North Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.) RPC

Harry Metzger, pastor

North Hills RPC is thankful for the Lord’s faithful care and provision. On Nov. 3, the congregation ordained and installed three new elders: Dave Ciarrocchi, Charles Horton, and Tracy Mee Jr. We thank the Lord for these faithful men and their desire to serve Him and His church. They join Pastor Harry Metzger, Pastor Martin Blocki, Pastor Matthew Ma, Luke O’Neill, Sam Spear, and Bill Weir as members of session.

On Jan. 25, the church held a special luncheon to celebrate Pastor Harry and Catherine Metzger’s 25 years of service to our church. The lunch was attended by approximately 130 current members and adherents. The younger children in the church had a special lunch with activities. Several speakers shared their gratitude for Harry and Catherine, and a booklet was prepared that contained written memories shared by members.

—Amy Mee, correspondent

Elkins Park, Pa., RPC

John Edgar, pastor

Our church is nicely situated in Abington Township and near Jenkintown Borough, two areas that have been touted as among the best places to live in America and the most livable city in Pennsylvania, respectively.

This makes our church a perfect choice for families looking to relocate or just spend a few hours worshiping in a welcoming church community. We have had some of our neighbors visiting our Sunday services, and our congregation is growing!

Some of that growth has come in the form of two blessed baby girls born in the last month! Esther was born to Moses and Sarah Song, and Kalaida Rain was born to David and Ashlyn Miranda. We also welcomed Joe Sullivan who publicly took his vows Oct. 13.

As our congregation grows, we are continuing to make improvements to our church building. We are moving in faith toward installing an elevator for those who have special needs.

—Kelly Jackson, correspondent

RPCNA Trustees Offer More Help with Buildings and Loans

The Building & Loan Committee, which is part of the Board of Trustees of the RPCNA Synod, is introducing some changes. The Lord has blessed the church with an increase in the amount of funds available for use. As His stewards, we would like to put the increase to work.

The limit that congregations can now borrow for building purchases is $300,000. This is up from the $175,000 maximum that had been in place for many years. The interest rate will be set at 3%. Any congregations that have an existing loan with an interest rate higher than 3% will have it lowered to 3% going forward.

The other criteria for building loans are essentially the same. Please reach out to RPCNA Treasurer Jim McFarland if you need more details or if you are interested in obtaining a loan.

Not all congregations need a new building, but many may need to make improvements to their existing facility. Given the increased funds available, the Trustees have decided to create a temporary grant program. This program will be in effect until Aug. 1.

The grant is for congregations to have improvements done to their existing building.

1. The grant would be a match up to $25,000 for a project. Only one per congregation.
2. The congregation would have to provide a quote(s) for the work to be done.
3. The grant application would have to be applied for by Aug. 1. Treasurer Jim McFarland can provide an application form to any congregation that is interested.

—Gerard Beckhusen

New Help Available for Servants of the Church

Mortgage rates today are considerably higher than they were a few years ago. Did you know that the RPCNA has funds available to help our pastors and employees of the denomination with their primary home mortgage?

The Board of Trustees of Synod recently made some changes to the rates and amount available to borrow to help our brothers and sisters. There is no longer a cap in the amount that can be borrowed. The amount that can be borrowed is now based on the ability to pay, up to 25% of income—that is, the monthly payment on the loan cannot exceed 25% of their monthly income. The interest rate is now based on the 20-year US bond rate plus 1%.

This translates to a rate better than a conventional mortgage. At the time of this writing, the average 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage is roughly 6%, and a 30-year is roughly 7.3%. The 20-year US bond rate is about 4.3%. Therefore, the interest rate for a RPCNA mortgage would be 5.3%. Prior to this change, the RPCNA rates were consistent with what could be obtained from a conventional bank.

Hopefully these changes will help those serving the church. If you are interested or would like more details, please reach out to the RPCNA Controller, Vida Brown, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

—Gerard Beckhusen