In a state known for its boating, excellent surf, and comically corrupt left-wing government, a Reformed Presbyterian mission church has begun worship. This mission church is the first of its kind in the tiny state of Rhode Island.

In bygone years, New England congregations comprised two presbyteries of the RPCNA but the number of organized RP churches in the nation’s leftwing stronghold has dwindled to one— the First RPC of Cambridge, Mass. A few members are seeking to change that. With a core group of eight adults and three children, worship services began in Rhode Island on Jan. 1. The mission church has been experiencing growth and encouragement ever since.

In 1993, a young RP bachelor named Dave Robson found work in southern Massachussetts and moved there. He joined Cambridge RPC, just 40 minutes from his new home. He soon met and married Deryl, a spunky Rhode Islander, and together they began raising three towheaded kids in a seaside home in East Providence, R.I. The family continued to trek an hour to Cambridge RPC each week for worship.

Meanwhile, in Cambridge, the oncestruggling congregation was finally growing and had reached the point where they felt they could spread the gospel to other parts of New England. They chose two locations. In 2002, a small group began a Bible study in the Berkshire Mountains, and soon they began holding worship services. The second location was Providence, R.I. Also in 2002, Pastoral Intern John Edgar helped to begin a Bible study at the Robson home. It was attended by a few Cambridge members and by various friends of the Robson family. By early 2005, the Robsons were also hosting a weekly psalm sing on Sunday evenings. Why choose Providence to plant a church? A second pastoral intern, Daniel Howe, poured his efforts into investigating the suitability of the city for mission work. He discovered a lively little seaside metropolis. Like the rest of the tiny state, Providence is a staunchly Democratic city, a leaning brought on by the unlikely marriage of liberal academia and the city’s powerful union groups. Aside from a few academic centers such as Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, this politically “blue” city is also largely blue collar. Manufacturing companies, including Providence’s internationally known jewelry makers, account for a large percentage of the employment. The city is full of first-generation immigrants; almost half of its residents speak a language other than English at home. Providence-dwellers know and love the ocean, and they know and sometimes love their neighbors. Word of mouth is a powerful tool in this city.

Daniel Howe also found that many in Providence are confidently oblivious to their need of the gospel. Nominal Catholicism is predominant, and liberal mainline churches have a significant voice in the community. Biblical Christianity is marginal. A 2005 study by Barna Research Group found that, of the 86 major cities in the U.S., Providence ranks among the three lowest in its proportion of evangelical Christians. Its residents are the least likely in the country to claim they have a responsibility to share their faith with others. These are rightfully dismaying statistics. In the eyes of the Cambridge session and of the small group in Providence, the statistics only served to propel the work forward.

Since local connections are a key part of beginning a church, the Robson family used their roots in the community to build a core group of members. It was through Dave that, in 2004, Cambridge members (and newlyweds) Alastair and Maureen Halliday found work in Rhode Island and they joined the Bible study. The next year, Dave alerted Cambridge member Matthew Topper and Syracuse RPC member Jonathan Trexler to job openings in his company. Both men were hired, moved to the area, and became faithful members of the group. (Since then, Jonathan has married; his wife, Kelli, has also joined the RP ranks at Dave’s company. The group is now claiming the highest concentration of RPs employed at the same company and would like to hear of any challengers!)

By fall 2005, we were six devoted adults and three kids (and one more on the way). We were young, but we were relying on a God who is wiser than we can fathom. Our Bible studies were animated and opinionated. With plenty of practice at psalm sings, our singing was strong, and we had three people capable of precenting. We thoroughly enjoyed one another’s company, and looked forward to each meeting. We knew one another’s concerns and devoted much of our time together to prayer for one another. Our personalities and abilities complemented one another; the artists offset the engineers and the women balanced out the men. Outside of Bible study, we boated together, surfed together, moved furniture together, and ate together. God blessed our group with unity and openness.

We began advertising our meetings in a couple of local newspapers and continued to have our local friends visit the Bible study. Veteran church planters Elder Peter Howe and Deaconess Joanne Howe, now of the Messiah’s Church (North Syracuse, N.Y.) RPC, visited to prepare us for what might be ahead. We talked at length about meeting in unpleasant locations, about seeing visitors come and go, about dealing with dissension in the group, and about raising kids in a church without other kids. Sobered and encouraged, we continued to pray for God’s guidance as we kept meeting.

The question on all of our minds was how to know when a small Bible study is ripe for beginning worship services. We spent many meetings discussing this question and praying that God would make His will in this matter clear to us. He did. In a meeting with the group in November 2005, the Cambridge session surprised us by urging that we begin worship services twice a month in January of 2006. They counseled us that we could better use our time reaching out to the community than driving the hour to Cambridge each week. Preaching would be supplied by licensed members of the Cambridge church and by other preachers willing to visit. Daniel Howe continued to show deep interest in the work and agreed to preach once a month.

We began to look for a building. We cautioned one another not to get too excited over this or that location. After a surprisingly short search, we were granted an ideal facility—St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in East Providence. The room for worship was beautiful, the rent was more than reasonable, the location was very accessible, and the aging congregation was delighted to have our young group use their building.

There were no major roadblocks anywhere. The preaching schedule filled quickly. Two more Cambridge members, Arthur and Susan Sacco, made plans to join the group, answering our longtime prayer for members older and wiser than ourselves. We arranged for rides for two college students who wanted to join us. Daniel Howe had spent much of his time during two pastoral internships working with our group, and he and his wife, Esther, decided to move their family to the Providence area in August 2006.

As January approached, our excitement began to mount. We delegated jobs to one another and gathered all the materials needed to begin worship. We purchased Bibles, psalters, sound equipment, a pitch pipe, and a coffee maker. Deryl arranged for flowers. Dave took one look at the price of pulpits, then holed up in his basement to make one himself. Alastair built a web site. Matthew built a church sign.

We arrived at the church ridiculously early on that snowy first day of the new year. We checked and rechecked the sound, the lights, the psalters, the bulletins, the coffee, the cookies. Visitors from Cambridge joined us, as did some local friends. Daniel Howe preached a challenging and encouraging sermon. The service was full of thanksgiving to God for bringing us this far and requests for His continued blessing and guidance in the unknown steps ahead.

The first service over with, we steeled ourselves for empty pews. And, of course, there were weeks when it was just us and the preacher, and perhaps his family. Cambridge members encouraged us with their presence now and then. Then local visitors came and kept coming back. They joined us for fellowship meals and parties. When Jonathan married Kelli in May, we gained another faithful member from Syracuse RPC, and the Howes will join us full-time by the summer’s end.

Now we have turned our minds to what is to come. We are still seeking to discover how our collective interests and abilities can best meet the specific needs in the city of Providence. We are looking for the right time to call a pastor to work with us full-time. Thankfully, we are under the direction of the wise and loving session in Cambridge, and we will continue to benefit from their experience.

We praise God that on June 18, we began worshiping weekly at the Providence RP Mission Church. Since the inception of the Bible study, we have been encouraged by visitors, friends, practical circumstances, and by a perpetual spirit of unity among the growing group. God is clearly at work in this tiny state, and we have grown in our love for Him as we have seen His promises in Scripture fulfilled in present-day Rhode Island. In all the work that is ahead, we cling fast to Christ’s promise in Matthew 16:18: “I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.”

Pray for…

—The conversion of the people of Providence.

—Direction for specific future ministry in our community.

—Wisdom for our predominantly young group.

—Perseverance and protection for our group in challenges that will come.

—Strength for Cambridge RPC as she plants two daughter churches.

—More elders to join the three busy men on the Cambridge session.