maintaining a building with only two staff members (but also used for occasional meetings). For the past three years, a number of alternatives and ideas have been floated throughout the presbytery about potential merging with other presbyteries or different forms of management/organization.

Being on the extreme western edge of SVP does not easily allow for a viable relationship or collegiality with those churches, nor use of the Bainbridge building. Presbytery meetings can be up to three hours away and some of those are evenings. Your pastors would like more of a connection with churches that are closer to us including Elmira, Corning, Penn Yan (the office for Geneva Presbytery) and Geneva.

Rev. Tewell and I visited and met with Geneva Presbytery’s executive presbyter and were enthusiastically received as a potential church “transfer.” We then reported this to our Session, and they concurred that this is a good and necessary fit and will enhance our PUCSA connection with their churches, 60 of them, and the use of Camp Whitman on Seneca Lake.

We would not be the largest church yet the variety of sizes, and with most being centered around Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, we would be regionally connected and perhaps hosting more gatherings. Again, little has happened and a recent meeting voted to not renew the interim executive presbyter’s position after this current year. Thus, another year will pass and we are still in transition.

SVP is aware of our possible action and pending vote. This needs to be accomplished in January, reported and voted on by SVP, sent to synod and eventually be approved prior to General Assembly this summer in Pittsburgh. We expect all to be finished, and we would be in Geneva by this fall. I believe this move is best for us and advantageous for a continued relationship with our PCUSA churches including Waterloo, Wolcott, Bath, Sodus, Hornell and Canandaigua.

We will vote on this during the congregational meeting. If you have questions, please give me a ring or come and visit.

Attachments:

File	Description	File size
GN 1.18.pdf	Good News 1.18.12	1790 Kb