2005 Minutes of Synod - Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church

MINUTES OF THE GENERAL SYNOD5Synod. The amendments were approved by a majority of thosevoting in the Presbyteries. (See Appendix for the Official Roll ofSynod).Frank M. Hunt, II presented his Retiring Moderator’s Address.RETIRING MODERATOR’S ADDRESSFathers and Brethren,We have reached the midpoint of the first decade of the new millennium.Are we achieving “new life in the new millennium,” as the theme for thisdecade adopted by the General Synod states?This past year I have attended many meetings of the various boards andcommittees of the General Synod, as well as Presbytery meetings. Inaddition, I brought fraternal greetings to the Evangelical PresbyterianChurch at the meeting of their General Assembly held in Virginia lastJune; brought the message at the worship service commemorating the150 th anniversary of the Midlane Park A.R.P. Church in Louisville, KY;addressed the Greenwood, SC, Westminster Presbyterian Church, USA,on Reformation Sunday; as Moderator of the General Synod of the AssociateReformed Presbyterian Church, participated in the worship servicerecognizing the 90 th anniversary of the chartering of the Lake Wales, FL,Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and brought greetings and gavethe principle address at the worship service in Tampico, Mexico, celebratingthe 125 th Anniversary of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Churchof Mexico. In addition, I was the convocation speaker at Erskine College forthe opening of its spring semester in February. From all these experiencesand activities, I have been impressed with the time given and the diligenceof the various members of the boards and committees in carrying out theirresponsibilities. “We are blessed with a great many of conscientiouspeople.”In response to the work of the Special Committee on Organizationestablished by the General Synod, all the boards and agencies of the Synodhave conducted self-examinations, which are both positive, constructive,and ongoing…the executive leadership of all the agencies of the GeneralSynod will have changed in the next few years, therefore, these studies arevery timely. There is renewed enthusiasm for the various works beingcarried out. Bonclarken has had record attendance at its youth conferences.Erskine College enrollment is at its highest number in many yearsand Erskine Seminary enrollment is the highest ever. Outreach NorthAmerica in support of the Presbyteries, now has mission work from theeast coast to the west coast and there is renewed interest in churchplanting and evangelism. World Witness has growing fields of work,particularly in the Muslim world, and also in Germany, Russia, and Wales,as well as our traditional areas of Pakistan and Mexico. Covenant Discipleshipis completing leadership training materials for elders and deacons, a3