Cornerstone Presbytery met March 1, 2025, with Jackson First Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Tennessee. Vice Moderator Amber Donnell opened the meeting before handing the gavel to Moderator Rev. Carey Womack. Amber Donnell was elected moderator for the coming term, and Rev. Peter Jeffrey was chosen as vice moderator. Among the key actions of the presbytery were reports from the commissions to ordain and install Rev. Doug Scott and Rev. Juan Cabezas. Doug Scott was formally ordained and installed as pastor of the Gleason Cumberland Presbyterian Church, while Juan Cabezas was ordained and installed as associate pastor of the Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Matthew Espey’s name was removed from the roll of candidates. Four individuals were received as candidates: Kenneth Morgan of Lexington CPC, Samuel Rodriguez and Sofia Rodriguez of Church at the Park, and Trey Cook of Jackson First CPC. In addition, Jonathan Calheiros and Mitchell Newby were granted licenses to preach. Presbyters approved the endorsement of Church at the Park as a new church development. Presbytery received a communication from Lexington CPC requesting recognition of their pastor, Rev. William Jones, in honor of his 25 years of service to their congregation. Presbytery received a request from First CPC of Humboldt to disaffiliate from the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination and be dismissed from Cornerstone Presbytery. In support of this process, presbyters were provided with a copy of the “Guidelines for Changes in Congregational Affiliation,” adopted by the General Assembly in 2024. The letter from the Humboldt congregation recounted its origin as the Pleasant Hill Church, over 100 years ago, and affirmed its long-standing faithfulness within the Cumberland Presbyterian tradition. However, the letter also detailed the congregation’s concerns following a 2021 action by the former West Tennessee Presbytery to receive an openly homosexual woman as a candidate for the ministry. That decision, according to the congregation, catalyzed renewed discussions about disaffiliation, which were further shaped by their involvement in forming Cornerstone Presbytery in 2022. Ultimately, the letter noted, the congregation came to believe that a formal denominational division was not likely to occur in the foreseeable future. After a lengthy period of discernment, and with more than 80 percent of the congregation in favor, the Session voted unanimously on October 2, 2024, to seek disaffiliation. In response to the request, presbytery appointed a commission to engage with the Humboldt congregation. The commission is composed of Elder Lisa Blalock (Holly Grove CPC), Rev. Corey Cummings (Judicial, Theology, & Social Concerns Committee), Rev. Dr. Joey Edwards (Executive Council), Rev. Rob Harris (Missions & Evangelism Committee), Rev. Dr. John Lowrance (Trustees Committee), and Elder Jim Turner (Committee on Ministry and Probationer Care). As part of the presbytery’s continuing effort to improve communication, pastors and congregations that had not yet done so were encouraged to install the WhatsApp messaging platform.