When a new idea surfaces in the Presbyterian system of church government, all have a right to ask, “Is it biblical? Is it necessary? Is it effective?” Several across the church have inquired this way about my responsibilities as regional home missionary.

The first month I served in this position, I was sent to meet with a regional home missionary from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Chicago. It was helpful to see other Reformed denominations who had appointed men to this type of ministry.

Having been called by the Midwest Presbytery to serve as their regional home missionary, I am happy to present the purpose and ministry of this position, and to give news about what God is doing in church extension in the Midwest.

The Purpose

The Scriptures contain accounts of sending out men to survey the land before committing the full army and financial resources. A) We remember the 12 spies that were sent to evaluate and bring back counsel (Num. 13). B) In the account of the defeat of Israel’s army when they went to fight Ai, Joshua and the leaders sought to find the cause of the failure of the battle. C) Although we have no record of Moses asking for the counsel of a person who loved him and had experienced leadership, Jethro was sent to him and gave direction to Moses that he would burn out if he kept up his excessive workload in leading.

Normally, having a pastor in this position takes needed manpower from the work of serving in the active pastorate. I agree with the vital need for pastors. I served four congregations as a pastor for a total of 40 years. When I announced my retirement, I then responded to the call of my presbytery to visit, train, and encourage other congregations in our presbytery. For part of the year, I spend my time encouraging pastors and assisting in beginning outreach Bible studies.

The specific job of regional home missionary is not mentioned in Scripture, but neither is a foreign mission board or a home mission board, who send members of their boards to assist and evaluate the areas of ministry where the boards have trained the leadership and are supporting the work financially and in their prayers.

Since 1960, the Midwest Presbytery has started outreach work in 13 communities, several of which did not continue. As regional home missionary, my task also includes investigation of the reasons for congregational closings. I seek to bring counsel and guidance to congregations that may be following a similar path to problems.

The Ministry

Several of the pastors in the presbytery’s 17 congregations have asked for counsel on avoiding pastoral burnout. Others have asked for methods of impacting their community with the gospel. Our presbytery believes that there should be a place for an older Jethro to come into the midst of a congregation to use his experience and biblical knowledge and give important counsel. Believing this too, I have visited the congregations in the presbytery and have been invited to meet with several pastors and sessions. We discussed how congregations can have an impact for Christ on their community, and we sought to pinpoint areas of discouragement.

When I served as a pastor, the session helped me train 13 seminary interns. Seeing the value of man-to-man training, I helped the presbytery develop training/ teamwork visits to other pastors and congregations in the RPCNA. Any pastor who has a desire to visit another pastor and his congregation for a period of time to include the Lord’s Day is offered the expenses of airfare and rental car by the presbytery. We have had several inquiries and have already sent pastors to learn from Dave Long of Lafayette, Ind., Bob Hemphill of Westminster, Colo., and Anthony Selvaggio and Paul Mc- Cracken of Beaver Falls, Pa.

In our presbytery, we are seeing outreach at this time in Hutchinson, Kan., an extension of Sterling, Kan., RPC; Manhattan, Kan., an extension of Hebron (Clay Center, Kan.) RPC; Enid, Okla., an extension of Stillwater, Okla., RPC; Pueblo, Colo., a study by Springs (Colorado Springs, Colo.) RPC; Cheyenne, Wyo., as considered by Westminster, Colo., RPC; Longmont, Colo., a church plant with Westminster and Greeley, Colo., RPCs; Atchison, Kan., a Bible study by Winchester, Kan., RPC; Wichita, Kan., as organized by a commission of presbytery.

The regional home missionary is available for 2-3 week visits and preparation of demographics. I was asked by the congregations of Colorado Springs and Westminster to visit Castle Rock, Colo., for two weeks to report the potential of beginning a new work there. Recently, four RP families in Northwest Arkansas asked me to help evaluate future outreach work there. Dallas, Tex., is one of the largest metropolitan areas in our region. We made a Covie-Net (internet mailing list) inquiry into possible contacts and studied demographics of churches and other vital information. We went into this area and were calling and gathering inquirers for over two weeks. Recently, we visited Bryan, Tex., to encourage a family relocated from one of our Indiana congregations.

I present my findings on sessions that have daughtered new congregations in the past. Timelines are available (from beginning to organization) of the daughter congregations that have been started in the presbytery in the last few years.

As a pastor and church planter, it is my desire and, I believe, my responsibility to assist others who are asking for help from the presbytery. I seek to bring my experience in revitalizing congregations where I served as pastor. I am able to bring my experience in daughtering a new congregation and in sending out the 18 founding members. It was a blessing to work with Pastor Robert McMillan in 1963 at the first new work of our presbytery in Park City, Kan. I was also learning as I served on six presbytery commissions that led to the beginning of new churches.

Not only is the regional home missionary a position that acquaints congregations with the ministry of other congregations in the presbytery, it has a unifying impact on the denomination as a whole. During my years on Synod’s Home Mission and Church Extension Boards, I became aware of the place of church growth through extension. In visiting congregations, I often give a PowerPoint presentation on church extension over the last 40 years in the RPCNA, which often is of great encouragement to our sometimes isolated congregations.

When I accepted the call of the presbytery to come out of retirement and take up the new ministry of regional home missionary, I was looking forward to the opportunity to meet and fellowship with all of the congregations separated by over 1,000 miles, from Colorado to Iowa. Now after these years, I am seeing the excitement of being there to encourage new works and to rejoice with them.

Robert McFarland is a veteran RP pastor and is regional home missionary for the Midwest Presbytery of the RPCNA.