Location: Kokomo, Ind.

Presbytery: Great Lakes - Gulf

Organization: Nov. 18, 1994

Membership: 38 communicant; 22 baptized

Pastor: Shawn Anderson

Website: sycamorerpc.org

Though we began as a Bible study involving three families in the Kokomo area in 1983, the Lord patiently and intentionally built His church one stone at a time until, a decade later, He organized our congregation. Interest and excitement in church planting were high, but those early years were marked by ups and downs, including a serious church discipline case. Another discouragement came when the wife of Rev. Paul Faris succumbed to cancer shortly after he began preaching for the fledgling group. The Lord used it all to cause us to look to and rely upon Him alone.

A huge blessing was being prepared for us, as a young masters student at Purdue University was guided to the RP church in West Lafayette, Ind. Barry York, through the ministry of Dave Long and others, would eventually be equipped and called to the ministry. Over the next three years Barry interned, graduated from RPTS, and was called as the church planter for Kokomo. We were organized as a congregation on Nov. 18, 1994, the realization of our dream.

In our early days, each Lord’s Day was like setting up and tearing down in a “foreign land,” since our building was not our own. After meeting at the YMCA for well over six years, we purchased our current building in December 1998.

Evangelistic outreach and mercy ministry in our community led to changed lives and new members. For many, the Word was immediately received with gladness. We rejoiced with heaven over each soul. Unfortunately, for some, the change was temporary, and they fell away, having no root in themselves.

On a humorous note, one disgruntled former member commented to Jason Camery, at another church’s gathering, about our psalm singing and worship practices. In 2001, Jason visited our worship service out of curiosity. He ended up transferring to the RPCNA and pursuing the ministry here, which eventually led to his pastoring the church plant in Marion, Ind.

For two decades, Pastor York was the Lord’s gift to our congregation as he preached, taught, and led the saints alongside elders Camery, Dinkledine, Fisher, Hunt, Marcisz, and McKissick. Barry was a sought-out speaker for youth events and family conferences, which led to the realization throughout the denomination that Barry’s gifts could be used at our seminary. We gave him up sadly but willingly so that future generations of students would be trained and prepared for faithful service.

The Lord provided Shawn Anderson, a recent RPTS graduate, who became our pastor in 2013. We were blessed with several months of overlap as Pastor Anderson joined us before Pastor York left.

We enjoy many aspects of fellowship, including shared meals, outdoor activities, and the annual Thanksgiving psalm sing among several congregations within our presbytery. We are within about an hour’s drive of six RP churches. This benefit is not an accident, as we are a fourth-generation church plant that started with Bloomington, Indianapolis, and Lafayette, and then broadened to Kokomo and eventually to Marion.

Beyond Sabbath Day activities, our weekly ministries include a Westminster Confession of Faith class, a women’s Bible study, a Food & Fellowship time, which addresses the faith of teens, and a Faith & Life class. Our members represent Sycamore in community ministry through the Rescue Mission, the Pregnancy Resource Center, and other places.

These are not small or insignificant things in the life of this congregation, but signs of Christ in our midst, working and witnessing through His church: “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed” (Mark 16:20).