commissioners handbook - Evangelical Presbyterian Church

FRATERNAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT
36th General Assembly
Members of the Fraternal Relations Committee (FRC) are RE
Gwynn Blair (Florida), TE Gerrit Dawson, Chairman (Gulf South),
TE Gary McGhee (Mid-Atlantic), RE Tod Paulson (Rivers &
Lakes), RE Peter Pugliese (Alleghenies) and RE Sam Searcy
(West). The Committee met via teleconference on December 16,
2015 and April 6, 2016 discussing our current fraternal relations
with St. Andrews Presbytery in Argentina, as well as considering
two new avenues for fraternal relations with Reformed bodies.
Stated Clerk Jeff Jeremiah was in regular contact about fraternal
relations issues throughout the year.
Gerrit Dawson
Chairman
The Work of the Committee
1) Madagascar
First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, FL asked the committee to consider its request for
fraternal relations with The Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (Fiangonan'i Jesoa
Kristy eto Madagasikara or FJKM). The committee discussed this request,
acknowledging the unique situation: an EPC church in a significant partnership with a
denomination of the global church. FJKM was in fraternal relations with First-Orlando’s
former denomination. FJKM determined it could not continue its relationship with FirstOrlando unless there was a fraternal agreement with the EPC. The 2012 General
Assembly approved a spectrum of relationships the EPC may establish with other bodies.
These options were discussed thoroughly. The FRC approved unanimously
Recommendation FRC-1.
2) Mexico
In October, 2015 Moderator Mike Moses received a letter from National Presbyterian
Church of Mexico (INPM) Secretary Adolfo Arias Job. The EPC was invited to come to
Mexico City to meet with church leadership to discuss a potential partnership in church
planting in North America.
Moderator Moses, FRC chair Gerrit Dawson, Stated Clerk Jeff Jeremiah and two others
were hosted by leadership of the INPM Tuesday-Friday, March 1-4, 2016. The EPC
group visited the INPM national office, four churches, one of their seven seminaries, an
educational institute (pre-school through high school), a hospital as well as with the
leadership of each of these ministries. This gave the EPC group an excellent introduction
to the INPM. The warm welcome and generous hospitality by the hosts was
overwhelming. The ease with which heartfelt personal connections were made was
remarkable. The leadership of the INPM: President Amador Lopez Hernandez, Vice
President Ramirez Celis, Secretary Adolfo Arias Job and Treasurer David Monroy
Adane.
As a result of this meeting a draft fraternal agreement was written, exchanged and edited.
FR-1
The FRC approved unanimously a recommendation to the General Assembly found in
Recommendation FRC-2.
Recommendations to the General Assembly
Recommendation FRC-1
That the Assembly approve a fraternal agreement relationship with The Church of Jesus
Christ in Madagascar (Fiangonan'i Jesoa Kristy eto Madagasikara or FJKM) as described in
Act of Assembly 12-10.1.b: “A less formal relationship, which may include exchange of
information, exchange of observers, shared ministries and fraternal agreements at different
judicatory levels.”
Recommendation FRC-2:
That the Assembly approve entering a fraternal relationship with the National Presbyterian
Church of Mexico (INPM) according to the following agreement:
Fraternal Agreement between the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC)
and the National Presbyterian Church of Mexico (INPM)
English Version
Spanish Version
With the vision to strengthen and expand
the testimony of the unity of the Body of
Christ in Mexico and in the United States
of America, the Evangelical Presbyterian
Church (EPC) and the National
Presbyterian Church in Mexico (INPM) are
committed to establish a fraternal
relationship for the purpose of expressing
the unity of the Body of Christ through the
projects stated below.
Con la visión de fortalecer y expandir el
testimonio de la unidad del Cuerpo de
Cristo en México y los Estados Unidos,
Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) y
la Iglesia Nacional Presbiteriana de México
(INPM) nos comprometimos a establecer
una relación fraternal con el fin de expresar
la unidad del Cuerpo de Cristo a través de
los proyectos detallados a continuación.
The main purpose of this agreement will be
the formation of a relationship from EPC
Church (or Presbytery) to INPM Church
(or Presbytery), which will allow us to
consider new forms of missionary or
ministerial involvement, mutual learning,
and to unify our search for new and
relevant routes to the fulfillment of the
Great Commission (Mathew 28: 18-20).
We will pursue those relationships as
guided by the following foundational
principles:
El propósito principal de este acuerdo será
la formación de una relación desde la
Iglesia EPC (o sea consistorio) a la Iglesia
INPM (o sea consistorio), la cual nos
permitirá a considerar nuevas formas de
implicación misionera o ministerial,
aprender juntos, y unir nuestra búsqueda
para rutas nuevas y relevantes para el
cumplimiento de la Gran Comisión (Mateo
28:18-20). Buscaremos esas relaciones
guiados por las principales fundamentales a
continuación:
1. Our relationship will be characterized
by a spirit of love and reciprocity, open
1. Nuestra relación será caracterizada por
un espíritu de amor y reciprocidad, por
FR-2
dialogue, and commitment to mutual
learning. We will then strengthen our
partnership in a variety of ministerial
expressions, so that the relationship
between both denominations can be
deepened.
diálogo abierto, y por un compromiso
de aprendizaje mutual. En esa manera
fortaleceremos nuestra asociación en
varios expresiones ministeriales, para
que la relación entre las dos
confesiones puede crecer.
2. We will seek to identify opportunities
through which the members of both
Churches can serve and strengthen both
the EPC and the INPM through visits,
exchanges, and even by sending
ministerial personnel to both countries.
2. Procuraremos identificar oportunidades
en las que los miembros de ambas
Iglesias pueden servir y reforzar ambas
la EPC y la INPM por medio de visitas,
intercambios, y incluso por mandar
personal ministerial a ambos países.
3. Our shared mission activities will be
integrative. This means that we will
seek to incorporate all of the Gospel, in
words and actions, to the ministries of
physical needs, intellect, emotions, and
relationships with those whom we will
serve through the ministry.
3. Las actividades de nuestra misión
compartida serán integrantes. Este
significa que intentaremos incorporar
todo del Evangelio, en palabra y
acción, a los ministerios de
necesidades físicas, al intelecto, a los
sentimientos, y a las relaciones con los
vamos a servir a través del ministerio.
4. At the outset, the focus of our
relationship will be church planting in
the US and northeastern Mexico and
those related activities that would
support church planting. These may
include theological education,
missiology, women’s studies,
Assembly, synod and presbytery
collaboration, seminars educational
institutions and the development of
social outreach ministries.
4. Desde el principio, el enfoque de
nuestra relación será la instauración de
iglesias en los Estados Unidos y el
noreste de México y actividades
relacionadas que puedan apoyar la
plantación de iglesias. Estas
actividades pueden incluir formación
teológica, misiología, estudio para la
mujer, Asamblea, colaboración de
sínodos y presbiterios, seminarios,
instituciones de formación, y el
desarrollo de ministerios de
compromiso con la comunidad.
5. To meet the above objectives, the
INPM and the EPC agrees to mutual
recognition of the confessions,
ordination, ministry, and the
ecclesiastical government of one
another.
5. Para cumplir los objetivos anteriores,
la INPM y la EPC llegamos a un
acuerdo del reconocimiento mutual de
los confesiones, ordinaciones,
ministerios, y gobiernos eclesiásticos
de una a la otra.
On issues of mission and philosophy of
ministry, the signatories of this agreement
En cuanto a los asuntos de misión y
filosofía del ministerio, los signatarios de
FR-3
will be the same. If we find that changes
need to be made in this agreement, we
commit to mutual agreement as we address
them.
este acuerdo estarán de acuerdo. Si
encontramos la necesidad de cambiar el
acuerdo, nos comprometemos a abordarla
juntos.
The General Assembly of the EPC will be
responsible for nourishing this relationship
with the INPM. The General Assembly of
the INPM will be responsible to receive
and approve any agreement with the EPC,
and will be responsible to implement and
evaluate said agreement. Leaders of the
EPC and the INPM will gather at least once
a year with the objective of strengthening
our bond, deepening the agreed
commitments and discussing how to better
the agreement between our churches and
presbyteries. Through this agreement, each
church will provide their knowledge and
their resources for the mutual benefit of
one another.
La Asamblea General de la EPC será
responsable de fomentar esta relación con
la INPM. La Asamblea General de la
INPM será responsable de recibir y aprobar
cualquier acuerdo con la EPC, y será
responsable de implementar y evaluar
dicho acuerdo. Los líderes de la EPC y la
INPM se encontrarán por lo menos una vez
por año con objetivo de fortalecer el
vínculo entre nosotros, de profundizar los
compromisos acordados, y de discutir
cómo pudiéramos mejorar el acuerdo entre
nuestras iglesias y nuestros consistorios. A
través de este acuerdo, cada iglesia
proveerá sus conocimientos y recursos para
el beneficio mutual de ambas iglesias.
This agreement is signed the __________
of __________, _______.
Este acuerdo ha sido firmado el _______
de __________, __________.
This agreement will also be revised every
two years and it will be edited or modified
under both parties consensus.
Este acuerdo también será revisado cada
dos años y será editado o modificado con el
permiso de ambas partes.
________________________________
President. Pbro. Amador López Hernández
National Presbiterian Church of Mexico
__________________________________
Presidente. Pbro. Amador López
Hernández
Iglesia Nacional Presbiteriana de México
_________________________________
Dr. Jeffrey J. Jeremiah
Stated Clerk
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
__________________________________
Dr. Jeffrey J. Jeremiah
Stated Clerk (Secretario Permanente)
Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Respectfully submitted,
Gerrit Dawson
Chairman
June 2016
FR-4