Overture 34

On Transferring First Presbyterian Church of McGehee, Arkansas from the Presbytery of the Pines to the Presbytery of Arkansas—From the Synod of the Sun.

The Synod of the Sun overtures the 217th General Assembly (2006) to move the First Presbyterian Church of McGehee, Arkansas, from the governance of the Presbytery of the Pines to the governance of the Presbytery of Arkansas.

Rationale

The Presbytery of the Pines approved dismissing this congregation on March 6, 2004.

The Presbytery of Arkansas approved receiving this congregation on September 21, 2004.

The Synod of the Sun approved this change in principle on October 29, 2004, and approved this specific overture on October 28, 2005.

The First Presbyterian Church in McGehee, Arkansas, is in Desha County, in the southeastern part of Arkansas. For many years, the folks in that congregation have gone to Little Rock, their state capital, for all kinds of services—recreation, medical needs, shopping, legal advice, and support. Their youth participate in the Youth Council in the Presbytery of Arkansas and for some time have enjoyed and benefited from the summer camping program at Ferncliff, the camp and conference center in the Presbytery of Arkansas. In addition to these tangible evidences of connection, they feel a part of the Presbytery of Arkansas. The congregation initiated this request for transfer.

Should this transfer be approved, the geographical boundaries of the Presbytery of Arkansas would read as follows:

The Presbytery of Arkansas shall consist of the following counties within the State of Arkansas: Arkansas, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clark, Cleburne, Conway, Craig-head, Crawford, Cross, Desha, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Greene, Hot Spring, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Lee, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Francis, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren, Washington, White, Woodruff, and Yell.

And furthermore, should this transfer be approved, the geographical boundaries of the Presbytery of the Pines regarding counties in the Sate of Arkansas would read as follows:

The Presbytery of the Pines shall consist of the following counties within the State of Arkansas: Ashley, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Cleveland, Columbia, Dallas, Drew, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Lincoln, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Ouachita, Sevier, and Union.

(Note: The list of parishes in the State of Louisiana which reside in the Presbytery of the Pines would remain unchanged if this overture were to be approved.)