People recently made my membership of my old city Church an issue. It was not an issue before. For years I have continued to fulfill my membership obligations, and the Church today continues to be, by law, my controlling body. Our parting memorandum casts some light on this -- which I have before me now. It may serve as a caution to other ministers.
• An attorney and I sat side by side and made handwritten notes on identical copies of a typed memorandum, with a minister present as witness. I would resign from ministry, but only once the terms of this agreement were fulfilled. Noted. Twice.
• As to what such fulfillment meant, the memorandum, dated 5 June 2013, shows two major items: eight years of pension to be paid out (this is at the top of the page), and my retirement housing (beneath).
• We agreed to exchange the two copies of the memorandum by e-mail, that same day. I sent my copy to the attorney at 3:05 pm (this copy still exists). But the attorney's copy didn't turn up at my side. She reneged.
• Then the Church reneged on the pension. When I asked after it, they pointed me to the meeting of 5 June 2013. I asked the attorney for a copy of the memorandum. She did not respond. I filed a legal request. She refused. I filed a legal appeal. She refused.
• In terms of the memorandum, my resignation would be finalised once its conditions were fulfilled. But they were not fulfilled. Thus my resignation was undated, and is still undated today. One can't turn back the clock of course, yet one can make good.
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