Participants in What We Proclaim: Recovering Paul’s Narrative of Pastoral Ministry
Written by William R. Edwards |
Thursday, August 10, 2023
Although current features may vary and create unique stresses that differ from previous generations and other cultures, the underlying narrative for all ministry remains the same. Those in every age who faithfully preach this Christ will manifest his death and resurrection as participants in what they proclaim. If this is missed, so too will be the significance of the suffering we endure: that the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection might be displayed against the backdrop of our own moment in redemptive history.
Many have written on the difficulties of pastoral ministry, backed by research into the demise of those who become discouraged in the work. These studies provide useful descriptions and helpful insights into the culture of ministry and how it might be changed. Much of this recent work, however, lacks deeper reflection on the biblical-theological themes that frame life in ministry and provide categories through which its difficulties must be understood. This article explores the framework for suffering in ministry through Paul’s letters, focusing on his correspondence with the Corinthians, with the aim of recovering the rich redemptive-historical narrative of ministry that is grounded in Christ’s death and resurrection.
The American church has conducted a substantial amount of research into the health of its pastors since the start of the twenty-first century. Alarming statistics have been amassed suggesting all is not well.1 The general consensus is that over the past thirty to fifty years much has changed in ministry with the result that “pastoral leadership does not seem to offer the promise of a life well lived.”2 This appears evident from the large numbers of those leaving the ministry within the first five years, with some statistics indicating a fourfold increase since the 1970s.3 The mainstream media has taken note too, with an article in the New York Times concluding, “Members of the clergy now suffer from obesity, hypertension and depression at rates higher than most Americans. In the last decade, their use of antidepressants has risen, while their life expectancy has fallen.”4 Studies indicate that many in ministry are unhappy and would leave for some other line of work if they could.5
As desperate as this sounds, action has been taken to address these troubling trends. The Lilly Foundation funded a ten-year project, “Sustaining Pastoral Excellence,” distributing grants totaling in the millions of dollars to 63 different organizations, with the aim of conducting research to better understand the negative conditions of pastoral ministry and develop strategies for positive change.6 These organizations represent the breadth of the American church, from mainline and evangelical Protestants to Roman Catholics.7 As a result of their work, a number of book-length studies have been published, which both describe common reasons for the difficult climate of pastoral ministry and prescribe potential remedies for improving its environment.8
Although operating with diverse theological commitments, the use of the social sciences ties these various studies together. Each explores the habits and practices of pastors in their various traditions with the guiding question of what defines and sustains excellence in ministry, utilizing qualitative research methods in the analysis of data to develop their descriptions and reach their conclusions.9 These studies prove helpful in many ways, noting commonalities in experience that coalesce into themes that frame life in ministry, which need to be examined and of which churches and pastors need to be aware.10 The hopeful expectation through all of this work is that “a new narrative about ministry is coming into being,” one that replaces the discouraging narrative of irrelevance, ineffectiveness, and mediocrity.11
These studies inevitably include a measure of biblical and theological reflection. The primary focus, however, is the research into the immediate causes that make pastoral ministry uniquely difficult in our current setting. So while biblical notions of excellence in ministry are considered, the data gathered on contemporary experience is at the heart of the analyses. While valuable in bringing to light particular difficulties that our present ministry culture may create, this approach potentially overshadows deeper biblical-theological descriptions that are at the core of the hardship ministers face in every age.
The aim of this article is to explore the biblical-theological framework for suffering in ministry that all pastors will endure as they faithfully proclaim Christ. In particular, Paul’s letters will be examined with special attention given to his correspondence with the Corinthians, which is rich with descriptions of his own experience, not only as an account of his life in ministry, but as a pattern for all those who follow. The premise in what follows is that the current need is not so much to develop a new narrative for pastoral ministry, but to recover the rich biblical-theological narrative of ministry found in Scripture that is grounded in Christ’s death and resurrection.12 In doing so, the hope is to see beyond the specific struggles faced today, to the larger story common to all in ministry throughout these last days, stretching from Christ’s resurrection until his return, so that those entering the work of ministry will do so with a narrative informed by the gospel they are called to proclaim.
1. Maintaining the Matters of First Importance in Ministry
In various places Paul presents what appears to be a rather grandiose view of his ministry, such as when he describes his “insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations,” a mystery that, he says, was “made known to me by revelation” (Eph 3:3–5).13 He boldly envisions his labors in relation to great OT prophets, going so far as to compare himself to Moses, leaving the clear impression that his is the greater and more glorious work (2 Cor 3:11–13). These portrayals, on first read, may seem to imply an exaggerated sense of self-importance.14 It is not, however, Paul’s self-perception that leads to this exalted view of his ministry. Instead, Paul understands that the greatness of the age ushered in by Christ’s death and resurrection exalts his work. It is not his contribution that brings distinction. This grand and decisive epoch of redemption attributes greatness to Paul’s own labors in ministry.15
Paul concludes his first letter to the Corinthians with a reminder of what he refers to as the matter “of first importance” in the gospel he preaches: “that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3–4). Death and resurrection together constitute the focal point of the gospel he proclaims. Yet in reading Paul, this climactic moment of redemption is not simply the summary of Paul’s message. Jesus’ death and resurrection is of first importance as the event that inaugurates a new era of redemption, which then serves as the setting for all he endures in ministry.16
According to Paul, Christ’s death and resurrection displays God’s “plan for the fullness of time” that has now entered history (Eph 1:9–10). Therefore, he can confidently say that upon us “the end of the ages has come” (1 Cor 10:11), because of “the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim 1:10–11). In every description of ministry, Paul remains fully alert to this time in which he labors. It emboldens his proclamation: “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2). Regarding Paul, Ridderbos notes that, “before everything else, he was the proclaimer of a new time, the great turning point in the history of redemption, the intrusion of a new world aeon.”17 Paul is urged on in the work, and urges others through his preaching, because Christ’s death and resurrection have brought about this age of salvation in which he now serves.18
Thus, what Paul identifies as the matter of first importance in the message he proclaims is maintained as the matter of first importance for his entire ministry. Christ’s death and resurrection is not simply the great past redemptive event he points back to as he preaches. Christ’s death and resurrection shapes his entire conception of ministry. Through it Paul proclaims the coming of an age within which his ministry takes place, a redemptive epoch of which his ministry is truly a vibrant part. Paul understood, as Vos says, that “the servant is, as it were, made part of the wonder-world of salvation itself.”19 Ministers of this gospel do not tell the story of salvation as if standing at a distance, but instead are made participants in the unfolding drama of the last days inaugurated by Christ’s death and resurrection. According to Ridderbos, “Paul’s preaching itself is taken up into the great eschatological event.”20 His ministry is also a part of God’s redemptive provision, inseparable from this age of fulfillment.
These eschatological themes, therefore, are integral to the framework of, and thus essential to endure faithfully in, the work of ministry. Narrowly viewed, eschatology may be approached as an area of study concerned with distant events and consequently largely fruitless for practical ministry. In considering the above, however, its concern is not so much with obscure matters but with the great mystery revealed in Christ’s death and resurrection. The great end has now truly begun. Jesus himself is “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead” (Col 1:18). All gospel ministry must maintain this outlook. To quote Vos again, “The joy of working in the dawn of the world to come quickens the pulse of all New Testament servants of Christ.”21 Or at least it should, and only will when these “last things” are maintained as the “first thing” in ministry. In this sense, eschatology, rightly conceived, is always protology for the pastor. The eschatos is protos for Paul. The end begun with Christ’s death and resurrection is always of first importance, and must be as we consider the work of ministry.
When this perspective is lost, so is the larger story for our ministry. Bereft of such a vision, we are left simply with the things immediately before us, our work defined primarily by our current activity rather than the age of consummation that has now come. Apart from a rich biblical eschatology, the pastor’s attention will be confined to his own labors while missing the grand narrative that gives them any significance. When this occurs, the tasks of ministry become wearying in their repetition: sermons to prepare and worship to order with the approach of each Sunday, more counsel to offer possibly with little hope of change if experience proves true, meetings with elders that focus primarily on pressing needs. David Hansen laments how in the work of the pastor, “Theology’s venerable already not-yet has become what needs to be done today and what can be left until tomorrow.”22 The immediate pressures and demands of pastoral ministry may cause us to lose sight of this final epoch of redemption in which we serve. And without this larger story, the burdens of ministry may quickly become unbearable and the source of great discouragement.
2. A Portrayal of What Is Proclaimed
However, it is not simply that Paul has the privilege of serving at the inauguration of this new age. The work of Christ that ushers in this day of salvation also serves as the pattern for his ministry. His life portrays what he proclaims. This is evident at the inception of Paul’s call, heard in Jesus’ words spoken to Ananias, where he says, “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:16). As Ananias relays Jesus’ words, it is unclear if this particular statement was conveyed to Paul at this point. Surely all enter ministry unaware of how the message they bear will so deeply mark their own lives.
On first read, Jesus’ comment may sound vindictive, possibly a form of punishment for Paul’s previous persecution of the church. Yet Paul interprets all of his sufferings as indicative of the Savior he serves. It is not about Paul. It’s about Jesus. Paul is not suffering for his past sins, but as one compelled by Christ’s love, who died that “those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Cor 5:14–15). Therefore, he is willing to “endure everything for the sake of the elect” (2 Tim 2:10). He can even say that he is “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Col 1:24). Every experience in ministry is interpreted through Christ’s death and resurrection, as an integral part of the ongoing drama of redemption as it plays out in these last days, which includes his own life.
Paul vividly describes his apostolic ministry in 1 Cor 4:9: “I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.”23 The Greek word translated as spectacle is θέατρον, also the word for theater.24 This depiction clearly captures Paul’s image, not of what he is called to do in ministry, but of what God intends his ministry to be in this world. His life is to show the very things that he tells, to portray what he proclaims.25 Each instance of suffering he endures is set in a truly cosmic story that centers on Christ’s death and resurrection, visible before heaven and earth, to both angels and men.26 And Paul views his ministry as part of a final act, “last of all,” as a concluding display that captures in his own experience the climactic elements of the entire story.27
The question is whether something equally dramatic can be said for those who serve in ministry after the age of the apostles. Is such a description also true for those who minister today? Should every pastor see himself as part of this final act whose life, similar to Paul, will portray what he proclaims? Clearly the apostles had a unique function, commissioned by Jesus himself to serve as the foundation for the church (Eph 2:20). They had a once for all role that is not to be repeated. Surely, however, if Christ’s death and resurrection forms the foundation in this way, the same will characterize all ministry built upon it.28
This is particularly seen in 2 Tim 1:8–12 where Paul offers himself as an example to Timothy, that he too is called to “share in suffering for the gospel,” and similarly describes the setting of Timothy’s ministry as his own: “the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Significantly here, Paul identifies himself not first as an apostle, but as a preacher, and then also as a teacher, which he says, “is why I suffer as I do.” In other words, Paul’s experience is not so much a function of his apostolic office as it is of the age to which his ministry belongs. Timothy’s labors share this setting, and so do all who serve in ministry since Christ’s appearing. Pastors today not only may, but must understand that their lives will likewise portray what they proclaim, because they too are participants in this final act initiated by Christ’s death and resurrection.
3. Ministry Will Always Manifest the Same Story
Paul develops this theme of death and resurrection as the framework for pastoral ministry most thoroughly in his second letter to the Corinthians.29 He defends the character of his ministry among them, weaving through the whole the implications of what he has established as the matter of first importance in his prior epistle. In his exposition of Christ’s resurrection in 1 Cor 15, he has already made application to ministry in verses 30–32, describing the threat he continually faces, characterizing it as death, saying, “I die every day!” Yet it is not his own personality or disposition that constantly pushes Paul into the fray despite the danger. His continued boldness has its basis in the resurrection. There is no gain, he says, “If the dead are not raised.” Paul takes up this theme at the start of 2 Corinthians, describing “our affliction” as sharing “in Christ’s sufferings” (2 Cor 1:4–5).30 He returns to it repeatedly as he describes how a ministry that faithfully represents Christ will always manifest the story of his death and resurrection.31
Paul concisely describes this pattern as it is replicated in his own experience in 2 Cor 4:7–18. Referring to the gospel that is centered in the risen, glorified Christ, he says, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Again, as in 1 Cor 4:9 mentioned above, Paul understands his own frailty, weakness, and suffering as the very setting in which the resurrected Christ is most clearly seen. He then provides a list that captures how this is exhibited in his own life: “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor 4:9). Each is an occurrence of death, yet always coupled with resurrection.
-
Majoring in the Minors: Amos
Amos begins his preaching to the northern kingdom in a clever way. Not clever with deceit, but with a disarming cleverness. He first proclaims the judgments coming on the neighboring enemies of Israel: Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, the Ammonites, and Moab. He even declares he southern kingdom is targeted for judgment.
About one hundred years before the northern kingdom was carried into exile by Assyrian armies, and just two years before the earthquake, the Lion roared from Zion. Yahweh raised up and sent his prophet, Amos of Tekoa, into the northern kingdom to announce a coming inescapable judgment. Exile.
Amos, a rural sheep herder and dresser of sycamore figs, was an unlikely choice for the Lion’s roar. Not only was he a country farmer sent to preach against an urban decadence that was crushing the poor, he was also from the southern kingdom of Judah. With Amos the Lord was about to smuggle an outsider into the north because Israel had officially silenced their own prophets (2:12). Jeroboam would try to silence Amos too (7:10-17).
Amos begins his preaching to the northern kingdom in a clever way. Not clever with deceit, but with a disarming cleverness. He first proclaims the judgments coming on the neighboring enemies of Israel: Damascus, Gaza, Tyre, Edom, the Ammonites, and Moab. He even declares he southern kingdom is targeted for judgment.
All of this perfectly paced to get Israel listening. They might welcome a new prophet after all, if he speaks to their advantage. But then, cleverly mentioning them last, the northern kingdom becomes the chief concern of Amos’s word of doom.
What entrenched and multiplied transgressions brings the Lord to come against his own people? In a word, oppression. In more words, oppression of the poor by an unchecked appetite for luxury and leisure.
The wealthy and powerful of Israel – and those who wish to be – “sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals” (2:6). They “trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted” (2:7).
Read More
Related Posts: -
2023 Orthodox Presbyterian Church General Assembly Report
For the election of a new moderator the following were nominated: Rev. Bruce Prentice (Mandon, ND), Elder Bruce Stahl (Wentzville, MO) and Rev. John Shaw (general secretary of OPC Home Missions). After a vote Mr. Shaw was declared elected. Rev. Danny Olinger (general secretary of OPC Christian Education), who had nominated Mr. Shaw, led in prayer for the newly elected moderator.
The 89th General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) is meeting from June 7–13, 2023, at Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, Illinois. This running daily report was written by Robert Van Kooten and edited by Linda Foh. Questions or comments may be addressed to Hank Belfield, stated clerk. Go to Thursday.
Wednesday June 7, 2023
Trinity Christian College is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, near Chicago. This is where the 89th General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church is meeting to conduct the business of our Church.
As is the usual custom, the Assembly began with a worship service, which was held at Ozinga Chapel. The Session of First OPC, South Holland, IL, had oversight of this service. The moderator of last year’s Assembly, Elder David P. Nakhla (Glenside, PA), convened this year’s Assembly and exhorted from Matthew 25:31–46. Mr. Nakhla reminded the commissioners from the passage that only sheep can show the mercy of Christ. He then showed from the passage how it’s a fact that the mercy of Christ flows from the Shepherd through the sheep to others, how it’s a challenge for the sheep to show Christ’s mercy, and how when the sheep show Christ’s mercy it’s a blessing to both the sheep who show it and to the ones receiving it. Rev. Daniel Svendsen (South Holland, IL) and the First OPC Session administered the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The offering collected was designated for the Committee on Ministerial Care.
Following a brief recess, the Assembly reconvened at the gymnasium, which will be the primary meeting place as we conduct the business of the Church. Mr. Nakhla opened in prayer. The president of Trinity Christian College, Dr. Aaron Keiker, welcomed the Assembly to the Trinity Campus. The roll call was taken by the stated clerk, Rev. Hank Belfield (Providence OPC, Chilhowie, VA). Members of the Assembly’s committees who are not commissioners were seated as corresponding members. Corresponding members were granted the privilege of the floor, which means they can speak on matters, but they are not allowed to make motions or vote.
Elder David Mahaffy (Oak Harbor, WA) gave a preliminary report for the Committee on Arrangements, noting key information regarding the campus of Trinity Christian College. At this point the Assembly tested the voting devices with three statistical questions. The first one was “Is this your first General Assembly?” There are 33 first timers and 109 seasoned veterans. The second one was “Did you grow up in the OPC?” 18 commissioners were born in the OPC, and the third one asked for the decade of ordination: 18 in the 2020s; 41 in the 2010s; 34 in the 2000s; 25 in the 1990s; 13 in the 1980s; 6 in the 1970s; and 2 in the 1960s, who were asked to stand.
On behalf of the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations, Mr. Mark Bube (Glenside, PA) introduced the fraternal delegates, and these delegates were also seated as corresponding members.
The stated clerk presented the minutes of the 88th General Assembly. He noted that the hard copies of the minutes were mailed to ministers and presbyteries of the OPC, as well as a list of select denominations and seminaries, on September 19, 2022.
The next item of business for the evening was to elect a new moderator for this year’s Assembly. Rev. Bruce Prentice (Mandon, ND), Elder Bruce Stahl (Wentzville, MO) and Rev. John Shaw (general secretary of OPC Home Missions) were nominated. After a vote Mr. Shaw was declared elected. Rev. Danny Olinger (general secretary of OPC Christian Education), who had nominated Mr. Shaw, led in prayer for the newly elected moderator.
The docket was adopted, and subsequently the clerk proposed the assignment of the matters of business to the various advisory and temporary committees, which were adopted by the Assembly. Mr. Winslow closed the Wednesday evening session with prayer.
Thursday June 8, 2023
The first full day of the Assembly’s work began following breakfast. However, rather than begin the day as a whole, the commissioners meet in their respective advisory committees at various locations on campus.
What exactly is an advisory committee? All members of the assembly, except the moderator, clerks, and commissioners who give presentations in advisory committees, are assigned to an advisory committee. Advisory committees and temporary committees help the assembly with its work. They are tasked with meeting with representatives of the various program committees of the General Assembly (Committee on Christian Education, Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension, and Committee on Foreign Missions) to review those committees’ reports and recommendations. When an advisory committee reports that it is “silent” regarding the work of a committee under its review, this silence is understood to convey approval of the committee’s work and concurrence with its report and/or recommendations. However, an advisory committee may bring recommendations to the assembly that might differ from a committee’s report or recommendations under its review. But they may not do so without conferring with at least one member of that committee present at the assembly.
Each day the commissioners and corresponding members receive breakfast, lunch, and supper at the dining commons. There are two twenty-minute breaks with coffee and refreshments each day, at 10:00 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. The Assembly pauses its work each morning at 11:40 for a daily devotional with the exception of the Lord’s Day, when commissioners will have the opportunity to worship at nearby OPC congregations.
At 11:40, the commissioners reconvened at the gymnasium and sang from the Trinity Psalter Hymnal #73C, “In Sweet Communion, Lord, with Thee,” and Rev. Warren Bennett III (Covenant OPC, Natchitoches, LA) led a devotional on Psalm 73:25–26. He noted that the Psalmist looks at his life in the world and comes to realize that he needs God, and that he must want God and to be with God in Heaven more than anything else in the world. The Psalmist then comes to realize, as God’s people should, that the way to obtain that is through the faithful worship of the Lord. The Assembly recessed for lunch and afterward the commissioners returned to their advisory committees to finish their remaining work. Elder John Terpstra (Austin, TX) led in prayer.
Thursday Afternoon
The Assembly reconvened at 4:15 p.m. and sang from Trinity Psalter Hymnal #524, “Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah,” followed by prayer led by the moderator.
Mr. Belfield presented the report of the stated clerk. Mr. Belfield serves in this capacity on a part-time basis while also serving in full-time ministry. Mr. Belfield noted that fifteen of seventeen presbyteries had approved the amendment to Form of Government XV.3, which was proposed at the 88th General Assembly, and so the amendment was adopted. He also noted the amendment to the Directory of Public Worship III.B.2, which was proposed at the 88th General Assembly, failed to be adopted, as it was approved by eight presbyteries and denied by nine presbyteries. He expressed gratefulness for the help from the clerk’s staff: Mrs. Charlene Tipton, Mrs. Linda Foh, and Mrs. Judith Dinsmore. He also thanked Rev. John Mahaffy (Trinity OPC, Newberg, OR) for serving as the GA assistant clerk for 24 consecutive years along with Elder Mike Shields (Mt Airy, NC) for his work as clerk observer but who now serves more as an assistant. Rev. Donald Duff (retired minister from Beaver Falls, PA and a previous stated clerk) on behalf of the Advisory Committee prayed for Mr. Belfield and his work as stated clerk.
Rev. Stephen Phillips (retired minister, Quarryville, PA), on behalf of the OPC Board of Trustees, presented the report of the trustees. The trustees expressed thanks to Mr. Belfield for his work as stated clerk of the General Assembly. Two men were reelected to serve for another term on the Board of Trustees: Mr. Phillips and Elder Mr. Kelvin Monteith (Gastonia, NC). Mr. Duff prayed for work of the trustees.
Rev. Archibald A. Allison (Fort Collins, CO) presented the report of the statistician on behalf of the statistician, Mr. Luke Brown, who could not be present at the assembly. During 2022 the number of local churches grew by five to 301. The number of mission works declined by seven to 31.
Total membership increased by 3,686 persons to 32,720 members. Morning worship in-person attendance increased by 1,396 persons (6.78 percent) to 24,176 as measured in November 2022. Sunday school attendance increased by 1,396 persons (29.2 percent) to 10,976 in November as congregations continue to bounce back from the period of COVID-19 restrictions.
Total giving grew by 4.86 percent over the previous year to $78.8 million. In addition, there was a robust 3.79-percent increase in average giving per communicant member, which reached $3,273.
The church welcomed 23 new ministers last year. Eighteen were ordained as ministers, and five were received into the OPC from other churches. Fifteen ministers were removed from the rolls of presbyteries among them; two ministers were dismissed to other churches, seven by reason of death, two who demitted the ministry, two who were deposed, and two who were erased. This brings the total number of ministers to 584.
At a later time Mr. Brown was re-elected as statistician. Rev. Allison prayed for the statistician and gave thanks for his faithful service.
The Assembly recessed for dinner at 5:15 p.m., following prayer by the Rev. Jeremy A. Brandenburg (Redeemer OPC, Carlisle, PA).
Thursday Evening
The Assembly reconvened at 6:45 p.m. with the singing of hymn #492, “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.” Rev. Johnathan E. Hutchinson (Reformation OPC, Morgantown, WV) led in prayer.
Elder Michael Cloy (Marion, NC), a member of the Committee on Chaplains and Military Personnel, presented the committee’s report. He introduced Rev. Richard M. Dickinson, committee secretary, and Mr. Donald Sampson, Associate Endorser, Military Chaplains, from the Presbyterian and Reformed Commission on Chaplains and Military Personnel (PRCC). Mr. Cloy reported that the OPC currently has fifteen chaplains, six serving on active duty, seven serving in the Reserves or National Guard (two of whom also serve as civilian chaplains), two serving as civilian chaplains, and two serving as chaplain candidates. In addition, the OPC has thirteen retired military chaplains and one retired civilian chaplain. During the report the committee representatives showed pictures of our military chaplains faithfully serving on the field and described some of the sacrifices they and their families have made. We must remember to pray for these men.
Rev. John A. Carter (retired chaplain) and Rev. Patrick Morgan (professor, Heidelberg Seminary) were elected to the committee’s class of 2026, and Mr. Jeremy Brandenburg and Elder Jeffrey W. Dronenburg were elected to the class of 2025. Elder Mark Stumpff (Mifflinburg, PA) prayed for the committee.
Rev. Mark Sallade (Calvary OPC, Glenside, PA), vice president of the Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension, began the report of the committee. He introduced general secretary Rev. John Shaw and associate general secretary Rev. Al Tricarico.
Mr. Shaw reported that in 2002 eight new church plants rejoiced in the arrival of new organizing pastors and the start of denominational aid. During the report he introduced one of the church planters, Rev. Chris Drew (Faith OPC, Grand Forks, ND) who reported on his church planting efforts there. Mr. Tricarico then reported that as of the start of this assembly there are currently ten Regional Home Missionaries (RHMs) that are serving the presbyteries. He introduced one of the Regional Home Missionaries, Rev. David Chilton (Presbytery of the South), who spoke about new mission works in the Tampa Bay, FL and New Orleans, LA.
Mr. Shaw spoke to the commissioners about the Neilands Fund, which is now the Seed and Sowers Fund. The purpose of this fund is for church planting that follows a mother-daughter church planting model; there are six currently in the OPC.
He then introduced Rev. Steven McDaniel (Calvary OPC, Glenside, PA) who presented a brief report on a new church plant in King of Prussia, PA. This congregation was the daughter church of Calvary, Glenside, which guided them every step of the way and now church planter Rev. Nate Jeffries is on the field. He spoke of the blessing of the Seed and Sowers Fund, which gave the church plant a boost from the very beginning.
Mr. Shaw also noted that the committee has been working on a revitalization program to help struggling OPC congregations and has men available to give help and advice to congregations that need help with revitalization.
Mr. Sallade then announced that after serving ten years as General Secretary, Mr. Shaw has expressed a desire to return to pastoral ministry. The following resolution was read and will be included in the minutes of the assembly:
Resolution of Thanks. The Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expresses its deep gratitude to you, John S. Shaw, for your ten years of faithful service as its general secretary.
You were raised in the OPC and participated from your earliest years in church planting efforts with your godly parents, Bill and Mary Shaw. The experiences and memories of your upbringing enriched your service to the Lord as a church planter, then as a member of CHMCE, and until now as the Committee’s general secretary.
The Committee notes with gladness that you labored faithfully in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the church planter and pastor of Mission OPC in that city for seven years. During your time in St. Paul you were elected to CHMCE and served on the Committee for five years. In recognition of your value as a committee member, CHMCE called you to serve as its general secretary in 2013—a position you held for ten years.
During your tenure as general secretary you made many positive contributions to the cause of home missions. Your practice of patient leadership and open-hearted consideration of the contributions of committee members provided a context for unique fruitfulness for the Kingdom of God. Among the things you initiated and/or developed are these:Thorough initial and ongoing evaluation of mission works
A robust program of support for church planters and their families
Conferences designed to deepen the quality of OPC engagement in home missions
Generous and creative funding programs that better position presbyteries to resource their home missions efforts
A new and growing mentoring program purposed to help congregations grow in spiritual healthThe Committee also wants to recognize your wife, Anne, for the support she showed during the years you served as general secretary. Her willingness to sacrificially serve in your absence during times when you travelled—sometimes for extended periods—is evidence of her love for the Kingdom of Christ. As we thank you, we thank her.
John, CHMCE will miss your service and your regular company, but will continue to enjoy your friendship and partnership in the gospel. You leave this call to serve under another with CHMCE’s thankfulness for your fellowship and labors, along with its prayers that you will enjoy every spiritual blessing in Christ as you continue to serve the church for the glory of God.
Mr. Sallade then announced that Rev. Jeremiah W. Montgomery (Covenant OPC, Dayton-North, OH) has accepted the call to serve as the next General Secretary of Home Missions and had him stand and introduced him to the Assembly.
For the election to the Committee’s class of 2026, the Assembly needed to elect three ministers and two ruling elders. Rev. Christopher D. Hartshorn (RHM, Presbytery of Southern California), Mr. McDaniel and Mr. Sallade, and Elders Keith A. LeMahieu (Oosburg, WI) and Jeremy R. Geaslen (Vandalia, OH) were elected. And then to fill a vacancy to the class of 2024, Elder J. Kevin Baldwin (Grace Hanover, MD) was elected.
Rev. Mike McCabe (OPC Missionary to East Asia) prayed for Messrs. Shaw and Montgomery and the work of the committee.
Rev. Paul N. Browne, vice-president of the Committee on Foreign Missions, introduced the report of the committee and he introduced Rev. Douglas B. Clawson, the general secretary for the committee.
Rev. Clawson began his report noting that the OPC has currently a great need for multiple Foreign missionaries, but right now the committee has zero applicants. He then read from Isaiah 6:1–9 concerning the prophet Isaiah’s commission: “Here I am, send me!” and made a passionate plea to commissioners to consider whether the Lord may be calling them to the foreign mission field. He then provided updates on OPC missionary work being done in parts of Asia, and Uganda. The report will continue on Friday morning.
The Assembly recessed at 8:30 following prayer by Rev. W. Vernon Picknally (Bethel OPC, Fremont, MI).
This report was written by Robert Van Kooten, pastor, Sovereign Grace OPC, Oak Harbor, Washington.
Source
Related Posts: -
Humility Born Out of Love
No one goes to Heaven merely because they recognize His existence. There must be, alongside this, a worshipping and glorifying of Him accordingly. There is a fruit born out of love that begins with the eyes opened to see the beauty and holiness of Jehovah. To go back to the preface to the Ten Commandments for a second if God is your God and has raised you from the spiritual dead then how can you fail to “. . .trust, hope, delight, rejoice, highly esteem, honor, adore, choose, love, desire, fear, believe, meditating, remember. . .” His glory in grace? You can’t. These things are so inscrutably linked as to be defined together.
As with when we went through the commandments last year in the Shorter Catechism, I’ll warn you ahead of time that this process will be somewhat slow and unending. Yet, I will do what I can to try and punch up the blessing that is the law of God, even if at some point it may feel like it is getting not only repetitive, but oppressive. Some have criticized the authors of the Larger Catechism for their so-called navel gazing fastidiousness.
However, I think we will find much meat to fill our souls with grace as we spend time considering what our Lord would have us learn.
There is an idiom below that is worth pulling out for some more examination before we read the Q/A’s themselves and that would be “. . .in the whole man”. It is a curious phrase which means not only in our outward obedience, but in the inward as well we are to apply these commands. It is a part of course of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount that we sin not in deed alone. Our minds and affections are as much affected by the Fall as our physical activities. We sweat when we work, yet the truth is that pricking the finger on a thorn results in all types of inward cursing (or outward for that matter) that testifies to the reality of our transgressions before the Lord. So, as we walk through each of the Ten Words let us keep in mind what God is requiring of us.
We open with the first commandment. It is, as you might expect, the foundation for all the statutes that come after and this is why when we read the duties required in Q.104 we see something of all the rest of the Decalogue listed in some form or fashion. It is helpful to remind ourselves that obedience to God is complete and full.
Here are this week’s Q/A’s:
Q. 103: Which is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Q. 104: What are the duties required in the first commandment?
Read More
Related Posts:
