Christ builds His church both by bringing new saints into existing congregations and by beginning new ones. What follows is an account, not of the whole process, but simply of the last few steps, of what has recently been accomplished in Las Vegas, Nev., RPC (LVRPC). After that is an account of the spring meeting of the Home Missions Board (HMB).

On July 9, 2021, Edgar Ibarra was ordained and installed by a commission of the Pacific Coast Presbytery as the church-planting pastor for the Las Vegas RP mission work.

Nearly two years later, on Apr. 16, 2023, the congregation elected Sean Holm and Colin Pearson to the office of ruling elder, and Nathan Bell and Andy Motdoch to the office of deacon. (Eventually, and to our loss, Sean Holm and his family moved to St. George, Utah.) All of the men went through extensive training for their respective offices for about 10 months. Each was required to read the Directory for Church Government and the Book of Discipline. In addition, four books were assigned to each that focused on their respective office.

On Mar. 19, Colin Pearson was examined and sustained to the office of ruling elder by the Temporary Governing Body (TGB) of Las Vegas RPC. On Mar. 24, the communicant members of Las Vegas RPC submitted a petition for the organization of a new congregation to the Pacific Coast Presbytery. On Apr. 5, Nathan Bell and Andy Motdoch were examined and sustained to the office of deacon. On Apr, 6, the presbytery issued an edict for the organization of LVRPC. The Pacific Coast Presbytery Commission included Pastors Ryan Hemphill, Johnathan Kruis, and Hsing Tang.

The HMB had scheduled to meet for their spring meeting in Las Vegas Apr. 23–24. An invitation was extended for HMB members to also partake in the ordination, installation, and organization service scheduled for Apr. 20 at the Spring Meadows PCA meeting place in Las Vegas. Pastors Joshua Smith and Ryan Hemphill were able to participate in the service from the HMB. Ryan Hemphill preached the sermon from Matthew 16:13–20 and reminded us that the church is built on the Word of God and by the power of the Holy Spirit. He encouraged us that Jesus Christ alone is the king and head of the church. He urged us never to forget these truths, especially when we are under spiritual assault, which will certainly happen if we are faithful to King Jesus.

Pastor Hemphill read the queries to Pastor Ibarra for his installation as the pastor of the newly organized congregation. Pastor Kruis gave the charge to Mr. Pearson as the ruling elder. Pastor Hsing gave the charge to Mr. Bell and Mr. Motdoch for their office as deacons. At each instance, the PCA minister and elders who attended were invited to come forward to join in praying and laying on hands to ordain the elder-elect and deacons-elect. The deacons were also appointed as the trustees.

We are grateful to the session and deacon board of Spring Meadows PCA for allowing us to use their facility for the service and the participation of some of their officers in the service. The service was a great encouragement to the congregation of Las Vegas RPC.

On Monday, Apr. 22, Pastors Hemphill, Ibarra, and Smith went to hike around Red Rock Conservation Park, with its majestic scenery and a mountain range where the rocks are as red as the planet Mars. Afterward, Pastor Kent Butterfield and an adherent of LVRPC, Devin Chapple, joined them as they went to the College of Southern Nevada to share the gospel of Christ with students. We all had good interactions and engagements with the students. Almost everyone accepted a tract from us.

Then we went to the Art District to do the same. Pastors Butterfield and Ibarra had a prolonged discussion with a proprietor of a free art museum and her assistant. They had an opportunity to speak with them at length about Christianity and the arts, which led into a gospel presentation. We look forward to seeing what the Lord will do with those encounters.

On Apr. 23, the HMB provided a dinner for the congregation of LVRPC. Every communicant member who did not have to work in the evening attended. It was a sweet time of fellowship and encouragement. Pastor John Edgar fielded questions from the congregation, and there was good engagement. It was a good providence of our Lord Jesus Christ to have the HMB on site the same weekend in which LVRPC received its first ruling elder and deacons and became organized for the first time. The congregation had an enjoyable interaction with the elders from every presbytery. It was good for them to see and to hear from each other.

If you or anyone you know plans to visit Las Vegas, or ever wants to visit the Grand Canyon (you fly into Vegas), make sure you stop by and worship the Lord with us. You will be well received by a warm and loving congregation.

The HMB held its regular meeting in the large church where Las Vegas RPC rents space. John Edgar and Kent Butterfield led devotions to open the meeting each day. Two big-dollar requests came from the Midwest Presbytery. The Houston church plant was approved for a reducing aid grant, and Colombia, Mo., RPC was approved for its last three years. Two Chinese-speaking plants in the RP Church of Canada, Nissi and West Vancouver, were granted exploratory grants at the amount of $15,000 each. (The Synod of 2023 allowed the RP Church of Canada to remain a part of the HMB for five years after its organization as a separate denomination.) Oneonta, N.Y., RPC was awarded a $5,000 grant, and the Presbytery of the Alleghenies was given eight final months of support for Paul Martin to serve as their regional home missionary.

The HMB is already supporting Treasure Valley (Boise, Idaho) RPC and Las Vegas RPC with reducing aid. Bryan, Tex., RPC and Harrisonburg, Va., RPC completed their aid in 2023, and we rejoice to see that the Lord is blessing and sustaining each congregation. Hunter Jackson is about to complete a resident-in-training grant in Elkins Park, Pa., while Martin Monteith is in the early months of the program in Fulton, N.Y. The board continues to provide financial support to Tim McCracken as he serves prisoners in central California.

The board spent time reviewing its constitution, bylaws, and procedures. A committee presented proposals for various updates, clarifications, and revisions, and after some discussion and friendly amendments, the proposals were approved. Constitutional changes were approved by Synod 2024.

Having reviewed its procedures, the board decided to reiterate to the church its expectation that prospective church plants have 8 to 10 households committed to the work before applying for reducing aid.

The evangelism committee of the HMB has books and tracts to recommend. You can find this list on our Facebook page. The list is a work in progress that we hope to expand in coming years as time allows us to review other books, tracts, and perhaps evangelistic programs.

If you are on Facebook—we know several reasons not to be, but if you are—please follow the RP Home Missions page and pray for the concerns you find there. Please pray for the aid-receiving congregations listed above. And pray that your own congregation will also greatly participate in reaching the lost in your own community and seeing new congregations planted across the United States and Canada.