Three Puerto Rican Churches
Seek Dismissal from EPC

Editor’s note: Unwilling to accept the ordination of celibate homosexuals, three Presbyterian churches in Puerto Rico have declared their intention to seek dismissal from the EPC. The three churches have a combined total of about 600 members. In this interview, Pastor Juan R. Rivera of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, explains why his congregation has decided to leave the EPC.

Plumb Line: How long have you been part of the EPC?

Rivera: We have three Presbyterian churches in Puerto Rico: Westminster, Mayagüez, and Añasco. We joined the EPC in 2015 and 2016. When we left the PC(USA), we had a beautiful new sanctuary, a half million dollars in the bank and four other properties. The presbytery would not allow us to leave with our property, so we lost everything. It was very hard, but we thank the LORD because He used the presbytery to send us a message: to follow Jesus you must leave everything behind, just like Abraham or the Israelites when they left Egypt. We left everything, but we lack nothing.

Plumb Line: For 10 years the churches in Puerto Rico had a good relationship with the EPC. What changed that is causing you to seek dismissal?

Rivera: For many years, we were in green pastures and still waters. Then came 2024, when we began discussing something the church should not even think about. I think what happened is our leaders allowed evil to get into the church. I had a long conversation with my brother, Dean Weaver, before the 2024 General Assembly and he told me his position about same-sex attracted persons. I remember saying to Dean, “You are wrong, brother, this is not good for the church.” I remember that conversation. After that, it didn’t feel the same. We began feeling that the church was dividing against each other. We had never experienced that since our time in the PC(USA).

Plumb Line: Why are the Puerto Rican churches opposed to the AIC recommendations that were adopted by General Assembly?

Rivera: Before 2024, I don’t think any of our churches thought about people who are same-sex attracted being leaders in the church. As soon as we discovered that this was part of the EPC’s agenda, we raised the red flag. We should not allow the culture to set the church’s agenda. We already have an agenda, and our agenda is to share Christ and to follow the Scriptures.

Plumb Line: What has been the response of your church members?

Rivera: Our people are very supportive. They understand the issue.

Plumb Line: What steps have you taken to leave the EPC?

Rivera: Right after General Assembly we had our ordinary meeting of Session and the Commissioners reported. At that meeting, we decided to ask our presbytery to grant us disaffiliation. We sent our letter to presbytery. We don’t want to be part of this anymore because we understand this is the beginning of the end of the EPC. Once you allow the devil to enter, you start going downhill and you can’t stop it.

Plumb Line: How do you think this will impact your presbytery?

Rivera: Right now, we are helping our presbytery. We serve on several of the committees and we are still contributing financially. We are probably one of the most involved churches in the mission of our presbytery. One of the members of our church was elected as the moderator-elect of the presbytery, but she will not be able to honor that commitment. I think it will be hard for the presbytery for us to leave.

Plumb Line: Has anyone from the Presbytery of Florida and the Caribbean or the Office of the General Assembly called or reached out to you?

Rivera: No one has called me. They know my position, but that is not an excuse. I think most of the churches in our presbytery are not feeling the same as us.

Plumb Line: Does it surprise you that the EPC would approve the AIC recommendations knowing that it would cause conservative churches like yours to leave?

Rivera: Yes, it surprised me. I don’t know how the EPC changed its position so fast. I think they believe that our churches will follow their leadership no matter what. They don’t think that churches will leave the EPC.

Plumb Line: Where do you plan to affiliate after leaving the EPC?

Rivera: Our Session doesn’t have a plan yet. If you ask me, we will probably join the Anchor Presbyterian Church¹ because it fits well with us. It is almost the same as the EPC but without the issue of same-sex attraction. We have women serving on the Session, and the Anchor group will allow for the ordination of women. We already have brothers and sisters who feel the same as us. We are not alone.

Plumb Line: Is it hard for you to leave the EPC?

Rivera: It is hard because we really experienced the feeling of family in the EPC. But now, we no longer trust each other or have the same mind — the mind of Christ. When we change the mind of Christ for cultural pressure, we allow the devil to come in. At our presbytery meeting in February, I used an analogy from baseball. I said, “What do you do with bad pitches? You don’t swing.” As I told the presbytery, we are choosing to swing at a bad pitch. It is very hard, because we had good relationships with our brothers and sisters. We worked together and thought we were in the right place. But as I said to one of our elders, we love the EPC, but we love God more.

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¹ Anchor Presbyterian Church is a new Presbyterian denomination that is in the formation process.