At its April 2019 meeting, the EPC National Leadership Team (NLT) addressed a variety of topics related to its scope of overseeing the continuing work of the General Assembly between stated meetings. The spring meeting—held April 9-10 at the Office of the General Assembly in Orlando—is one of four in-person gatherings each year.
Among the items finalized at the meeting were several recommendations for the 39th General Assembly to act on in June. The Assembly will be held June 19-21 at Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in suburban Denver, Colo. Also approved for consideration by the Assembly were the 2019-2020 Special Projects and a preliminary FY2020 EPC operating budget.
“The NLT is proposing some revisions to the Book of Order and Rules for Assembly that should help clarify some questions that have arisen over the years,” said Jeff Jeremiah, EPC Stated Clerk. “These include the office of Pastor and Candidates Under Care, as well as language in the Rules that address the membership of the Nominating Committee and creating separate Church Planting and Revitalization committees to convene at our GA.”
The group also heard reports from Jeremiah on the state of the EPC; Assistant Stated Clerk Jerry Iamurri on the Candidates Educational Equivalency Program (CEEP); Phil Linton, Director of EPC World Outreach; Phil VanValkenburg, Chief Operating Officer; the Nominating Committee; and the Revelation 7:9 Task Force. The members of the NLT also expressed their appreciation to outgoing chair Dean Weaver from the Presbytery of the Alleghenies and Sabra Carman from the Presbytery of the Midwest.
In addition to Weaver and Carman, members of the National Leadership Team are Chris Danusiar, Ruling Elder from the Presbytery of the Rivers and Lakes; Nancy Duff, Teaching Elder from the Presbytery of the Pacific Southwest; Phil Fanara, Ruling Elder from the Presbytery of the East; Michael Gibson, Ruling Elder from the Presbytery of the Great Plains; Rob Liddon, Ruling Elder from the Presbytery of the Central South; Rosemary Lukens, Ruling Elder from the Presbytery of the Pacific Northwest; Glenn Meyers, Ruling Elder from the Presbytery of the Alleghenies; Luder Whitlock, Teaching Elder from the Presbytery of Florida and the Caribbean; and Moderator-Elect Case Thorp, Teaching Elder from the Presbytery of Florida and the Caribbean.
The next meeting of the National Leadership Team is scheduled for August 20-21.