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Special Presbytery of September 17, 2007
Prepared by Rev. Rudy
Poettcker
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Milton
CRPC Session sought advice since they had received a response from Sheboygan
regarding the charges against Rev. Frank Smith, and that Sheboygan dismissed
the charges based on a letter of defense which Rev. Smith wrote. Milton was
advised to appeal the actions of the Sheboygan Session; that a trial is
necessary.
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Rev.
Frank Smith also wrote a letter renouncing jurisdiction of the CRPC. It was
agreed that such action amounts to an unlawful action which is not at all
supported by our Book of Church Government and is a violation of his
covenant with the CRPC.
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The
Sheboygan Session also reported that they now hold the ministerial
credentials of Rev. Smith. It was agreed that the Session does not have the
authority to do so, based on the Book of Church Government (DCO 23:19,20).
The action of the Session amounts to usurping the authority of the American
Presbytery which in fact holds those credentials and must therefore be
requested to pass on those credentials to another authority, and until such
action is taken the American Presbytery of the CRPC continues to hold the
ministerial credentials of Rev. Smith.
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A letter
was received wherein the Revs. Frank Smith, Marty Waltho, Gene Osborn, and
Justin Stodghill declared their credentials to be removed and to have
renounced jurisdiction of the American Presbytery, along with the withdrawal
of the Sheboygan and New London churches. It was agreed that this action is
unlawful since it violates the covenant made within the American Presbytery.
Therefore charges must be brought against the three men (Smith, Waltho, and
Osborn), to be heard and tried at the November Presbytery. It was decided
that a committee will draft these charges and submit them to Presbytery, and
that the Clerk will send out the subpoenas for the trial. In regards to
Justin Stodghill, he has been defrocked and excommunicated and therefore he
is no longer a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, nor a minister of the
Gospel, and the American Presbytery no longer has jurisdiction over him.
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