At 8:40 a.m. retiring moderator (and recently retired pastor) Bruce Martin dropped the gavel on the 188th Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. This Synod is unique in that it is being held concurrently with the Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, both convening on the campus of the RPCNA’s Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa.
The Synod opened with the singing of Psalm 99A from The Book of Psalms for Worship. Nineteen people who are first-time delegates were introduced to the court along with fraternal delegates and Synod pages.
Synod elected its moderator, Pastor Andy McCracken (Columbus, Ind., RPC), and re-elected clerk John McFarland and assistant clerk Charles Brown. Some servants of the church who have passed away since the last meeting of Synod were remembered: teaching elders Steven Miller and Roy Blackwood; ruling elders George Masson, Robert Shapiro, and John Wilkey; missionaries Jerry Hayenga (from Indian mission, 2009) and Orlena Lynn Boyle; and pastor’s wife Nadzieja J. McMillan.
Synod then took up the body of communications that had been sent to it through lower courts. The Business of Synod Committee made recommendations for how these would be handled.
An appeal by Rev. Jeff Yelton of an action of Midwest Presbytery was referred to the judicial committee to report back to this Synod.
Communication 19-1 proposes that past actions of Synod no longer be part of the law and order of the RPCNA. It argues that it has been impossible for synods and sessions to know and consider 220 years of Synod actions when making each decision. What’s more, how past Synod actions are to be considered alongside the Constitution is nowhere explained. The communication contends that this provision creates a loophole where any given Synod can make a decision altering the law and order of the church without having to send the decision down in overture to the sessions. This communication comes from Immanuel (West Lafayette, Ind.) RPC with the endorsement of Great Lakes–Gulf Presbytery. The Business of Synod Committee (BOSC) recommended that Synod vote on this and, if it passes with the required 2/3 vote, send it down to session in overture.
Communication 19-2 would ease a requirement on someone who seeks to file a complaint of a court action, such that they would need to indicate their intent to file within 30 days rather than indicate it immediately. This comes from Presbytery of the Alleghenies in response to a paper. Synod will take up the matter this week.
Communication 19-3 comes from Japan Presbytery asking for clarification of RPCNA mission principles. This arises from a joint statement of RP Global Mission Board and Home Mission Board principles introduced last year that will be taken up again this year. The Business of Synod Committee recommended (and Synod agreed) that the Japan Presbytery prepare a proposed document on mission principles, including where it sees things differently from the Global Mission Board, and submit it to a future synod.
Communications 19-4 and 19-5 come from Rev. Bill Edgar with Atlantic Presbytery’s endorsement. They request that board minutes be reviewed at each Synod, and that all board/agency employees’ salaries be made public. This will be debated/decided at this Synod.
Communication 19-6 forwards a position paper, “Wine in the Lord’s Supper.” The communication from Midwest Presbytery requests that Synod review the merits of the paper and offer guidance for sessions “in how to proceed in administration of communion in light of Synod’s 2017 ruling.” This communication is separate from a judicial appeal (above) that involves the same paper. This motion failed, and the paper was returned to its author.
Communication 19-7 from Pacific Coast Presbytery requests a small change in the Constitution from “English Bible” exam to “Bible Knowledge” exam to accommodate ministerial candidates who are being trained for work in non-English-speaking contexts.
Synod went into executive session to discuss the report of the Park City Judicial Commission, which had been created in response to a communication last year containing allegations of Synod regarding its handling of a situation in the former Park City, Kan., RPC several decades ago. Following executive session, a new motion to lay the commission report on the table indefinitely passed by more than the necessary 2/3 margin.
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church joined with the RPCNA for a worship service. After Psalm 89D was sung, Rev. Bruce Martin delivered the retiring moderator’s sermon on 2 Chronicles 22:10–23:21. This passage speaks of the difficulty of living a life that is not under the Davidic king, and yet the Davidic line was preserved. God had a purpose for Athaliah but also in preserving the line of King of kings. Many of us live today under ungodly rulers and yet with the King of kings present and powerful.
In the afternoon, all North American presbyteries met briefly and then reported to the Synod. A time of prayer for the presbyteries followed. (For highlights from each of the presbyteries, see the end of this report.)
A few other reports were heard this afternoon. The Presbyterian & Reformed Commission on Chaplains & Military Personnel oversees 207 military chaplains and 72 civilian chaplains. RPCNA Chaplain (Col.) Kelly Moore (Army) is serving at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., and will soon be transferred to Fort Eustis, Va. Chaplain (Capt.) Patrick Stefan (Army) began active-duty service last August and is assigned to the First Armored Division in Fort Bliss, Tex. He has had to perform three memorial services for fallen soldiers since then. He is expected to deploy in 2020. Chaplain (Capt.) Derek Moore serves with the Wyoming Army National Guard in addition to pastoring the Laramie, Wyo., RPC. The RPCNA also has a hospice chaplain (Dan Bartel) and a chaplain candidate (Sean Holm). The commission revised its handbook with a newly titled section, “Religious Ministry in a Culture of Gender Confusion,” to provide more specific advice to its chaplains regarding the application of Reformed standards to their current context.
The Interchurch Committee helped to plan this concurrent synod with the ARP Church and also helped coordinate preaching by ARP pastors in several nearby congregations.
In the evening there was another joint session, this time led by the ARP Church, as they announced newly ordained pastors, recently retired pastors, and heard their retiring moderator’s address. New moderator Leslie Holmes (provost, Erskine Seminary) announced the year’s theme in the ARP Church: “Building Healthy Churches, and Birthing Healthy Christians.” He emphasized the seriousness and the costliness of the battle we are in and the importance of inward vitality and outward focus.
Fraternal addresses were delivered to the joint session from delegates of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church in America, and the United Reformed Churches—all three with which the ARP and RPCNA share fraternal relations. They heard from Heritage Reformed Churches and Canadian Reformed Churches, which are observers to the RPCNA, and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church that is in fraternal relations with the ARP.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) will feature another dawn-to-dusk agenda, with joint worship in the morning and joint workshops in the afternoon covering missions, institutions, and ministries of the ARP and RPCNA.
–Drew Gordon, editor of the Reformed Presbyterian Witness
Daily Reports: rpwitness.org
Occasional updates: Facebook.com/RPSynod
Photo of retiring moderator courtesy Schneider Photography
PRESBYTERY REPORTS
Presbytery of the Alleghenies—Last year, the candidates committee was charged with developing alternative methods for conducting exams. A subcommittee has worked diligently to draft a written examination for the first-level test in systematic theology and distinctive principles. The tentative plan is to adopt the final test this fall, with implementation beginning in spring 2020.
Atlantic Presbytery—There are three vacant churches in the presbytery: Coldenham-Newburgh (N.Y.), Ridgefield Park (N.J.), and Walton (N.Y.). The Hazleton, Pa., RPC, with the support of presbytery, continues work in Harrisburg, Pa.
Great Lakes–Gulf Presbytery—The presbytery established the work in Atlanta as a mission church (Dr. Frank Smith, pastor), dissolved the preaching station in Dayton (Tenn.), and heard reports of a new outreach effort by the Columbus, Ind., RPC in Louisville (Ky.). Pulpits in Sparta (Ill.) and Selma (Ala.) remain vacant, while the Pageland (S.C.) mission church continues to be supplied by Rev. Ian Wise.
Japan Presbytery—Since the 2018 Synod, Rev. Charles Leach retired from pastoring the Kasumigaoka congregation and returned to the U.S. As the Kasumigaoka church is now vacant, Rev. Shigeru Takiura and Rev. Sumito Sakai now serve as provisional elders. The need for new elders is becoming more urgent. Some congregations are hoping to have an election soon.
Midwest Presbytery—The presbytery has been blessed to receive two congregations from other denominations: Christ Presbyterian Church in Grandview (southeast Kansas City, Mo.) and Grace Reformed Church in Columbia, Mo. The Midwest Presbytery also rejoices at the establishment of a new mission church in San Antonio, Tex., and exploratory work in North Oklahoma City, Okla. The Denison, Casper, Columbia, and San Antonio pulpits are vacant. Ed Hindman retired after 42 years as pastor at Denison.
Pacific Coast Presbytery—There are three new ministers in the presbytery since the last Synod meeting: Rev. Derek Baars in Edmonton, Alb.; Rev. Colin Samul in Reno, Nev.; and Rev. Chris Myers in Phoenix, Ariz. Just over a year ago a core group petitioned the church extension committee of the presbytery to examine the prospect of a work in Reno. On Aug. 22, the group was organized as the Great Basin Reformed Presbyterian Church.
St. Lawrence Presbytery—The Shelter (Edmonton, Alb.) was transferred into the Pacific Coast Presbytery. Vince Ward is still provisional moderator of the Hudson–St. Lazare session. As of this Synod meeting, the congregation has made out a call to Dan Dupuis. Ruling elder Don Smith currently moderates the Lisbon, N.Y., RPC in the absence of a pastor. Both the Syracuse and Rochester congregations have received positive responses to their calls.