Old Providence (VA): Adam Miller, Ka- tie Miller
Pisgah (NC): Falcon & Lindsay Rice
Installations Cayce (SC): Deacon: Andrew Bateman. Elder: Bob Bingham, Richard McSween.
Centennial (SC): Deacon: Brady Hanes, Noah Moody, David Wylie. El- der: Guy Castles III, Swain Whitfield.
Lake Placid (FL): Deacon: Barry Re- hbein, Shane Ward, Matthias Hut- zenlaub, Brad Perry. Elder: Andrew Gonzalez, Terry Thompson, Mark Fortier, Roger Warrick.
In Love with Being a Presbyterian
By Derek Thomas CLASSIFIED ADSCLASSIFIED ADS
When in Boone NC worship@Brookside ARP 1122 Old 421 South (turn left@Nissan dealer) 11AM - The Lord’s Day
First ARP Lancaster seeks part time choir director/ accompanist. Must be a member in good stand- ing and able to coordinate music in line with ARP standards. Regular weekly schedule of Sunday morn- ing Worship and choir practice. In- quire at
OnAHill@comporium.net for job description and compensation.
If you would like to advertise, please contact
arpeditor@arpsynod.org. The cost is $.50 per word.
May/June 2026
Presbyterian, a decision I made almost four decades ago. Some of you were “born Presbyterian,” but I was not. Actually, I was born a pagan, but that’s for another day. As it happens, I became convinced of “connectional church government” ex- actly 38 years ago around this time of year. As it happens, what convinced me of connectional government was a relatively simple matter. It was the way the New Testament speaks of both “church” and “churches.” That there are individual “churches” is easily demonstrated. Churches existed in Ephesus, Corinth, Thes- salonica, and Antioch, to name but a few. Look at the following references Romans 16 :5, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15. But the New Testament also refers to the collective “church” as for example, when Jesus says, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). There are indi- vidual churches and there is the connectional church (as in Reformed Presbyterian Church) and, by extension, there is the one universal church. Not every individual church or collection of churches or true churches. From some, Jesus has withdrawn the lampstand, Revelation 2:5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” I raised the issue of connectionalism here because in June, your pastor and el- ders will be at the annual gathering of Synod. “What is that you may be asking? Synod is the gathering of representatives, elders and pastors, from all of our As- sociate Reformed Presbyterian churches In order to discuss matters which relate to the church as a whole period there are a number of matters which the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church collectively do as one body. These would include such things as ordain, commission and send missionaries to places, plant new churches, and establish rules of church discipline. Most of the time such gatherings are a great deal of fun, meeting familiar faces and friends that we haven’t seen since last year’s Synod. Sometimes, alas, matters of great importance arise about which we disagree. These occasions call for great patience, as each of us attempts to remain true to our conscience in a manner that is both respectful of each other and true to what we think scripture would have us do. That is where your prayers on our behalf would be most welcome, so that we would know those areas where disagreement should result in compromise and when it most certainly should not. at its formality, its commitment to Robert’s rules of order, and perhaps the com- plexity of “The Book of Church Order. Oc- casionally, it is all too possible to get more excited about the form than the matter. But sometimes, and typically this is most of the time, it is a demonstration of the unity of the body of Christ, that we are not alone in this world that seems increasingly hos- tile to biblical Christianity. So, this coming June, lift up a prayer for the Synod and for the Lord’s rich blessing to attend it.
T
Dr. Derek Thomas is a retired ARP Minister in Catawba Presbytery.
31
his is not going to be a sectarian piece, why Presbyterianism is better than form of church government. Rather, I want to tell you why I love being a
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
