The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Canada (RPCC) has been in existence for almost two years. It was formally constituted on May 12, 2023. So, how is it doing? Despite the challenges of establishing a national church, with the encouragement and ongoing support of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) the decision has proved to be the right one.

New Constitution

Who wants to read about a church constitution? However, the quality and longevity of a building are always determined by the foundation. The RPCC is established on a new constitution that is concise and clear, one that can be easily read and understood. This is important because we want people to know what they are becoming part of when they join the church.

It comprises three parts: 1) the subordinate standards of the church—The Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms; 2) a section that defines how we are to worship God; and 3) a section on how the church is to be governed under Christ. Recognizing that such a document needs to be tested by life experience, we’ve created a process whereby it can be changed relatively straightforwardly until 2026.

Key to the Constitution is that pastors and elders must wholeheartedly subscribe to it. Two exceptions may be taken: one regarding “consanguinity” (WCF chapter 24:4) and the other about the sole identification of the papacy as the antichrist (WCF chapter 25:6). Still, the objective is to have leaders, pastors and elders, who unambiguously own and declare without hesitation the doctrines of the church. It is not that we want to be an exclusive little clique, consoling ourselves with the idea that we live in the “day of small things.” Far from it; but we do want doctrinal unity at the leadership level. We have enough to contend with when it comes to wrestling against the cosmic powers and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places without opening the door to men, albeit godly men, who, in truth, think differently about how God is to be worshiped and who have a different view of the church (ecclesiology).

New Congregations

Pruning is never easy and seldom straightforward. I remember a prize-winning gardener I knew in Scotland; his specialty was growing dahlias. The first time I saw him prune the plants, I thought he was killing them, but when the next season of blooms appeared, it was clear that he knew exactly what he was doing. The past 18 months have seen the Lord prune the church in Canada. Despite some serious man-hours invested to try to procure a different outcome, God has cut back the church by closing Redemption RPC (Hudson–St. Lazare) and Coram Deo RPC (Squamish).

However, pruning always has a purpose, and we give thanks to God that we have seen Him grant fruit elsewhere. He opened the door for the former Vancouver Associated Presbyterian Church (APC) congregation to join the RPCC, and then we rejoiced with them in November when Pastor David Matthess was installed as their minister. We are looking to Christ, anticipating that He will bring many souls into the Vancouver congregation in the coming years.

We are also thrilled that out of the growth He blessed Ottawa RPC with in recent years, the Lord has recently established a new congregation in Beckwith Township, about 35 minutes west of Ottawa. Since the formal establishment of the work in October with 50-plus people, the Lord has added several families from the community. There are two deacons and two elders, one of whom is Pastor Vince Ward, who is serving as interim moderator and providing preaching supply. A sign of the ongoing support we are receiving from the RPCNA is that the Beckwith church has been able to apply to the RPCNA Home Mission Board for financial support for a minister—something we are genuinely thankful for.

New Commitment and Office Bearers

One of the joys of the new RPCC is the high level of participation at the presbytery meetings. It began when the initial “gathering meetings” were held to work through the Constitution, and it has continued since. To have 90-plus percent of the pastors and elders at presbytery meetings speaks to the measure of seriousness with which men are taking their leadership responsibilities. When men of God, who are called and ordained to office, understand the vows they have made and are committed to fulfilling them diligently, it can only bode well for the church.

Since being constituted, the church in Canada has been blessed with five new office bearers, two elders and three deacons. We are truly thankful for this provision and prayerfully anticipate that this is but the beginning of what the Lord will provide for His bride in the coming years.

New Committees and Working Groups

Establishing a new denomination from scratch is not easy. An important step has been the formation of several committees to oversee the church’s life. However, that has only been a small part of it. The setting up of working groups under these committees has been a significant development. These working groups have each been formed with a clear remit and a purpose to get things done. The people serving on them have been chosen for their expertise in specific areas to utilize the gifts Christ has given His bride.

To date, this approach has proved productively successful. Whether it’s the annual RPCC weekend, which has seen a substantial increase in participation in the past two years, the publication of the new RPCC quarterly magazine Sea to Sea (published in English and Chinese), the new annual presbytery men’s and women’s retreats, or the social media working group, the RPCC is beginning to cultivate a connectedness and an identity as a confessional gospel church. If we stay focused on our first works, this will, by God’s grace, never see us abandon the love we now have, or fall into false teaching or routine religion.

New Seminary

Conscious of the need to train men for the gospel ministry in Canada, the new RP Seminary of Canada will commence its work in August. The seminary will be located in the Ottawa RP Church, and work is currently underway to remodel several rooms to establish a dedicated facility.

The singular goal will be to train and mentor men who demonstrate the character, competency, and courage to devote themselves as godly undershepherds of Christ. Men who will not only be qualified to handle the Word of God but who will burn with a Christ-like passion to preach and teach the Scriptures. Men who will fear God and not men and, in doing so, will wage godly warfare, holding steadfastly to the truth they profess with a clear and unshakable conscience. Men who will give themselves to serving in and being spent for the bride. Men who will devote themselves to praying for the salvation of the lost and strengthening of the saints.

To that end, the men will be given classroom time daily to read and study the Word of God. They will engage full-time in studies, participate in three months of summer internships, and take annual on-site learning in one of the following countries: Israel, Turkey, or Scotland. Each student will receive a living allowance commensurate with his specific needs, which will be sufficient to ensure that the men don’t have to take paid employment to support their wives and children or incur debt during their training.

We are delighted that the Lord has led Marco Tochijara, Ethan Van Hoffen, and Ezra Wilkinson to apply for and gain approval from the presbytery to commence training in August. We look forward to the Lord blessing us with more men as He wills.

We are also thankful that several men from the RPCNA, including Dr. Andrew Kerr and Dr. Jeff Stivason, have committed to teaching at the seminary, alongside men from the RPCC who have accepted teaching roles. This is another sign of the much appreciated ongoing support from the RPCNA.

New Vision

One of the blessings of being a national church is that the leadership is drawn to think about and be challenged by the needs of the nation of Canada. This may be at an early stage, but it will come, and as the Lord blesses his church with new congregations, pastors, and other office bearers, the personnel and time available to be invested in that will increase.

New Social Media Presence

We have several platforms through which we seek to inform the world of our presence and to communicate with the church globally what Christ is doing among us. We encourage you to use them to keep updated on what the Lord is doing through His bride in Canada as He continues to bless and grow her for his glory.

Website: RPCCanada.org

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Facebook: @rpchurchofcanada

Instagram @rpccanada