the pastor of this group of believers in Ballybay, Ireland, in 1751, and in the years that followed, led them to America, organized scattered groups into congregations, and brought peace between warring factions, paving the way for the es- tablishment of the ARP denomination in 1782. As I turned down the drive to Cedar Springs, I couldn’t help but notice a sign proclaiming the congregation’s continuing commitment to advancing the Gospel: “Celebrating 243 years of service to . . . Pakistan, Mexico, Germany, Scotland, Russia, Turkey, Spain, [and] India.” importance of planting new churches, I realized that our older congregations have something which cannot be replicated until you have multiple generations worshipping in the same place, instructing their families in the catechism and love of God, and living in community together. In this regard, an old-fashioned church cemetery is also an incredible asset, with its headstones testifying to the faith and trials of previous generations. A headstone for the Phillips family at White Oak reminded me of Rev. Frank van Dalen’s encouragement to pick epitaphs that would make good sermons: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved,” (Romans 10:9). From now on, every Phillips descendant who comes to see that stone will have the Gospel preached to them by a family member who, being dead, will continue to speak. I felt this commitment to passing on the legacy of Reformed faith centered on the word of God perhaps most palpably at the Psalm-sing at Bethany. Since Calvin’s psalter was published in Geneva, the singing of the word of God has been one of the hallmarks of the Reformed church. As has often been said, Reformed believers read the Bible, pray the Bible, preach the Bible, and sing the Bible. At Bethany, I was surrounded by people from a wide range of ages and churches participating in this activity with so much fervor and excitement that they even drowned out the organ and piano. My home state of Florida has a tremendous amount of societal disconnection, particularly between young people and those in 55-and-older communities, and it was encouraging to see that men in particular were taking an active role in passing along their faith and values to young adults and children. God has ordained special roles in the church for both men and women, and its ministry suffers when this partnership is out of balance. With so many groups trying to get men to live up to their calling, it was good to see such a large group of them living it out and modeling godly commitment, values, and leadership. For these reasons and many others, I came away refreshed and encouraged by much of what I saw in the churches of Second and Catawba presbyteries. It was a fun trip, and I enjoyed winding through the woods to see places like the Old Brick Church and Lower Long Cane where so much of our history took place. Even more, I appreciated the interactions I had with brothers and sisters who share a common heritage of faith. Most of all, I was inspired by the example of our godly forbears and the legacy which has been passed to us by their faithfulness and diligent commitment. As the book of Revelation reminds us, there are no perfect churches, but God’s calling is for us to hold on to what is good, to press on to follow, Him and make Him known. From what I observed, this attitude has characterized these churches in the past—may it continue to characterize them and all of our ARP congregations as we answer Christ’s call to us today!
Joshua Klatt is the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Lake Placid, Florida.
November/December 2023
27
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