Daily reports from Synod will be posted on RPWitness.org. Look for play-by-play RP Synod updates on the RP Witness Facebook page and on the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America Facebook page.

The 2016 Synod is scheduled to be a short one, but the reports and business coming to Synod show that the year has been eventful.

The 185th meeting of the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America begins at 3:30 p.m. June 27 at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind., and is scheduled to conclude at noon June 29.

Perhaps more than ever, the denomination is international. RPCNA presbyteries now utilize three primary languages, and this brings great blessings along with growing pains. For the second consecutive year, a new mission field is opening. Ties are being strengthened with some Reformed congregations around the world, including sister RP denominations. And on the home front the RPCNA is growing, albeit at a continued modest pace, and just added its 100th congregation.

Transitions are occurring too. Geneva College, the RPCNA’s college, hired its next president, Dr. Calvin Troup. The college also is seeking the denomination’s support on gender policies to protect its biblical foundations. Meanwhile, the RP Seminary Board of Trustees has nominated their next president, to be approved by Synod, and informed Synod of future faculty openings.

Last year’s Synod chose to study the question of who may pray aloud in the formal worship services of a congregation. While the full report is not expected until next year, a progress report gives survey results of current practices in the RPCNA. The biblical/theological study and historical survey are still in process.

The court of Synod will be exercising its judicial role, as at least three “communications” are on the docket. Two of them are complaints transmitted from lower courts—one on a question related to serving wine in communion, and another on a pastoral discipline case.

All six North American presbyteries will be reporting to Synod.

A big reason for shortening the time for Synod this year is to encourage participation in the Reformed Presbyterian International Conference, where more than one-fourth of the RPCNA will gather July 23-29 (rpic2016.org).