Almonte, Ont., RPC | Matt Dyck, pastor

The congregation is involved in the breakfast program at Almonte High School, a summer sports camp for local children (with the added benefit of providing leadership roles for our own youth), and a craft tent for the International Puppets-Up Festival. The congregation also provided a full Christmas dinner and music at local senior apartments and prepared a Christmas pageant and dinner that provided opportunities to invite family and friends to the church. Youth and adults planned a mission trip to Belize in March and have organized many community fundraisers such as yard sales, a volleyball tournament, a Valentine dance, leaf raking, professional development day programs (for children who have the day off school), and a Christmas market.

In cooperation with other local churches, Almonte RPC provides worship services at two nursing homes, helps with a monthly Seniors Friendship Lunch, helps organize the Easter “Walk of the Cross” throughout Almonte, and sings psalms at the yearly “Almonte in Praise.” The church has been privileged to sponsor a Syrian refugee, Alan Ibrahim. He had sought refuge in Cyprus and was attending the RP Church there. After much paperwork and delays, he arrived in September. He had full-time work in a week and has been a faithful employee and Christian witness.

—Ruth More, correspondent

Field Trip to a Long-Forgotten RP Cemetery

On an unusually warm Saturday afternoon on Oct. 31, eleven persons appeared for a field trip to a long-forgotten cemetery. No burials have occurred there since 1912, but most were much earlier, starting in 1833.

The Camp Run RP Cemetery is about 10 miles southeast of Rose Point RP Church in western Pennsylvania. At one time there was a horse-and-buggy road going past the church, but that has long since been abandoned. The cemetery is now a 15-minute hike from the nearest public road up a hill, over a meadow, and downhill through trees. Some cemetery markers have survived, but many unmarked graves also exist.

There was once an adjacent church building for the former Camp Run congregation, which began in 1818 as part of a circuit that included Pine Creek and Union and centered around Bakerstown. Rev. Thomas Cathcart Guthrie, D.D., born in Ireland, was installed pastor of this circuit in 1826. At the division of the RP Church in 1833, he and many members of his congregations left the denomination to join the New Light RP Church. He then pastored a portion of his new flock by forming a new congregation and building a new church, which was located just about one mile from Camp Run. There is a cemetery there, also.

This departure of Rev. Guthrie and the majority of the congregants left a remnant without a pastor. All the RP pastors in the area, along with about half of the members, affiliated with the New Light Reformed Presbyterians. The remaining members and ruling elders of Camp Run were included among the seven branches of the RP circuit and were now identified as Old School. From the remnant of these seven branches one new congregation was organized in 1834, and was named Slippery Rock (later changed to Rose Point in 1928). Rev. James Blackwood was called, ordained, and installed in May 1834 in this newly organized congregation. He pastored these seven branches primarily on horseback, covering an area about 200 square miles.

In about 1849 preaching was discontinued at Camp Run. In about 1852 the Portersville branch, much closer to Slippery Rock and more convenient to the Camp Run members, was started and a building purchased in 1864. This Portersville branch of Slippery Rock was closed in about 1887 and the building sold.

Recorded names of persons buried in the cemetery are: Gillespie, McElwain, Metheny, Miller, and Wright. Of special interest is that the parents of Dr. David Metheny, a pioneer RP medical missionary to Syria, are buried here. Both parents died in 1838, at ages 29 and 22, leaving their son David two years old. He was then raised locally by a grandparent and later by an uncle in Pittsburgh.

Some have asked who owns this cemetery and what can be done to preserve it. Investigations and research are currently in process.

This field trip certainly got the attention of a number of people who couldn’t attend, but for the ones who participated it was an unforgettable experience. Perhaps there will be another opportunity for others to see the graves of pioneer Reformed Presbyterians in this long-forgotten cemetery.

­—­By John M. Mitchell, clerk of session at Rose Point (New Castle, Pa.) RPC and RPCNA archive volunteer

Evangelical Presbyterian (Toronto, Ont.) RPC | Allan MacLeod, pastor

On Oct. 14, 2015, the Toronto, Ont., Evangelical Presbyterian Church was received into the St. Lawrence Presbytery of the RPCNA. Previously, the congregation had denominational ties to the Free Church of Scotland. However, when the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland voted to permit the use of human compositions as worship and the use of musical instruments to accompany singing in 2011, the congregation sought a North American denomination that aligned with their doctrinal position.

Ministry and fellowship opportunities include a weekly prayer meeting, youth activities, men’s breakfast, an annual congregational picnic, support of local and international missions, and a weekly English Language Learners program. Congregants also enjoy morning and evening worship, Sunday school classes, fellowship lunches, and psalm singing.

The church is in a prime location near a subway and major highway, in the heart of Canada’s largest metropolitan area of more than 6 million people. Due to local redevelopment, a new church building is currently under construction on their property.

First (Beaver Falls, Pa.) RPC | Steven Miller, pastor

The last few years have been years of change.

In Dec. 2013, Elders Matt Filbert and Tim McClain were installed as associate pastors. Both men preach quarterly at the church as well as perform many other duties. Pastor McClain preaches twice a month at the RP Home in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Pastor Filbert often preaches at the Franciscan Manor, a retirement home down the street from the church.

Following Pastor Bruce Backensto’s announcement that he would retire in May 2014, elections were held to call a new pastor. On June 1, Pastor Steven F. Miller was installed as the new pastor. Pastor Miller came from the Orthodox Presbyter­ian Church and has served the RP Seminary for 17 years as missions professor.

In preparation for the Millers’ arrival, the manse, which was built in the 1890s and had been a home for various seminary students and other young people for the last 8 years, underwent a full renovation.

On June 14, 2014, a “passing of the torch” event was held at a local restaurant to celebrate Pastor Backensto’s 19 years of service to the Geneva RPC and First RPC congregations (which merged in 2005) and to welcome Pastor Miller to the congregation. The transition from pastor to pastor was seamless, and the Backenstos have continued to worship with and be active in the congregation.

In spring 2015, things changed again. Pastor Miller was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease)—the same disease popularized by the “ice bucket challenge” on social media in 2014. The evidences of the disease had began to show themselves in Pastor Miller’s legs. He was having a hard time walking and had to be fitted for braces. As it became obvious that accessibility would be an issue and that Pastor Miller wanted to preach as long as possible, plans were drawn up to add a first-floor bathroom and bedroom to the manse.

From July to Sept. 2015, the congregation raised and exceeded its initial fundraising goal of $50,000. Every household has given or pledged to give to this endeavor. A yard sale and spaghetti dinner were held to raise funds and became a blessing in many ways as members met people in the community and shared the story. Construction began in August and is ongoing, but there is a first-floor bathroom and a framed addition.

The ALS has progressed slowly. Pastor Miller continues to teach a class at the seminary, to preach morning and evening, and to maintain weekly studies and meetings. This is a congregation full of pastors, retired and current, and members have learned a lot about how to pastor a pastor. Please pray as the congregation continues along this road. Please pray for Pastor Miller’s health and for the swift completion of the addition project.

—Heidi Filbert, correspondent