Session refusing to hear a complaint?

[PhilalethesIrenaeus]

This would be OPC. What recourse is there for this? I’ve tried to reach the clerk of presbytery to no avail.

Their reason for refusing to hear the complaint is that it was not considered a legitimate complaint.

 

[jduguid]

1. Are you a member of the church whose session you are complaining against?
2. Was the complaint brought within three months of the alleged delinquency or error?
3. How long has your complaint been with the session and clerk of presbytery? Have they responded telling you why they won't hear it?

 

[PhilalethesIrenaeus]

1. Are you a member of the church whose session you are complaining against?
2. Was the complaint brought within three months of the alleged delinquency or error?
3. How long has your complaint been with the session and clerk of presbytery? Have they responded telling you why they won't hear it?

I am a member of the church.
Yes, it was brought within three months.
It was only with the session for a day before they replied that they would not receive it. They only reason given was that it was illegitimate.

This rejection was within the last several weeks. I reached out to the clerk of presbytery but they have not replied.

I did not bring the complaint to the clerk of presbytery because I wasn’t sure how to do that since the session outright refused it.

 

[jduguid]

Ok, a couple practical questions:

1. Have you talked informally about this issue with the pastor or an elder? Any attempt to follow up with questions about why it was illegitimate? I would think they ought to explain that to you.
2. Have you tried following up with the clerk of presbytery to get a confirmation that he received your correspondence?

If the Session really is delinquent in even receiving your complaint, I would think you have a couple options: (1) Make a separate complaint to the Session against their action of not receiving your compliant. (2) Simply interpret the refusal to receive the complaint as "refusing to make amends," per OPC Book of Discipline IX.3, and appeal the complaint to presbytery. Obviously option (2) is a little simpler procedurally.