Breakaway Presbyterians launch new church body
Conservative Presbyterians have formed an alternative to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which they say is too consumed by internal conflicts and bureaucracy to nurture healthy congregations.
The movement toward a "new Reformed body," made official January 18–20 in Orlando, Florida, had drawn growing interest—but not necessarily commitment—after the PCUSA voted to lift its longtime ban on gay clergy.
More than 2,000 people attended the Orlando event, but a straw poll indicated that most had not yet decided whether to leave the denomination of about 2 million members, according to the Presbyterian Outlook, an independent magazine. In a pregathering survey, 60 percent responded that they were in "a period of discernment" about denominational alignment, said a key leader, John Crosby, pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina, Minnesota.
