PA Church Departs EPC After 16 Months of Wrangling
After 16 months and two civil lawsuits, a church in western Pennsylvania has officially split from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC).
Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church began its effort to disaffiliate from the EPC in October 2023 with a congregational meeting. It held its final vote on Jan. 26, 2025, with 88% of members voting in favor of disaffiliation. However, the church had to wait until the February presbytery meeting to see if the EPC would acknowledge its removal.
The Presbytery of the Alleghenies, the division of the EPC that had jurisdiction over Beverly Heights, met on Saturday, Feb. 15. It voted to “acknowledge the departure” of Beverly Heights from the EPC once it received confirmation that the civil suits and complaints to the EPC’s general assembly had been withdrawn.
Roger Rumer, chair of the presbytery’s administrative commission involved in the Beverly Heights dispute, called the interactions with the church “very unusual” and said the presbytery found the leaders’ actions to be improper and unconstitutional. Because the presbytery believes Beverly Heights did not follow the proper process for dismissal, the EPC acknowledged their departure but did not “dismiss” them.
On Tuesday, Feb. 18, the church filed its withdrawal motion with the Pennsylvania courts and also sent a letter to the EPC stating that it no longer plans to pursue any of the complaints against the presbytery.
Rumer also confirmed that the Presbytery of the Alleghenies does not plan to initiate any civil litigation against the church or its leaders.
“After 18 years of association, we believe God has called our congregation to separate from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church,” Beverly Heights pastor Nate Devlin told MinistryWatch. “We are grieved over this separation, but we believe it was necessary due to the rapid theological and progressive drift of the denomination. More than that, we are appalled that it took two years and two civil lawsuits for the Presbytery of the Alleghenies to acknowledge the will of this congregation.”
One of the big sticking points in the dismissal action by Beverly Heights was a disagreement between the church and the presbytery over the rolls of qualified voters entitled to participate in the exit vote. They tried to negotiate a settlement over the voting rolls and other issues at least twice but could not reach a resolution.
According to Rumer, Devlin was “removed from office” as pastor of Beverly Heights on Jan. 23. He was found guilty of immorality based on violations of the ninth commandment for making “misleading statements regarding the presbytery” and “making disparaging statements about fellow elders,” Rumer said.
At one point, the charges against Devlin also referenced his communications with MinistryWatch as a means of sowing division and disparaging the EPC.
Devlin told MinistryWatch that he didn’t learn that he had been deposed until the Monday after the Jan. 26 dismissal vote. “I’d rather be removed from office than violate my conscience,” Devlin said.
In the closing statement at the January trial, Devlin and the Beverly Heights elders said, “We have consistently acted in good faith, driven by a deep love for our church, and we are not guilty of the charges against us.”
About charges that Devlin and BHPC have disparaged others, they said, “This is an attempt to suppress dissent and protect an image of respectability, and the perception of decency, rather than faithfulness to Scripture. This is a developing pattern that, regrettably, we have seen within the EPC at large.”
Both sides have expressed their prayers for peace and well-being for the other party.
“I pray that the EPC thrives in the years ahead; I also believe it can only do so if the denomination undergoes serious reform,” Devlin said.
“As it stands, I pray for the Spirit to work in your lives and, as unlikely as it sounds, for us to be reconciled at some point in the future,” Sean Hall, a presbytery member involved in the trial wrote in an email to Devlin and the Beverly Heights elders.
Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church will maintain its name and its assets. In regards to moving forward, Devlin told MinistryWatch: “Our plan is to remain independent for a season as we recover from this ordeal and discern if/where God might be leading us next regarding denominational affiliation.”
This article has been republished with permission from Ministry Watch.
Kim Roberts is a freelance writer who holds a Juris Doctorate with honors from Baylor University and an undergraduate degree in government from Angelo State University. She has three young adult children who were home schooled and is happily married to her husband of 28 years.