In a fitting start to this notable week, two Synods of Reformed Presbyterians sang psalms together.

The 184th Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America begins tomorrow, but the large majority of delegates have already arrived at Bonclarken Conference Center in the North Carolina mountains, far from typical locations for RPCNA Synods such as Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Kansas. This week the RPCNA Synod is meeting at the same time as the Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and on their conference grounds.

The evening’s program began with a psalm sing, led by Pastor Bruce Martin, clerk of the RPCNA Synod. The Bonclarken chapel was full even though delegates and families had to endure a summer deluge on their walk to the chapel. Following the singing of psalms a cappella from the ARP Psalter (selections matching those in the RPCNA’s Book of Psalms for Worship), Mike Jones of the ARP’s Outreach North America introduced a speaker on evangelism and church planting, Prof. Iain Duguid of Westminster Theological Seminary, who is also an ARP minister. Prof. Duguid encouraged those in small churches, especially, to consider the value of God’s work in their ministry and to make the most of the people that are already connected with one’s congregation.

After the program, attendees gathered on the porches and lawn of the historic Bonclarken hotel for an ice cream social sponsored by Erskine College and Seminary, denominational institutions of the ARP.

The Synod of the RPCNA begins at 8:30 tomorrow (Tuesday), with the first official joint session of the two denominations that afternoon.

For more news of the Synod, check back here for daily news roundups; and also see the RP Synod page on Facebook and #RPSynod on Twitter.