Location: Longmont, Colo.

Presbytery: Midwest

Organization: 2003

Membership: 33 communicant; 19 baptized

Pastor: H. P. McCracken

Website: www.saltandlightrpchurch.org

When they moved from Winchester, Kan., to Colorado in the early 1990s, Mike and Alice McDaniel bought a home in Longmont and had a vision for outreach in their new hometown. While members of Westminster, Colo., RPC, they hosted Bible studies for about four years. In late 1998, fueled by sorrow at the closing of the Greeley, Colo., RPC, interest in Longmont began to grow.

The availability of Marty Wilsey to provide weekly preaching, along with the interest in the effort by three other families at Westminster RPC, resulted in weekly evening services beginning in May 1999. Westminster RPC’s commitment to church planting in Longmont at the same time it was considering construction of a new building was a stretch of faith, but one that the Lord blessed abundantly.

Morning services started that October. The group purchased its current building in 2002 and was organized as a mission church in 2003, adopting the name Salt and Light Longmont Reformed Presbyterian Church. Marty Wilsey was officially called as pastor in 2004 and was joined by an associate pastor, Patrick Stephan, for the years 2011–2014. After over 20 years of faithful ministry to this congregation, Pastor Wilsey retired in 2020, and the congregation called H. P. McCracken as pastor. Pastor McCracken arrived that same year with his wife, Carly, and three kids (to which one more baby girl has been added).

Pastor McCracken recently completed a series on the Gospel of Mark and has begun a series on the Ten Commandments. The congregation gathers for evening worship on the second and fourth Lord’s Days of each month. Fifteen children ages twelve and under (most of them under seven) are a lively blessing and are edified by faithful Sabbath school teachers. In addition to communicant and baptized members, the congregation has a dozen regular adherents.

The congregation loves being together. They enjoy monthly fellowship meals following morning worship. A women’s Bible study meets Friday mornings and is currently studying the book of Hebrews. A men’s Bible study meets on Saturday mornings and is studying 1 Thessalonians. Both are well attended and welcome several men and women from outside the congregation. A fellowship committee plans several other social and outreach events throughout the year.

The congregation also enjoys opportunities to join with our sister Reformed Presbyterian churches on the front range. This past year, Salt and Light RPC hosted Westminster RPC at a Memorial Day picnic and joined them in multiple joint evening worship services. Members have also attended picnics hosted by Laramie, Wyo., RPC and Westminster RPC and a psalm sing hosted by Springs (Colorado Springs, Colo.) RPC.

Salt and Light RPC had the privilege of hosting the Midwest Presbytery’s summer youth and young adult retreat this past June. Over 70 attendees—primarily from Colorado and Kansas—enjoyed teaching from Pastor McCracken, good food through the efforts of many members, and much fellowship and fun. It was a joy and encouragement to the congregation to worship with all of them on the Lord’s Day.

God has blessed the congregation with four ruling elders and four deacons. Two of these elders and two deacons were added this past year. God has shown His powerful grace recently in adding new covenant children and in granting new life and baptism to an adult convert.

Named for the 14,259-foot Longs Peak directly to its west, the city of Longmont is home to about 100,000 people. Salt and Light RPC members desire to live out their name, given by Jesus in Matthew 5 to all His followers, as salt and light and are considering this topic at evening services. Situated 29 miles north of Denver (which has a 34 percent Hispanic population) and directly between the more conservative, rural plains to the east and the very liberal city of Boulder to the southwest, God has placed Salt and Light RPC in a diverse region of people who need the Light of the World. Join them in praying that they would be used to gather people into Jesus’s kingdom!