Questions are mounting concerning who is and who is not a church member just days before a congregational meeting is scheduled to potentially remove several elders.
The Midway Guardian has learned that a formal request was made to the clerk of the Midway Session by several church members asking for a copy of the membership roll. The Midway Clerk of the Session response was that he has no intention of granting that request. The controversy begun when the Session announced Saturday evening that 24 signers of the petition to call a congregational meeting were disqualified for not being members. Since then, we have learned that the organizers of the petition have reached out to each of the signers. It appears that none of the signers have been contacted by the session concerning their membership status. BCO 38-4 requires lots of communication in order to remove someone from the roll: therefore, it appears that any members that were removed were not removed in accordance with the church constitution.
By denying the members their request to see the roll, the clerk and what is left of the session may have violated Georgia law. Georgia Code for non-profit corporations 14-3-720(b) states: The list of members must be available for inspection by any member for the purpose of communication with other members concerning the meeting, beginning two business days after notice is given of the meeting.
We here at The Midway Guardian are not naïve enough to think anyone on the pastoral staff or what is left of the session cares about Georgia Code:
- These are the same men that have unapologetically convicted an elder of unbiblical charges.
- These are the same men that refuse to fully restore that elder to the session in defiance of the Standing Judicial Commission.
- These are the same men that charged three more elders for filing a constitutionally permitted and credible letter with the General Assembly.
- These are the same men that continue process against the three elders after the presbytery commission told them to drop the charges.
- These are the same men that refuses to apologize to the congregation after being recommended to do so by a presbytery commission.
- These are the same men that remove members from the roll based on their own criteria and not based on the constitution of the church.
- These are the same men that have rigged the nomination process for elders for years.
Georgia law? We’re sure these are same men that will just laugh at that.