Briarwood Policies and Statements
BOOK OF CHURCH ORDER
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Access The Book Of Church Order
Current Edition
Includes all amendments approved up to and including the 47th General Assembly, in Dallas, Texas on June 24–28, 2019.
Published by
The Office of the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America
Distributed by
Committee on Discipleship Ministries
1700 North Brown Road, Suite 102
Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043-8143
(800)283-1357
Designated Gifts Policy
Briarwood Presbyterian Church has established a mercy fund to assist people in financial need. From time to time, the Mercy Committee may set aside certain amounts out of the general mercy fund to meet a particular mercy need. While Briarwood welcomes contributions to the general mercy fund, it has established certain policies regarding contributions in order to assure that donations are made for tax-exempt purposes – that is, to assure that the gifts are to or for the benefit of a charitable organization and not a specified individual. We appreciate your respecting the policies below:
1. Directions regarding donations to a specific individual are advisory rather than mandatory. That is, the administration and disbursement of all mercy funds are subject to the exclusive control and discretion of the Mercy Committee and specific designations may not be followed. Donations should not be made if you do not agree that they will be subject to the discretion of the church officers designated above.
2. Amounts set aside for a particular mercy need by the Mercy Committee have a limited duration. Budget remaining at the end of the year will revert to the general mercy fund.
THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION
AT THE STATED MEETING OF THE BRIARWOOD SESSION JANUARY 26, 2010, THE FOLLOWING MOTION WAS APPROVED:
The Session encourages each member of our church to thoughtfully and prayerfully consider signing the Manhattan Declaration. In an effort to serve our congregation, we further recommend that we provide our church and community with the appropriate information, education, and resources regarding the Declaration.
Why Sign the Manhattan Declaration?
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION
Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.
We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:
- The sanctity of human life
- The dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
- The rights of conscience and religious liberty.Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION
THE BRIARWOOD STATEMENT
The Briarwood Statement is a prayerfully developed distillation of biblical truth focused upon equipping the Lord’s people to “speak the truth in love,” specifically and effectively to those who are in the seemingly unbreakable bondage of homosexuality. It is presented here in two versions:
The Briarwood Statement with the Scriptural text
Press Releases
March 2023 – Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee
December 2021 – Homegoing of Dr. Frank M. Barker Jr
June 2022 – St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
What Constitutes a Christian Marriage?
Report to the Briarwood Presbyterian Church Session on what constitutes a Christian Marriage in light of the Alabama Marriage Certificate Statute.