Santa Barbara "Union Presbytery" Plan Found Unconstitutional

A Synod Permanent Judicial Commission has struck down one presbytery's plan to form a union with a "presbytery" of ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, saying that "the requirements of ECO... exist beyond the boundaries of what it is understood to be Reformed."On June 2, 2012, the Presbytery of Santa Barbara voted to form a "union presbytery" with the Presbytery of the West of ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.The Session of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church of Santa Barbara and a number of individual presbyters, troubled by the action, filed a remedial complaint against the Presbytery.  Covenant Network Director Doug Nave represented the complainants.A trial was held by the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii on November 9, and the SPJC issued a unanimous ruling that "declares null and void the actions taken by Santa Barbara Presbytery at their called meeting of June 2, 2012 wherein the Plan for Union was approved."Read the full decision here.