RPC of Lafayette

Location: Lafayette, Ind.

Presbytery: Great Lakes-Gulf

Membership: 108 communicant; 56 baptized

Pastor: David Long

Associate Pastor: Keith Evans

Website: www.reformedlafayette.com

Our Roots Fresh out of seminary in 1965, Roy Blackwood began visiting college campuses throughout Indiana. A physician heard the young pastor speak at Purdue University. As a result, a local Bible study was formed.

Bill and Lois Long, founding members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Lafayette, attended study each week in the home of Dr. David Jones, where several of their friends gathered to hear Blackwood’s teachings.

“I can still picture him sitting by the fireplace,” reminisced Lois Long. “He had a gentle way of presenting the gospel, and we hung on every word.” One night as Blackwood was teaching from the book of John, her heart was opened. “It was so dramatic for me,” shared Long. She and her husband’s lives took a dramatic turn that night, changing the course of history for the Long family as well as many others in the Lafayette area and beyond.

In fall 1967, an official church was formed. Ray Joseph was called to serve as its first pastor. Along with his wife, Alice, they led the fledgling congregation from their home near the Purdue campus in West Lafayette for several years.

Lois Long immediately began sharing her enthusiasm for the gospel with neighborhood children by hosting a weekly Good News Bible Club. Recently a woman from California sent a note testifying to her salvation that resulted from hearing the gospel as a child in the Longs’ living room.

As the church continued to grow, several locations were used for worship until a permanent church building was purchased in 1995 near the location of the original Bible study. Pastor Dave Long was called to shepherd the congregation in 1984, where he and his wife, Jenny, have been serving faithfully since.

Two successful church planting projects have been launched during Long’s tenure. The Sycamore RPC was formed in 1992 with Barry York as pastor. More recently, several families from the congregation took on the challenge of planting a church in the West Lafayette area in 2007. Under the leadership of Pastor Jared Olivetti, Immanuel Reformed Presbyterian Church was formed and continues to thrive.

Due to continued growth, the Lafayette RPC called Keith Evans as associate pastor in 2011, and he and his wife, Audrey, continue to serve there.

Our Labors

Under the leadership of Pastor Dave and Jenny Long, a university-based student ministry for training spiritual leaders to equip them for evangelism continues to have a remarkable impact. The Collegiate Organization of Reformed Presbyterian Students (CORPS) has proven to be an effective campus ministry for many years.

Inspired by the unique campus ministry experience, several men who completed a two-year intensive training program, Men-in-Training (MIT), have gone on to become RP pastors, including James Faris, David Hanson, and Jared Olivetti. The ministry has earned a positive reputation and continues to thrive as many students choose to attend Purdue because of the unique opportunities.

“Coming out of the Navigators, it was an incredible thing to find deep ministries of discipleship being practiced within a local church family,” said Jared Olivetti. “Being allowed to take part in the discipleship program under Dave Long with the college guys in the Lafayette congregation set the foundation for my pursuit of pastoral ministry. It glued my passion for discipleship to the importance of the local church—and it hasn’t come unglued yet.”

The church has also had the privilege of training other pastors throughout the years, including Barry York, Bill Roberts, Martin Blocki, and Graeme Hart. One former intern, Steven McCarthy, is presently attending seminary in preparation of becoming a pastor. In addition, there are several missionaries from the congregation serving throughout the world.

Elder Bob Bibby has led a thriving jail ministry for 30 years as chaplain for the Tippecanoe County Jail. Bob oversees the ministry, which includes Bible studies and worship services for inmates. As a result, many have come to know Christ.

Members of the church social committee have been active in planning several fellowship opportunities over the years, including a popular Four Family Feast event where four families rotate as hosts to share meals and fellowship. This has led to a greater sense of unity within the church.

How to Pray

• For God to raise up laborers through this congregation.

• For fruitful ministry in the Tippecanoe County Jail.

• For effective ministry among students at Purdue University through CORPS.

• For deep fellowship and love to abound among the individuals and families of the church.