The third full day of the 191st Synod dawned bright and clear in Marion, Ind. In our morning worship the beautiful text of 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 was preached by Associate Reformed Presbyterian (ARP) Pastor Benjamin Glaser (Bethany ARPC, Clover, SC).
This fraternal delegate stirred us with the reminder, “We are here today because Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! He has witnessed to us the guarantee that we likewise will be raised from the dead, body and soul. The fulcrum that holds the kingdom together is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” After devotional time with God, the synod was on to reports and oversight of RPCNA teaching institutions.
Geneva College Board of Corporators was the first board to report today. Board chairman Steve McMahan (elder, Clay Center, Kan., RPC) reported that freshmen and transfer enrollment at Geneva College for fall 2022 improved 7% over the prior year. Another blessing was the recent donation by AES Realty of 21 acres of property and facilities along the Beaver River. Geneva College President Calvin Troup then addressed Synod and identified a number of professors who have been the backbone of Geneva’s excellence who are retiring or have begun a phased retirement. The college also expressed thanks for gifted professors whom God has brought recently to Geneva. New faculty participate in the Clarke & Carson Seminar for their first two years and discuss the biblical worldview at the heart of Geneva’s mission, how it is embodied in the Reformed Confessions and worked out in Christian pedagogy and scholarship.
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary was the next institutional focus of the day. Seminary president Barry York said that this year the 213-year-old seminary will be celebrating a century in its current building in Pittsburgh, Pa. Major renovations are underway in connection with a “100 Years at Rutherford Hall” campaign, particularly of the ground floor kitchen and dining area. Six RP students and 8 other students received diplomas in May, with a total enrollment of 115 for the year. Seminary faculty, in addition to their regular work, have served the church in a wide array of contexts, including as conference and podcast speakers, board members, and book and article writers.
Synod’s Board of Trustees is grateful to God that once again the giving goal for the Reformed Presbyterian Missions & Ministries fund (RPM&M) was exceeded in 2022 by contributions from congregations and others. Building loans were granted to two RP congregations in the past year. The Trustees recommend that all congregations review and consider adopting the policy statements and coverages recommended at SafeChurch.com in order to limit claims and liability for both the congregation and the denomination.
The Trustees addressed a recurring Synod issue of denominational salaries. After several policy recommendations were proposed, Synod decided full transparency of all salaried employees in denominational agencies should be regularly included in Synod’s handout materials.
A judicial committee of Synod today returned a recommended verdict regarding a complaint by Orlando RPC objecting to a decision of the RP Woman’s Association to sue one of its members for an outstanding bill. The judicial committee expressed gratitude to all the parties involved for resolving much of the matter prior to Synod, including dropping the lawsuit and resolving the debt. Synod agreed with its judicial committee that the suit should not have been brought in the first place, and welcomed the RPWA’s pledge to evaluate and revise its policies.
Overseeing Elders
Adam Keuhner (Southfield, Mich. RPC) had presented a complaint against the Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery because of the way it handled a rebuke against the former pastor of Immanuel (West Lafayette, Ind.) RPC. The complaint concerned an action of presbytery to rebuke two elders for the restoration to the Lord’s supper of that pastor who was under Synod’s discipline. It argued that presbytery’s action was insufficient given the severity of the offense. The complaint was sustained by the synod, but no further action was deemed necessary.
Synod’s commission to shepherd three former elders of Immanuel RPC was up next. After a great deal of debate, Synod voted 88-32 to depose those three ruling elders from their office.
Finally, the day ended with the report of the Olivetti Commission, appointed to pursue reconciliation with the former pastor of Immanuel RPC. Prior to this meeting, he had been deposed from office. After a great deal of debate, Synod finally settled on enacting the commission’s recommendation, and imposed the censure of excommunication upon Mr. Olivetti. The motion passed 99-24.
The day was an exhausting day, with heavy decisions that visibly weighed on synod delegates. Please pray for those impacted deeply by Synod’s decisions. Ask the Lord to grant faith, humility, and repentance as only He can do.
Synod is scheduled to conclude its business by noon on Friday.