David Hall orchestrates coup against the members of Midway and its Biblically based constitution.
Earlier this year, the Midway Session reported 564 members to the PCA stated clerk’s office; however, in an email to the congregation last night, they claim there are now only 537 members. In the same email, the session stated there were only 66 valid names among the 90 signatures on the petition to recall David Hall. So what happened to the other 24 names? It’s a mystery.
The Book of Church Order (38-4) has strict rules for removing people from the roll, including contacting them and then the session can only remove that member after “diligently pursuing” them. Even then, if the session does remove a member from the roll, they must notify that member according to BCO 38-4. It now appears since the besieged elders have been suspended, the session have removed well over 10% of the church members without those members knowing that have been removed. This is not only a violation of the church’s bylaws and constitution, but also Georgia state code since all church members are also stakeholders in Midway Presbyterian Church Incorporated which holds title to all church property. None of us here at The Midway Guardian are surprised by these unethical actions. We stated earlier this week that David Hall would “twist and turn” the constitution to fit his own purposes. This time he has exposed the session to potential legal challenges.
To add to the drama, the Session has now called a congregational meeting for 9:45 next Sunday morning to vote to “continue” the church’s relationship with David Hall and to kick the four suspended elders off the Session. Presumably, all of this church business is to be handled in 15 minutes before Sunday School starts with certain people being barred from participating because they are no longer members. We are assuming David Hall, “expert” of church polity, will be presiding as moderator.
The justification for removing the four officers was emailed to select households of the congregation. They were asked to reply if they wished to add the names of the communing members of their household (including children) to a letter stating these four elders violated officer vows 5 & 6 and, therefore, should be recalled. This was in spite of the SJC recently acquitting RE Dudt of violating officer vows 5 & 6. In the same decision, the SJC declared the Talley Resolution is unconstitutional which is the basis of the stalled charges against the other three elders.
The session’s plan, as it appears, is for all of this to be discussed and voted on in a few minutes before Sunday School on July 24th. Once again, David Hall is using unconstitutional and unethical parliamentary procedures to mute the legitimate voice of the congregation. Last week, David Hall mocked the congregation for exercising their rights as a coup attempt. This week, David Hall is orchestrating an actual coup against the Midway congregation. Midway members, are you going let that happen?