Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1997 - Rparchives.org

REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA 27
REPORT OF ST. LAWRENCE PRESBYTERY
The St. Lawrence Presbytery has met 4 times since last year's report to Synod:
October 8-9, 1996, at Syracuse, New York, March 25, 1997, at Walton, New
York, April 4, 1997, at Bancroft, Ontario, and May 16, 1997 at New Hartford,
New York.
The Presbytery has eleven congregations and three mission stations, ten of which
have pastors. Membership of 835 represents a growth of 5 from last year's 830.
The Presbytery continues to concentrate much of its effort in preparing students
for ministry and in placing them in appropriate fields of ministry. Four students
completed their seminary work last year. Brian Coombs was ordained and installed
as associate pastor of the Syracuse Congregation on October 8, 1996. Andrew
Stringer served an internship with the Shawnee Congregation last summer, then
was licensed as eligible to receive a call on October 8, 1996. He began work in
the new mission in Bancroft, Ontario, in thefall and was ordained and installed as
Associate Pastor of the Ottawa Congregation on April 4, 1997, for the work in
Bancroft. Aaron Goerner has been working in the new outreach effort in New
Hartford, New York this past year and was ordained and installed Associate Pastor
of the Oswego Congregation on May 16, 1997, for the work in New Hartford.
Kiernan Stringer served an internship in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, last summer
and has been working with the Syracuse Congregation the rest of the year.
Two students have completed their seminary work this year. Matt Kingswood
served an internship with the Trinity Congregation in Northern Ireland last summer
and has completed his final year of seminary at John Knox Seminary in Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida. He hopes to complete licensure requirements soon and to be
involved in outreach with the Ottawa Congregation. Matt Dyck was licensed to
preach on October 9, 1996 and was licensed as eligible to receive a call on March
25, 1997. While finishing his final year of Seminary at Ottawa Theological Hall,
he has been living in the Almonte manse and preaching for Almonte.
Two students, Philip Markert and Mark Goerner, have completed their first year
at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh. Philip is a
summer intern in Lisbon and Markis a summer intern in Colorado Springs.
The Almonte congregation has been thankful for the preaching of the students
from the Ottawa Theological Hall during the past year. At present they have a
student of theology, Matt Dyck, and his wife, Jennifer, and son, Calvin, living in
the manse. He preaches for them each Lord's Day morning. They are encouraged
by increased attendance in recent weeks. They ask for your prayers that the
congregation would have a strong witness for Christ in the community.
The Endwell Congregation is thankful for the services of Bob Macauley as
Treasurer for the past five years. Their new Treasureris John Cantrell and they
are thankful for his willingness to take on this new responsibility. They are also
thankful to have the Rydingsward family as members and the prospect of two more