The congregation held a meeting after the morning service to vote to dissolve its pastoral relationship per the BCO.
Pastor Knox submitted his letter of resignation to the church session in the June 21 stated session meeting. The session issued an announcement on June 27 in the weekly email used to distribute links to the church bulletin. The meeting was held on Sunday, July 11, in accordance with the announcement.
No official head count was reported, but eyewitness accounts report that over a hundred members were present.
Senior Pastor David Hall, serving as moderator, opened with a short prayer and explanation of the purpose of the meeting. He then ceded the floor to Pastor Knox so that he could address the congregation. He did so, opening his remarks by directing members to turn to the Great Commission in the Bible, found in Matthew 28:18-20. After reading the text, he thanked the congregation, its pastors and session, and his wife for the opportunities and support these last six years.
After returning the microphone to the moderator, one church member rose to make a short speech. Speaking in opposition to the motion to dissolve the pastoral relation on the basis that the Northwest Georgia Presbytery judicial commission had determined multiple times that the meeting to elect the associate pastors was unconstitutional, he stated that he thought that the action was not necessary. He thanked Pastor Knox for his service and commended to the congregation the pastor’s online ministry, then shook the pastor’s hand in a gesture of peace and friendship.
There were no others who rose to speak. The moderator then moved to vote by a show of hands for those in favor, those opposed, and those abstaining. The vote carried by overwhelming consent, ratifying the end of Pastor Knox’s employment with Midway effective July 31.
This congregational meeting to dissolve the relationship with an associate pastor was held one week shy of a year since the controversial congregational meeting was held to elect the associate pastors.
It was also the first meeting in which Midway dissolved its relationship with an associate pastor since the controversial meeting that dissolved the relationship of Pastor Gene Hunt that split the church over a decade ago.