If evil pervades the church, you should not shrink back from breaking with the church organization, and you should not rest until Zion is revived. ~ Abraham Kuyper (1883)

In this Special Edition of the Parrhesian Podcast, Nate, Peter and Kyle discuss the challenges within the local church, the opposition they’ve faced in their home church, and why they are seeking to leave the Evangelical Presbyterian Church denomination.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

November 8, 2022: Session meets for its regularly scheduled meeting, at which time Elder Brent Mock shares concerns with fellow elders on Session regarding Pastor Nate Devlin’s alleged behavioral and pastoral deficiencies.

November 15: Session meets with Elders Mock, William Sikes and Scott Moore regarding their concerns about Pastor Devlin.  The meeting lasts more than five hours.  At its conclusion, the three inform Session that their inquiry is over and they leave their concerns with Session.

January 17, 2023: Elder Mock, a licensed counselor, complies with Session’s request to recuse himself from future meetings due to a conflict of interest stemming from a counseling relationship he is engaged in.

January 24: Elders Moore, Sikes and Mock send a letter to Session, indicating they will be contacting the Presbytery of the Alleghenies (POA) regarding their concerns. 

March 9: The three file formal charges against Pastor Devlin, alleging pastoral deficiencies.

April 10: POA appoints a three-person Judicial Investigative Committee (JIC) to weigh the allegations.

May 3: JIC recommends formation of a novel three-member Mediation Committee, to seek reconciliation between the parties.  Committee members are named three days later.

May 16: In a letter to Rev. Dana Opp, Stated Clerk of the POA, Elders Mock, Moore and Sikes reject mediation.  “As the Spirit has worked in us,” they write, “our position on Pastor Nate has evolved throughout the Matthew 18 and Galatians 6 process to the point we believe the best thing for him and Christ’s Church is for him to resign or be removed.”

June 11: Special Called Meeting of the Congregation is held in the sanctuary, immediately following the worship service.  Each of the then eleven elders on Session summarize the situation, in their own words.  William Sikes, Brent Mock and Scott Moore are present.

June 14: The Mediation Committee requests that the JIC make a recommendation on the original charges.

August 1: The JIC recommends no indictment be filed against Pastor Devlin but that an Administrative Commission (AC) be formed to work with Session to resolve the conflict. The POA approves AC formation, and its five members, along with dismissal of the committees and charges against Pastor Devlin.

September 2: Administrative Commissioners convene “Focus Group” meetings at our church.  Focus groups are later held on the premises of two other local churches, Peters Creek Evangelical Presbyterian and Mt. Lebanon Evangelical Presbyterian.

September 16: At the regular POA meeting, AC issues its statement of “Actions and Recommendations.”  Among the measures it specifies: Elders Mock, Moore and Sikes and their spouses “cease any conversation (spoken or written) with others” about Beverly Heights, and pursue membership elsewhere.  Pastor Emeritus Rick Wolling and wife Mary are similarly admonished. 

Pastor Devlin is admonished to publicly repent of “impugning the character or motives (whether this was done in thought, spoken or written word, or action) of anyone who has expressed concerns about or disagreement with his ideas, behavior or authority as pastor.”

In addition, he is directed to take a three-month “sabbatical” beginning on or before October 15, 2023, for “personal and professional development.”  During the sabbatical, he is directed to disengage with the congregation, Session and church employees; undergo a “clinical psychological assessment by a qualified mental health professional of the Ministerial Committee’s choosing”; and abstain from alcohol for a year.  After the sabbatical, he is directed to engage in a four-point plan of personal and professional development, supervised by the Ministerial Committee.

The AC says it does not act to dissolve our Session but admonishes it to apologize orally and in writing for the manner in which the June 11 congregational meeting was conducted.  The Commission also admonishes Session to engage with the POA Church Development Committee’s coaching, encouragement and instruction program, which encompasses several developmental goals, and to make several revisions to the church bylaws.  Session is also directed to provide the AC with the official membership rolls and “those moved to inactive status since January 2022.” 

September 19: In a video conference call, as a follow-up to public disclosure of the report three days earlier, the Administrative Commissioners field questions from Pastor Devlin about its content.  The video features the following exchange between Commissioner Roger Rumer and Pastor Devlin.

“Was I found guilty of an offense?” Devlin asks.

“No,” Rumer replies.  

Devlin asks: “So the disciplinary language that’s on the front of the report that is quoted from the Book of Discipline …”

“That is a reference, yes sir,” Rumer replies.

“And the language of admonishment seems to be disciplinary language?” Devlin asks. 

Rumer replies: “It can be and it also can be wise advice. … So we wanted to make the point that this was carrying the full weight of the Presbytery, the authority of the Presbytery which had been given to the commission.”

“So, I’m not guilty of anything?” Devlin asks.

“Not yet,” Rumer replies. 

“But I have to repent?” Devlin asks.

Rumer replies: “Well, yeah, I did have some problems.  I’ll speak for myself.  We heard enough testimony from people who felt berated, belittled, you know challenged for even having a difference of opinion with you, that that needed to be owned.”

Rumer continues: “You have many people who recognize your gifts and your leadership qualities and I’m one of those.  And there are also many people that we heard first-person testimony from who’ve been hurt by the way you have done things.”

Devlin asks: “Would it be appropriate or possible for me to go to them directly?”

Commissioner Ray Kinat then says: “I’m not sure they would receive it well. … I think if it’s a public kind of thing that kind of includes everybody and isn’t really directly attributed to one specific person.”

Devlin says: “I just find that a little strange.  Our whole conception of an evangelical is for personal repentance with the offender.” 

September 27: BH holds its annual Congregational Meeting.  Pastor Devlin and Elder Dean Marshall, speaking on behalf of Session, offer statements of remorse regarding the current situation, and accept responsibility for the gap in trust between Session and the congregation.

October 3: Reacting to complaints from the dissidents about the conduct of the Sept. 27 meeting, the AC issues an ultimatum via email to the Session: notify us by Oct. 12 if you intend to comply with the report as written or if Session intends to seek dismissal from the EPC.

October 9: Devlin informs the congregation via email of his resignation as senior pastor, effective Sunday, October 15.  The lengthy email explains why “I am not an EPC pastor.”  In the section under “Personal Attacks,” Devlin writes:

“I have and continue to repudiate the false charges against me as I maintain my innocence. I have pursued peace and I have sought reconciliation with anyone who has claimed that I have wronged them. I have repeatedly asked for evidence of wrongdoing to be shared, but none was given. 

“I have repeatedly offered to my accusers and the POA to answer the charges but was never given the opportunity. The POA ultimately dismissed the charges, nevertheless, the attacks continued. I’ve received emails that are disrespectful and threatening, anonymous emails that are insulting and demeaning, and I’ve been publicly reviled and chastised at congregational meetings.

“I understand that pastoral ministry is uniquely challenging, and I am willing to bear the cost of the call, but the level of disrespect for the office of pastor that I have observed over the last several years has been disheartening. I am no longer willing to allow myself and my family to be further denigrated in front of the congregation by resentful parishioners.”

October 9: Later that same day, Clerk of Session Andy Lucas informs the congregation that the Session five days before had unanimously voted to request dismissal from the EPC.  

“After hours of deliberation and days of prayer,” Lucas writes, “Session believes that the report issued by the AC and the process undertaken by the POA were unjust.  As we have worked closely with the POA and the EPC over this past year, it has become increasingly apparent that our church is misaligned with the EPC as a denomination. There are core disagreements between our church and the POA about how a local church should function and operate. In short, the POA has made it clear that the church the Lord has been building for the past several years is not compatible with the EPC.”

October 15: Six-week class begins during the Adult Christian Education hour on the misalignment between Beverly Heights and the EPC.  Entitled “Right Alignment,” commencement of the class coincides with Pastor Devlin’s departure as senior pastor.

October 29: Immediately following the conclusion of the worship service, the first of two meetings are convened in our sanctuary, acting on Session’s request for dismissal from the EPC.  This first meeting lasts nearly four hours as the Administrative Commissioners in attendance respond to many questions from the congregation about the conduct of their inquiry.  The AC postpones a congregational vote on acceptance of Pastor Devlin’s resignation, saying the official rolls are not yet certified.

November 15: Session votes to invite Pastor Nate and his family back to worship at Beverly Heights. The invitation is sent on November 16.  Elder Lucas, on behalf of Session, asks in an email that the AC clarify the reasons it is seeking to restore 15 disputed members to the voting rolls for the February 4 ballot.  “We believe the claim of impropriety for many of these members to be incorrect, and believe members were properly moved to inactive or dismissed,” Lucas writes. 

November 17: Responding to Lucas’ email, Commissioner Roger Rumer writes: “Whether or not Session has questions about the reasons for the Commission’s decisions in each case is immaterial at this point. As we wrote on November 13th: ‘To be clear, the Commission’s decisions following the membership audit stand until such time a decision of a higher court of the EPC might reverse any part or parts of it. Should Session not revalidate memberships as directed above, the Commission will have clear grounds to contest any vote on February 4th as not meeting the requirements of [Book of Government] 5-10.’ ”

November 22: Session responds to the AC’s November 17 email with additional evidence regarding the members the AC asserts were improperly removed.

November 30: The AC responds to Session’s email of November 22.  In addition to rejecting challenges to restoration of past members, the Commissioners tell Session they will not allow 24 new members to vote on February 4 either, even though they explicitly state that they recognize the legitimacy of those new members and acknowledge Session’s right to add them to the rolls.

December 4: Session responds to the AC in a lengthy and detailed email, refuting the AC’s decisions.

December 5: Writing on behalf of the Commissioners, Roger Rumer responds to the email.  He informs Session that the AC is done listening to challenges to its authority.  “The AC believes there are abundant grounds to substantiate charges of contempt against [Teaching Elder] Devlin and each individual member of Session for not abiding by the actions and recommendations of the AC received by Presbytery on September 16th,” Rumer writes.  “The AC is recommending to Presbytery by Called Meeting that [contempt] charges be filed and a judicial process be instituted at the February 24th Stated Presbytery Meeting. While the AC is grieved to have to recommend ecclesiastical charges, we believe we have been more than patient in doing so.”

December 15: The POA sends an email to the entire Presbytery announcing a called meeting on December 28 for the purpose of receiving and acting on charges of contempt filed by the AC.

December 28: The POA presents the charges of contempt from the AC, at its called meeting of the Presbytery held via Zoom.  Of note, clarifying questions are not permitted to be asked regarding the document and its contents, though Commissioner Ray Kinat is allowed to provide clarifying comments on behalf of the AC.  The vote to allow the charges to move forward is passed by majority vote.  In addition, POA Clerk Dana Opp says during the meeting that Pastor Devlin is still the senior pastor of Beverly Heights, as his resignation hadn’t been voted on and approved by the congregation.

January 2, 2024: Pastor Devlin, now under contempt by the POA from which he thought he had resigned, rescinds his letter of resignation, and Session votes to grant the rescission by unanimous vote.

February 4: The congregational meeting from October 29 will resume, acting on Session’s request to be dismissed from the EPC.