Texas Presbyterian Megachurch Considering Split From Presbyterian Church (USA)
First Presbyterian Church of Houston, founded in the 1840s with an estimated 3,000 members, will vote on a measure to terminate its affiliation with the denomination next Sunday.
Jim Birchfield, senior pastor at First Presbyterian, told The Christian Post that if the congregation votes to disaffiliate, it intends to join the new, more conservative Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians.
"We believe that affiliation with ECO will better allow us to fulfill our mission of 'carrying the gospel to Houston and the world'," said Birchfield. "ECO believes in living out the whole of the Great Commission -- including evangelism, spiritual formation, compassion and redemptive justice. Thus, the mission of ECO clearly supports FPC's mission to carry the gospel to Houston and the world and aligns well with our goal of becoming a more Gospel-centered, missional church as defined in Vision 2020."...