Views
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Note from the Plumb Line Editors
Since launching our first issue in November, the Plumb Line has attracted more than 6,000 visitors and nearly 16,000 views from all over the world. We are grateful to all of you who took time to check us out. Our desire is to build up the church by better informing our elders with news and…
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Fatal Attraction: Lot’s Wife and Side B Christianity
One of the most sobering stories in the Bible is the judgment of Lot’s wife. While fleeing from Sodom, she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. To modern readers, this seems extremely harsh. Did Lot’s wife deserve such a terrible punishment? Was her sin really so bad? As Lot’s wife, you…
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The Case Against Niceness
In the lead-up to the 44th General Assembly, we all knew that some contentious issues were on the table. The buzz around the New River Presbytery’s overture, in particular, was palpable. Yet instead of embracing the opportunity for rigorous debate — with the aim of protecting and defending the faith and arriving at a more…
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Preserving the Session’s Role in the EPC Church Health Process
Church health and vitality are essential to a congregation’s witness to the gospel. Recognizing this, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) developed the Church Health Process to strengthen congregations for faithful and effective ministry. This initiative reflects a sincere desire to promote leadership renewal and strategic clarity.
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Taking Care of Business
In the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), the General Assembly serves as a pivotal gathering for worship, fellowship, and governance. However, as keynote speakers and worship segments have expanded, less time has been available for important church business. Too often, the time allowed for debate and discussion seems rushed and inadequate. Many commissioners, who attend General Assembly…
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A Moderator’s Meanderings
“Meanderings” definition: Rambling or passing from one topic to another. I hope you find the following collection of articles, quotes, quips, and Scripture to be informative, edifying, and thought-provoking. This information is not as thorough or detailed as the other articles in the Plumb Line. But I hope to stimulate honest and open debate on…
News
- Presbytery Shares Complaints with National Leadership Team
Responding to a letter of complaint, the EPC National Leadership Team met in Orlando January 14 with representatives of New River Presbytery (NRP) to hear concerns about the “distrust and division” caused by the 44th General Assembly. - EPC Teaching, Ruling Elders Meet to Discuss Differences in EPC DirectionOn January 22, 2025, EPC Teaching Elders Mike Moses, Matt Blazer, and Mark Toon met with fellow TEs Nate Atwood, Rufus Burton, Don Fortson, and Ruling Elder Gordon Miller, at Lake Forest Church in Huntersville, N.C. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Elders agreed in principle on a statement of understanding.
- Georgia Church Joins EPCFirst Presbyterian Church of Bainbridge, Ga., was received by the Presbytery of the Southeast at its January 2025 stated meeting. Bainbridge is in southwest Georgia, 40 miles north of Tallahassee, Fla. The church was chartered in 1852 by the Presbytery of Florida in the old Southern Presbyterian Church.
- Ohio Church Votes to Leave EPCFrustrated by the failure of the Presbytery of the Alleghenies and the General Assembly to vote on an overture forbidding the ordination of homosexuals, a church in Mansfield, Ohio, voted in November to leave the EPC.
- Pennsylvania Church Withdraws from the EPCAfter a contentious two-year battle that ended with its pastor and Session removed from office by the Presbytery of the Alleghenies, Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pa., voted in January to dissolve its relationship with the EPC.