I first arrived on Geneva College’s campus as a freshman—halfway through my freshman year at a New York state college. I was looking for a Christian college where I would be encouraged to study by my fellow students, and encouraged to look at my life and studies from a biblical perspective rather than having my faith torn apart by professors hired to “enlighten” me. What I found at Geneva was a community that not only embraced me but also contributed to my growth in faith and helped me continue along “the narrow path.”

I had become a Christian through Young Life in high school, and I honored my parents by remaining in the Catholic Church while living with them. At Geneva, I decided that there were too many inconsistencies between the teachings of the Catholic Church and what I was reading in the Bible. It was time to move on. That was a hard decision. My first New Testament was given to me by a vacation Bible school teacher in the Catholic Church when I was nine or so. God had brought me into contact with many Bible-believing Catholics who loved God and were striving to draw closer to Him. Then there was my mom, who showed me by her wonderful example that Jesus was real. Yet the more I grew, the more I realized I had to move on.

But move to what? Unless you have been there, you have no idea how intimidating it is to find a Protestant Church. I started by going where other students went—the Episcopal, the Evangelical Free, and more. After a while, I ended up at the RP Church. A few students I knew attended there, and fewer grew up in the church.

Two things drew me in and convinced me to stay. First, they sang the Psalms. I could hear men and women singing. The tunes were rich—not the droning, dull tunes used by the Catholic Church. Second, there was the patient way Dean Smith explained the teachings of the church and the members practiced hospitality and encouraged me in my walk in the Lord. I appreciated the ministry of Dr. Ken Hartman and his wife, who prayed for me and encouraged me to pursue courses that would enable me to qualify for the colleges that most met my needs. God again showed me He was in control, leading when the odds would have said otherwise.

After two years, I moved to Syracuse to pursue a degree in physical therapy at Upstate Medical Center. I knew nothing about the area. What I found was an RP congregation who opened their arms to me and taught me the meaning of hospitality through living examples. I thank God for Shelly Bond, Barbara Martin, and Nicora Manwaring, who helped me to keep the Sabbath by offering me a place to go when others in my dorm were studying. I am also thankful for Gretchen Robson, Margaret McNaughton, and others who taught me how to be a Titus 2 woman through Bible studies, encouragement in my working with handicapped children, and later, practical help as a new mother.

Now, 25 years since my first introduction to the RP Church, as my husband and I raise our 6 children, I hope and pray that they will find the warmth and instruction in the RP Church that helped me stay on the narrow path.