No scientific research confirms this observation, but it has been my clear sense for many years that the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America lost a generation of laymen. With the significant exception of congregations that have been founded since 1960, most of our churches have relatively few laymen who were born in the period between the mid-1920’s and the mid-1940’s. That means, if my observations are correct, that there are relatively few members in our denomination who are now between the ages of 55 and 75, especially in our older congregations. There are likely several reasons for this. Some reasons are sociological. When young people moved off the farms and into the cities, for example, the Reformed Presbyterian Church did not have congregations in most of the cities to which they went. Some reasons may be spiritual and theological. Our denomination went through a period where vibrant Reformed Christianity often seemed by the young people to have been replaced by traditionalism or even legalism and where the distinctives of the church were seen as burdensome.

Meeting the Challenge

What is so interesting to me, however, is that this generation that saw so many laymen leave the denomination also produced many of the finest pastors of the 20th Century for the denomination. Consider the RPCNA pastors born in just a twelve-year period, beginning with the year 1924, and the impact they have had on the church in the last half century. The following is not a complete list, but I have attempted to mention those born in this twelve-year period who spent a considerable portion of their lives as pastors of local congregations or in leadership as ordained pastors at Geneva College or at the RP Seminary. Reflect on the leadership provided for the church by these men: Roy Blackwood, David Carson, Norman Carson, Donald Felker, Duncan Lowe, Harold Harrington, Raymond Joseph, Robert LaMay, Toshio Masunaga, Kenneth McBurney. Paul McCracken, Raymond McCracken. Robert McCracken, Glenn McFarland, Marion Mcfarland, Robert Mcfarland. Willard McMillan, James Pennington, Edward Robson, Leverne Rosenberger, Gene Spear, Kenneth Smith, Wayne Spear, Bruce Stewart, John Tweed, Robert Tweed, and John White. One can hardly imagine, for example, where Geneva College would be today without the service of David Carson, Norman Carson, Don Felker, Willard McMillan, Robert Tweed and John White. And what would the Seminary be like today without the work of Duncan Lowe, Ed Robson, Wayne Spear, and Bruce Stewart? What would be the state of our relatively young congregations if not for the fruitful ministry of Roy Blackwood, Ray Joseph, Paul McCracken, Robert McCracken, Ed Robson, and Ken Smith? And the Foreign Mission Board, especially in Japan, has been wonderfully blessed by the ministry of Toshio Masunaga, Jim Pennington, and Gene Spear. Of the twenty-seven men listed above, only two are now in full-time pastoral ministry at the congregational level with no announced plans related to retirement. Three are still serving full-time at one of our educational institutions, three are serving as local pastors hut have announced plans to retire, and the rest are serving the church in various capacities but no longer in full-tune ministry, or have passed into glory. Indeed, this is a time of great transition in the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. Several pulpits are now vacant, and others soon will be. But thanks be to God: He is raising up another generation of pastors to fill the needs of the church even as so many are entering retirement age.

A New Generation

Let me take this opportunity to introduce Witness readers to the seniors at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, as well as to those who graduated last May. All of these men are seeking the Lord’s will regarding future ministry in our denomination. This is not a complete list of young men available for the pastoral ministry. Other men are studying in other seminaries, including Ottawa Theological Hall, Kobe Theological Hall, and Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. But the following are those who are studying at our Seminary in Pittsburgh (or have just graduated). If you are in a congregation that is now seeking a pastor, I hope that you will encourage the leadership of your church to contact any or all of these men to get acquainted with them.

Martin Blocki: Martin is a senior from Elkhart, Ind. (Great Lakes-Gulf Presbvterv). He is married, and his wife’s name is Kathy. They have three children: Jeremiah, Matthew, and Mary. Martin did a summer internship in Kokomo, Ind., after doing another internship in Lafayette, Ind. Formerly he was a music professor at Goshen College.

Steve Bradley: Steve Bradley: Steve is a senior this year, a member of the Providence RPC session in the South Hills of Pittsburgh (Presbytery of the Alleghenies). He moved to Pittsburgh to attend the Seminary from Arizona, where he was in the Presbyterian Church in America. He is married, and his wife, Julie, works part-time at the Seminary.

Kent Butterfield: Kent Butterfield: Kent graduated in May and is currently doing an internship at the Geneva (Beaver Falls, Pa.) RPC. He is a member of the Triangle (NC.) RPC session (Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery). He and his wife Rosaria currently have an active ministry with Geneva College students in conjunction with his work at the Geneva Church.

Daniel Howe: Daniel is a senior from Oswego, N.Y. (St. Lawrence Presbytery). His father is an elder in the Oswego congregation. He and his wife Esther plan to move back to the Northeast after he finishes seminary. He plans to do internships in Oswego and in Cambridge, Mass., and hopefully to do further graduate study.

Michael LeFebvre: Michael graduated last May from the Seminary and is currently doing work in Airdrie, Scotland, with Pastor Andrew Quigley. Michael came to the Seminary from Second RPC in Indianapolis. Ind. (Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery). His wife’s name is Heather, and they have one child, Rachel. He hopes to do work toward a Ph.D. while in Scotland.

Greg Mann: Greg is from Colorado Springs, Col. (Midwest Presbytery), where his father served on the session of the Springs RPC. Greg’s wife is Catherine, and they have one child, Lily. Greg is a senior and is seeking the Lord’s will for ministry. He did an internship this summer at North Hills RPC (Pittsburgh, PA).

Dave Reese: Dave is also from Colorado Springs (Midwest Presbytery), and is spending this year doing an internship with Pastor Paul McCracken. Lord willing, he will graduate next May after the completion of his internship. He is married to Elke, and they have four children: Tava, Elle, Israel, and Seth.

Steve Rockhill: Steve graduated from the Seminary last May. His wife’s name is Maria, and they have two boys, Steven and Andrew. He is a member of the Broomall, Pa. RPC (Atlantic Presbytery) and is currently working at the RP Home and preaching in various local churches.

Anthony Selvaggio: Anthony is a senior from Rochester, N.Y. (St. Lawrence Presbytery). He is married, and his wife’s name is Michelle. He is a lawyer who has sensed God’s call to the pastorate. He is also interested in further graduate study.

Dave Smith: Dave is a senior from Westminster, Col. (Midwest Presbytery). He is married to JoAnn, and they have two children, Jessica and Aaron. Dave did an internship at the Westminster RP Church in Illinois last summer.

Other men are “in the wings.” Bill Chellis, a middler from Broomall, hopes to graduate in the middle of’ the next academic year. Paul Brace, also from Broomall, is a middler. Greg Cumbee, a member of the Providence RPC in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, received his master of theological studies degree (a two-year program) last May and spent the summer doing an internship in Kobe, Japan. Jay Strunk, also from Providence (South Hills, Pittsburgh), is making good progress toward graduation, as is Katsunori Endo (Keiyaku Church, Kobe, Japan), a transfer student from Kobe Theological Hall. James Faris and David Hanson, brothers-in-law and best friends from Indiana, are in their first year of seminary.

How we thank the Lord for raising up gifted and godly men to meet the needs of our church as we enter the 21st Century. More men are needed, how ever, and I want to take this opportunity to challenge once again the young men of our church to consider the needs of the church for ministers of the gospel. If you sense God might be leading you to respond to this call, let me encourage you to phone our toll-free number (866-RPTSEDU. or 866-778-7338) to discuss any questions you might have. The church has always needed godly, gifted, knowledgeable, and mature men to serve as shepherds of God’s flock. Please pray for the Lord to raise up more laborers for the harvest. Truly, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.