Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1993

REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 127Ind., and west of Orlando, Fla. Exploration continues in Orange, Calif.,and Watertown, N.Y.As in all warfare there are casualties. With much grief and disappointment,the Mission Church in Kingston, Ontario, was disorganized inMarch.Further progress was made in the more established new works as well.Vemon Hills has purchased their firstbuilding; God has brought Trinitythrough a challenging time; Smiths Falls continues to grow; Pensacola'spastor will soon be able to reduce his tent-making responsibilities to givemore energy to the congregation's ministry; Stillwater is actively reachingout to university students; Anchor is seeing both spiritual and physicalbabies bom; Several have been saved and assimilated in Kokomo; Lancasterhas doubled; Hispanic converts and communicant members wereadded in Los Angeles.BUT GROWTH IS SLOWINGAs we look ahead a plateau is beginning to appear on the horizon. Itappears that the stream of qualified men for the ministry is slowing to atrickle. There are plenty of lost people to reach. Finances, if they keepcoming in, are not yet a seriously limiting factor. There are many placesto go. But where are the spiritual leaders to take up the ministry?It is becoming undeniably clear to many in our denomination thatqualified pastors has become our greatest need—and not just for newministries but for the established congregations. We must not lose thegains of earlier labors.PRAY FOR LABORERSWe call upon the church to do what Jesus instmcted us to do in thesecircumstances."Pray therefore, the Lord of the harvest that He would send workersinto His harvest." Matthew 9:36We call upon the church to do this in an informed and persistent way.TRAINING CHURCH PLANTERSThe HMB held its third Church Planter's Conference in Febmary ofthis year. Church planters from all the ministries supported by the Synodwere invited along with those to whom they are responsible, and severalresource people. This year we also invited men from established congregationswho had been in the ministry less than fiveyears.Since church planting really is a husband-wife team effort, this year weinvited each man to bring his wife to the conference. What a tremendous