Background
In the ECO Polity and Discipline – Spring 2013 – the Presbytery is described, “Ordinarily, a presbytery shall be constituted of at least 10 but no more than 20 congregations, and geographically connected…”
At present, the original Great Lakes Presbytery (GLP) has 30 churches. In order to plan forward to meet the needs of these, and future, ECO churches in this geographic area (W.PA, W.NY, OH, N.KY, IN, MI,IL, and WI) the GLP has been working with the leadership of the ECO to multiply into two separate presbyteries; prepare for the GLP vote in October; design leadership teams to lead as Councils for both presbyteries; and move the action forward to the Synod for approval at the Synod Meeting in January 2016.
One presbytery would be the Rivers of Life Presbytery (in Western PA) and one presbytery would be the (new) Great Lakes Presbytery (extending west from OH to Eastern MO). Churches near the borders of states could be given the option to join the neighboring presbytery.
At present the eleven ECO (proposed as the new Great Lakes Presbytery) churches include:
Bethel PC, Columbus, OH
Bonhomme PC, Chesterfield, MO
College Hill PC, Cincinnati, OH
First PC Greenfield, OH
First PC Hannibal, MO
First PC Oostburg, Oostburg, WI
Fredericksburg PC, Fredericksburg, OH
Grace 242, Thiensville, WI
Household of Faith Christian Church (HFCC), Plainfield, IL
Northminster PC, Peoria, IL
River Valley Church, Covington, KY
There are seven churches presently in the ECO Application Process (date of application listed) within the borders proposed as the new Great Lakes Presbyterystates:
First PC Marion, Marion, OHSeptember 2014
Calvary PC, Logansport, INDecember 2014
New Life At Calvary, Cleveland, OHApril 2015
Lampstand PC, Decatur, ILAugust 2015
Forest Lawn PC, Marion, OHAugust 2015
Westminster PC, Aurora, ILSeptember 2015
The Church of the Straits, Mackinaw, MISeptember 2015
Therefore, the new Great Lakes Presbytery would start with a possible 18 churches.
At present there are 21 GLP churches in the new Rivers of Life Presbytery(W. PA):
Bridgewater PC, Beaver, PA
Center PC, New Castle, PA
East Brook PC, New Castle, PA
East Main PC, Grove City, PA
First PC of Greenville, Greenville, PA
First PC Waynesburg, Waynesburg, PA
Four Mile PC, Beaver, PA
Irwin PC, Stoneboro, PA
Leesburg, Volant, PA
McDonald PC, McDonald, PA
Middle PC, Mt. Pleasant, PA
Mingo Creek, Finleyville, PA
Neshannock PC, New Castle, PA
New Hope PC, Washington, PA
Paris PC, Burgettstown, PA
Plain Grove PC, Slippery Rock, PA
PC of West Middlesex, PA
Princeton Memorial PC, New Castle, PA
The Church of the ROCK, Oakdale, PA
Tower PC, Grove City, PA
Westfield PC, New Castle, PA
There are threechurches presently in the ECO Application Process (date of application listed) within the new Rivers of Life Presbytery:
Glenmoor PC, Liverpool, OH (could select OH or PA)March 2015
North Sandy PC, Utica, PAApril 2015
Meridian UPC, Butler, PASeptember 2015
Therefore, the new Rivers of Life Presbytery would start with a possible 24 churches.
Motion: Approverequesting that A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO) Synod (at their January 2016 Meeting) approves that the Original Great Lakes Presbytery multiply into two presbyteries: Rivers of Life Presbytery (Western PA); andthe new Great Lakes Presbytery(Ohio-PA border west to Eastern MO – including OH, MI, N.KY, IN, IL, WI, E.MO). Effective date would be January 26, 2016.