Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1997 - Rparchives.org

REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA 165
over the last six years it seems that there was a "wave" of men who bec
available for new ministry. We then went through a period of training and
assimilation of these men and the new works they were leading.
Now Christ is again answering our prayers for laborers to expand the witness to
"Christ's Crown and Covenant" across our nation. In these events He keeps.
reminding us that HE is, in fact, the "Lord of the Harvest".
Orange, CA - John McFarland has been called, ordained as a Teaching Elder
and appointed as Organizing Pastor/Church Planter to this new work.
Lansing, Ml - Licentiate Brian Schwertley moved to Lansing last September and
has undertaken the work of church planting under the direction of the
Southfield session. He was elected and installed as a Ruling Elder by the
Southfield congregation. The Presbytery continues to anticipate his
ordination as a Teaching Elder later this year.
Iron River, Ml - The Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery received Rev. Roger Adams
of Iron River, Ml as a Teaching Elder in February of this year. Since the
fall of 1995 Roger has been actively ministering as a bi-vocational church
planter in Iron County, Ml located in the western part of Michigan's
Upper Peninsula. A groupis worshipping each Lord's Day and reaching
out with the gospel in their area. This workis under the direction of the
Southfield, Ml Session andis in the process of applying for HMB aid.
Elkhart, IN - Licentiate Fik Menbereis providing front-line leadership to several
families who are forming into a committed core group in this highly
industrialized northern Indiana community near South Bend. The Elkhart
Commission of the Presbytery anticipates organizing it as a Mission
Church later in the summer.
Wichita, KS - The Wichita Commission is actively searching for an Organizing
Pastor/Church Planter to lead the core group which is now worshipping
three Lord's Days a month in this city.
Utica, NY ~ Licentiate Aaron Goerner begins an internship under the Oswego
Session this summer with the principal assignment being to develop a
core group in his home town of New Hartford, a Utica suburb. A Bible
study conduaed this past winter had sufficient fruit to warrant this new
thrust.
Aid Completed
Westminster Fellowship of Prairie View, IL (formerly Vernon Hills, IL)
completed its reducing aid program at the end of 1995. We give praise to God
for this ministry which began from the "stump" of the Chicago RPC (Job 14:7,
14), one "seed" family and organizing pastor Harry Metzger. Today, itis a
growing work with their own building, a second group of ruling elders who were
raised up locally (the founding ruling elders were "seed families" sent out from
other congregations) and with their first "seed family" sent out to start another