“In All Things” podcast episode 95 features Joi Williams, Ruling Elder, a new member of the NLT

 

Joi Williams, Ruling Elder at Hope Church in Richmond, VA and Professor of Applied Engineering Technology at Virginia State University, joins Host, Dean Weaver, for this new episode of “In All Things”.

Dean and his guest discuss her journey to become a Ruling Elder as well as her thoughts and initial impressions as a new member of the EPC’s National Leadership Team.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

“In All Things” podcast episode 94 features Rosemary Lukens (Chairman of the NLT) and Victor Jones (Moderator-elect)

 

Rosemary Lukens, Chairman of the National Leadership Team and Ruling Elder for Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, and Victor Jones, Moderator-elect of the 43rd General Assembly and Ruling Elder for Westminster Presbyterian Church join host Dean Weaver, for this new episode of “In All Things”.

Dean and his guests discuss a variety of topics related to how God is working with the denomination at the National level.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

“In All Things” podcast episode 93 presents 2nd part of Lisa Brockman’s conversion from Mormonism in this season 1 encore

 

Episode 93 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” revisits a season 1 conversation with Lisa Brockman, Ruling Elder for First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Fla., and sixth-generation Mormon who came to faith as a college student at the University of Utah.

This week, host Dean Weaver and Brockman conclude their discussion of her path from a devout Mormon childhood to accepting Christ. Brockman relates how her decision to follow Christ affected her relationships with Mormon family members—especially after she wrote her book, Out of Zion: Meeting Jesus in the Shadow of the Mormon Temple.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

“In All Things” podcast episode 92 presents reprise edition of Lisa Brockman discussing her conversion from Mormonism

 

Episode 92 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” revisits a season 1 conversation with Lisa Brockman, Ruling Elder for First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Fla., and author of Out of Zion: Meeting Jesus in the Shadow of the Mormon Temple.

In part one of a two-week conversation, host Dean Weaver and Brockman discuss her path as a sixth-generation Mormon—including her childhood dream of a temple marriage—to accepting Christ as a student at the University of Utah. She recounts how her spiritual journey was influenced by Josh McDowell, Larry Crabb, and James Spencer. She also describes coming to the realization that the biblical God is the only God who will not abuse His authority.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

“In All Things” podcast episode 91 presents reprise edition of Bryn MacPhail discussing intersection of suffering and spiritual growth

 

Episode 91 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” revisits a season 1 conversation with Bryn MacPhail, Senior Pastor of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Kirk in Nassau, Bahamas, and author of Purposeful Pain: What Your Troubles Achieve.

Host Dean Weaver and MacPhail discuss how God uses suffering to make believers more like Jesus. MacPhail explains how repeated pain and suffering—unlike manual labor that develops strength and durability—results in a heavy burden that only being yoked to Christ can relieve. He also provides a list of additional resources on the topic.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

EPC Disaster Relief Committee Response to the Wildfires in Maui and Hurricane Hilary

 

Every disaster is a call to prayer.   That is where we start.

At this time, we are unsure of what is the best way to help in Maui or what the needs might be in the western part of the US after the hurricane and earthquake.

There are no EPC churches on Maui, so we are looking for the best avenues to assist the people affected by this tragedy.   The large relief agencies are there now, and we will be reaching out to them to see how we can connect with them and the people working there now providing services to those displaced.

Regarding the West Coast and Hurricane Hilary, we are waiting to hear back from the two EPC Presbyteries there to see what their congregations’ needs are. Once we know that, we can make decisions on how to assist there.

Many of you have emailed asking how your churches can support those in Maui or those that are affected by the West Coast hurricane. As we pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit on how best to use our resources, we would encourage you to give to the EPC Domestic Emergency Relief Fund. You can mark your donations Maui Wildfires or Hurricane Hilary if you desire.   You can give thru this link: https://epc.org/donate/emergencyrelief or thru the QR Code below.

We will keep you informed as we move forward.  Please join us in prayer for all of those whose lives have been torn apart by these disasters.

“In All Things” podcast episode 90 presents encore edition of EPC church member, former imam Mark Christian

 

Episode 90 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” revisits a season 1 conversation with Mark Christian, member of the EPC’s Covenant Presbyterian Church in Omaha, Nebr., and author of The Apostate: My Search for Truth.

Host Dean Weaver and Christian discuss his upbringing in Egypt in a family of the Muslim Brotherhood, becoming an imam at age 12, and how a journey of questioning the claims of Mohamed for a deeper understanding of Islam resulted in a failed attempt on his life and ultimately to faith in Christ.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings. Christian’s book is available on request from the EPC Office of the General Assembly by emailing info@epc.org. Supplies are limited.

2023 Pastor-Spouse Retreat registration deadline approaching

 

We are continuing to welcome registrations for our 2023 EPC Pastor-Spouse Retreat, which will be held October 23-27 at Glen Eyrie Castle & Conference Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

As a reminder, this invitation is for all EPC pastors, and if you’re married I hope your spouse will join you for this opportunity to be refreshed by the Lord. Please register by September 15 if you plan to join us! 

We will be led on this retreat by the staff from PastorServe, who will encourage us in …

Pursuing Relational Health

Healthy relationships are crucial to our well-being and ability to thrive in life and ministry. “Relationships are where the rubber of the gospel meets the road of everyday life…where redeemed, restored people live the good news.”

But relationships, whether strong or struggling, have been under tremendous pressure in recent years, and those pressures have done something in us and between us.

We’ll unpack some of those pressures and their impact and explore practical ways to strengthen our relationships in every area of life: family, friendships, church, and community. Each day we’ll interact around key practices that lead to relational health, giving an opportunity to consider God’s gracious invitation to grow in and through our relationships.

The cost for this retreat is $550 per person ($1,100 per couple) and includes accommodations for four nights on Glen Eyrie’s breathtaking grounds and 11 delicious meals in the Castle Dining Room.

I hope you will consider joining us at Glen Eyrie October 23-27! For complete information and to register, see www.epc.org/2023pastorspouseretreat. Please register by September 15 to claim your spot!

Grace and peace to you in Jesus,

Annie Rose
Director of Ministerial Support & Development

“In All Things” podcast episode 89 presents reprise edition of EPC Sierra Leone ministry partner Samuel Sesay

 

Episode 89 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” revisits a season 1 conversation with Samuel Sesay, missionary evangelist with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sierra Leone and President of EduNations.

Host Dean Weaver and Sesay discuss his journey to faith from a Muslim background within the syncretic religious environment of Sierra Leone. Sesay also describes the mission and vision of EduNations, which operates 15 Christian schools with more than 3,500 students in predominantly Muslim villages in the West African country, as well as how the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sierra Leone—which has witnessed more than 1,000 baptisms in the past eight years—was birthed from the ministry of EduNations.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

“In All Things” podcast episode 88 presents reprise edition of EPC NICU chaplain Jennifer Prechter exploring tragedy, suffering, grief

 

Episode 88 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” revisits a season 1 conversation with Jennifer Prechter, EPC Teaching Elder who serves as a palliative care chaplain at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando, Fla.

Host Dean Weaver and Prechter discuss her journey to hospital chaplaincy, and how her ministry provides opportunity for addressing deep questions of life with unchurched people across a wide spectrum of life experience.

Prechter also discusses how “longing and lament” can help people process tragedies such as a child with a terminal illness, or the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

South Carolina chicken farmers hatch EPC church plant

 

Pete Roman (dark shirt with guitar) leads worship and serves as Pastor of The Village Church at St. George, an EPC church plant in rural St. George, S.C.

Which came first—the chicken or the church plant? For Pete and Renee Roman, the two were hatched together.

“Our first official service for The Village Church at St. George was under some oak trees on our farm,” Pete said. “We started at eight in the morning because it was summer, and we needed to meet before it got unbearably hot.”

A shady spot under some oaks trees was the first “Sanctuary” of The Village Church at St. George.

After serving in Bulgaria for seven years, in 2017 the Romans returned to South Carolina with their three daughters. Their plan was to make a go of small-scale farming alongside his parents and to plant a rural church in St. George, a community about 50 miles northwest of Charleston.

“One thing that intrigued us in Bulgaria,” Pete said, “is that while it was hard to make connections in the city, when we’d travel with visiting teams to the villages it was easy to talk to people and build relationships.”

The Romans believe those same principles apply in rural America, and set out to create a warm, relational, community church environment. They started inviting neighbors to join them for a Sunday evening Bible study, but soon realized that small-town traditions are hard to break.

“We discovered that in the South, church happens at 10 o’clock on Sunday mornings,” he said. “Even though we had over 20 people who regularly attended our evening Bible study, they all had other churches they went to on Sunday mornings.”

When COVID hit and everyone pivoted to online church, it soon became evident that their home group had dissolved.

“We had three people attending, and two of us were related,” laughed Renee.

They decided to try hosting an in-person service but hold it outdoors to comply with COVID restrictions. People started coming right away—many of whom had been starved for relationships over the months and were seeking community. The church now has about 32 regular attenders, including several children and youth. Most of the attendees are previously unchurched or travel from other communities in the area.

Pete Roman involves all ages in the life of the church.

Renee says there is one young family with two little boys that has been a highlight on their journey.

“The wife started coming to our home group, but the husband was a paramedic so could not make it on Sundays,” she said. “She was really introverted and quiet, and as time went by she came less and less often.”

The Romans continued to see her around town and would always greet her warmly. Then one morning the entire family showed up. The husband had quit his job as an EMT and opened a tire shop, which freed him to come to church.

By this time, winter had arrived and the outdoor service had moved indoors.

Wood stove worship service

“It was the middle of winter, and was getting cold,” Renee said. “We had started meeting in the room where we process chickens, huddled around a wood stove.”

The setting did not deter the young family.

“Once they started coming again, they were all in,” Renee said. “God had been working the whole time. The husband now invites the customers at his store to come to church—and has become quite the evangelist. We have even held our Sunday service at his tire shop.”

Pete added that “it has been exciting to see the hunger that he and several others have to know more. We have a group of five or six guys who meet regularly together for coffee. God just keeps opening doors.”

As they laid the groundwork for the church, Pete contacted the EPC’s then-Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic and talked to Bucky Hunsicker, who was serving as missional executive director.

“He told us they had been praying for someone to spark a rural church planting movement,” Pete said, noting that Hunsicker’s response mirrored his and Renee’s ministry vision.

Family and community are Pete and Renee Roman’s vision for The Village Church at St. George.

“We want to be a small, intentional church that reflects the community we live in,” he said.

Renee said they have “an amazing group of people” who are hungry for the gospel and to learn the Bible, and who have a heart for the community and serving.

“Yet they are normal, messed-up sinners like the rest of us,” she said.

“The people who are coming are not looking for stellar preaching and amazing music—they are coming because it’s a family and community, and they are getting the truth,” Pete added.

The Romans live by a motto adopted from the life of 18th century Moravian reformer Nikolaus Ludwig, count von Zinzendorf.

“His most famous quote is ‘preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten,’” Pete said. “I’ve heard leaders on the mission field talk about their legacy and how they want to be remembered. But if our church stays the size it is … if no one ever knows the name Pete Roman … that’s fine with me. I just want to be faithful to God, preach the gospel, and let the Holy Spirit do His work.”

by Kiki Schleiff Cherry
EPConnection correspondent

Podcasting as evangelism the topic of “In All Things” podcast episode 87 with Brandon Queen

 

Brandon Queen, Ruling Elder for First Presbyterian Church in Thibodaux, La., and host of the podcast “E.A.R.: Evangelical and Reformed” is the guest for episode 87 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things.”

Host Dean Weaver and Queen discuss his involvement in the EPC’s Westminster Society, how he launched his podcast as a tool for evangelism, as well as his desire to use the podcast as a means of racial reconciliation.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

June 2023 EPC financial report: POI contributions conclude year above FY22

 

At the June 30 close of the EPC’s fiscal year, contributions to Percentage of Income (POI) and Per Member Asking (PMA) received by the Office of the General Assembly totaled $2,411,985. The amount is $120,983 more than that total received in FY22 and only $39,879 (1.6 percent) less than the FY23 General Assembly operating budget of $2,451,864.

In addition, total fiscal year operating expenses were $16,350 under budget.

“I am beyond thankful that our churches supported the EPC so generously the past year,” said Stated Clerk Dean Weaver. “Because of their faithfulness and the careful stewardship of our staff at the Office of the General Assembly, we can look a future of expanding the impact of our Gospel Priorities and serving our churches and leaders in numerous other ways.”

Of the $2,411,985 received, $482,387 (20 percent) was contributed to EPC World Outreach.

In addition to PMA contributions, the Office of the General Assembly received $6,328,271 in designated gifts in FY23. This total was $458,590 (22.8 percent) less than the $6,786,861 in designated gifts received in FY22. Designated gifts include support for World Outreach global workers and projects, and contributions to EPC Special Projects such as Emergency Relief, church planting and revitalization initiatives, and the EPC’s holiday offerings.

Of the total, $6,013,671 was designated for World Outreach workers and projects, and $314,600 was designated for EPC projects. These amounts only reflect gifts received and distributed by the Office of the General Assembly, and do not reflect donations given directly to WO global workers or other projects.

Commissioners to the denomination’s 42nd General Assembly in June 2022 approved a transition from the Per Member Asking (PMA) funding formula to a Percentage of Income (POI) model. Under PMA, churches were asked to contribute $23 per member to the Office of the General Assembly. The POI model is a request for churches to support the national level of the EPC with 1 percent of income to the church’s general operating fund. The shift will phase in over the next three years, with full POI implementation expected at the start of FY26 in July 2025.

43rd General Assembly approves Disaster Relief Committee, Book of Government amendments, review of ordination process

 

Commissioners to the EPC’s 43rd General Assembly approved the formation of a permanent Disaster Relief Committee 48 hours before a tornado tore through the area, disrupting the Assembly, uprooting trees and inflicting other damage, but causing no injuries. As tornado warning alarms went off throughout the Sanctuary of Assembly host Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo., Stated Clerk Dean Weaver called the Thursday afternoon business session meeting into recess. Within a few minutes, attendees were sheltering and singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” and other favorite hymns in the church basement, inner hallways, and restrooms.

Following a pause of nearly an hour, Commissioners reconvened and proceeded with Assembly business.

While many present began dubbing the 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit as “the tornado Assembly,” much more transpired over the three-day gathering.

Numerous equipping sessions each day focused on the EPC’s four Gospel Priorities of Church Health (led by Bob Stauffer, EPC National Director of Church Health); Church Planting (led by Tom Ricks, National Director of Church Planting); Effective Biblical Leadership (led by Michael Davis, Assistant Stated Clerk); and Global Movement (led by Gabriel de Guia, Executive Director of EPC World Outreach).

In denominational business, Commissioners voted to approve more than 20 recommendations from the EPC’s permanent committees and boards.

Commissioners also elected Joe Kim as Moderator and Victor Jones as Moderator-Elect. Kim serves as Pastor of Hope Philly, an EPC church plant in Philadelphia, Pa., in the Presbytery of the East. Jones is a Ruling Elder for Westminster Presbyterian Church in Laurel, Miss., in the Presbytery of the Gulf South.

Joe Kim continued the tradition of “singing Moderators” by leading the Assembly in his original children’s song, “The Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (photo credit: Scott Wiest)

Nearly 750 individuals registered for the Assembly, including 417 Teaching Elders and 330 Ruling Elders who submitted voting credentials.

Book of Government

In matters related to the EPC Book of Government, Commissioners approved a recommendation to delete section 17-5 (Treasurer as an Officer of the Board of Deacons) and correspondingly amend sections 6-8D and 18-3H.

Bob Garment, EPC Chief Parliamentarian, told the Assembly that 17-5 “suggests in that section on Deacons that there is a required annual audit for every church in the EPC.”

He emphasized that the EPC is an accredited member of the Evangelical Council on Financial Accountability, and as such “we want to be transparent and good stewards and make sure our finances are in order. But in fact, we’ve never required an audit. And it strengthens the statement on the responsibility of the Session for all the financial planning and oversight in the local church.”

Commissioners also approved an amendment to the Book of Discipline, adding to the definition of church discipline in section 1-1 the statement, “Church discipline does not supersede or negate the legal responsibility to report cases of suspected abuse to civil authorities according to local and state requirements.”

Bob Garment, EPC Chief Parliamentarian, explains the rationale behind amending the Book of Government, section 17-5. (photo credit: Scott Wiest)

Annie Rose, Stated Clerk of the Rivers and Lakes, said the amendment is an effort to codify existing practice in the EPC “and to say that as we go through our discipline process as a Church, we also comply with our obligations to report to civil authorities.”

Committees and Study Groups

In addition to the formation of the Disaster Relief Committee, study groups were approved to review the EPC’s Position Paper on Domestic Abuse, Book of Discipline, and ordination process.

Brad Strait, Chairman of the National Leadership Team, said the review of the Position Paper on Domestic Abuse was to ensure the language was up to date.

“Some of the things that seemed to be very cutting edge when we wrote them 15 years ago could always stand to be reevaluated,” he said.

Regarding the Book of Discipline, creation of a Moderator-appointed task force was approved to “complete a thorough review of our Book of Discipline and associated Forms and consult with experts inside and outside of the EPC as needed and present recommendations to the 44th General Assembly.”

“Hopefully any other exposure we might have as a denomination will be addressed in that full review process,” said Mark Eshoff, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of the Pacific Southwest.

Jerry Iamurri, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Ministerial Vocation, said the creation of an interim committee to review the EPC’s ordination standards and process occurs approximately every 10 years.

“It’s just making sure that our ordination requirements are consistent with the ethos of the EPC and consistent with what the seminaries are doing today,” Iamurri said. “We are going to make sure those things are in alignment by revisiting them as we normally do every decade or so.”

Ecumenical Matters

Commissioners voted to enter into a fraternal relationship with ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.

Alan Trafford, Chairman of the permanent Fraternal Relations Committee, said the recommendation is in response to the 37th General Assembly asking the committee to explore the possibility.

“This means that we recognize our colleagues in ECO as co-laborers in the Reformed corner of the vineyard,” he noted, “But it also means that we recognize the value of some of the cooperative efforts that have already begun, for example in the training of Transitional Pastors, Church Planting assessments, evangelism training, and providing resources for smaller congregations.”

As part of the Fraternal Relations Committee report to the Assembly, attendees prayed for fraternal guests (from left) Guillermo Mac Kenzie from the St. Andrews Presbytery of Argentina and Samuel Sesay from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sierra Leone. (photo credit: Scott Wiest)

Trafford added that the opportunities for collaborative ministry and Great Commission mission “are endless in such a relationship.”

Commissioners also approved the EPC’s withdrawal from the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The motion was in response to the 42nd General Assembly’s approval for the permanent Theology Committee to study the EPC’s membership in the ecumenical organization.

Weaver said discussion of leaving the WCRC has been going “for a very long time … it goes back to the 90s. Its theological beliefs, its political beliefs—almost every belief—are not in alignment with the beliefs of the EPC.”

Weaver explained that membership in the WCRC provided an ecumenical bridge for congregations joining the EPC from the mainline denomination that had reversion clauses in their departure agreements.

“As those reversion clauses have since expired, there is no compelling reason for us to stay in the WCRC,” he said.

Weaver added that the EPC enjoys “a very deep level of involvement in the World Reformed Fellowship. It is a very good, biblical, Reformed, global body that we are contributing to and gaining from.”

Budget and Special Projects

Commissioners approved a Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24—July 2023 through June 2024) budget for EPC operating expenses of $3,507,727. This represents a 5.5 percent increase in projected spending over the FY23 budget.

Mike Moses, Lead Pastor of the Lake Forest family of churches in suburban Charlotte, N.C., co-led the Gospel Priorities Summit plenary session on Church Planting. (photo credit: Scott Wiest)

The FY24 budget includes $366,722 in direct funding of the four Gospel Priorities—$112,823 for Church Planting; $74,000 for Church Health; $35,349 for Global Movement; and $144,550 for Effective Biblical Leadership. In addition, 20 percent of contribution to the Office of the General Assembly though Percentage of Income (POI) support Global Movement in the form of funding the overall ministry of World Outreach. This is projected to be $496,890 through June 30, 2024.

The Assembly also approved a variety of Special Projects for FY24, which are ministry initiatives not supported by POI but to which soliciting contributions is approved.

In other administration-related business, Commissioners approved a recommendation that ordained ministers drawing retirement income from the EPC 403(b)(9) Defined Contribution Retirement Plan be allowed to designate up to 100 percent of their retirement income for housing allowance.

Bart Francescone, Executive Director of EPC Benefit Resources, Inc., said the annual action provides retired ministers with a readily available reference if asked by tax authorities.

Committee and Board Members

In addition to electing Kim as Moderator and Jones as Moderator-elect, the Assembly elected the following individuals to fill vacancies on the EPC’s permanent committees and boards as others complete their terms of service (TE denotes Teaching Elder. RE denotes Ruling Elder. * denotes second term.):

Benefit Resources, Inc., Board of Directors: RE Michael Busch, Presbytery of the Alleghenies; RE Bill Overcast, Presbytery of the Central South; Cathy Scott, Presbytery of the East. Busch was elected as Chairman.

Chaplains Work and Care Committee: RE Bruce Alexander, Presbytery of the New River; RE Kendra Bowers, Presbytery of the Central South; TE Marty Carpenter*, Presbytery of the Pacific Southwest; TE Scott Kennaugh, Presbytery of the Midwest; TE David Snyder, Presbytery of the Midwest.

Disaster Relief Committee: TE Whitney Alexander, Presbytery of the Gulf South; TE Bill Crawford, Presbytery of the Gulf South; Paul Gorny, At-Large; Toni Harris, At-Large; TE Cliff Mansley, Presbytery of the West; RE Hans Othmer, Presbytery of the Gulf South; Nancy Prott, At-Large; RE Dave Shanklin, Presbytery of the Central South; RE Jim Winter, Presbytery of Florida and the Caribbean.

Fraternal Relations Committee: TE David Galbraith*, Presbytery of the Midwest; RE Holly Lazzero, Presbytery of the East; Roger Rumer, Presbytery of the Alleghenies; RE Josh Shelley; Presbytery of the Central South; TE Stan Van Den Berg*, Presbytery of the Great Plains.

Ministerial Vocation Committee: RE Richard Gash*, Presbytery of the Alleghenies; TE Doug Resler*, Presbytery of the West; TE Scott Sealy, Presbytery of the Central South.

National Leadership Team: TE Greg Aydt, Presbytery of the West; RE Chris Danusiar, Presbytery of the Rivers and Lakes; TE Julie Hawkins, Presbytery of the Pacific Northwest; RE Joi Williams, Presbytery of the Coastal Mid-Atlantic.

Next Generation Ministries Council: Geraud Bumfield, Presbytery of the Pacific Southwest; TE Dan Kish, Presbytery of the Central South; Faith Reid*, Presbytery of the Central South; TE Joseph Stroup*, Presbytery of the Alleghenies; TE SirGregory Thornton, Presbytery of the Central South.

Nominating Committee: RE Mike Goolsby, Presbytery of the Great Plains; RE Kelli Marks, Presbytery of the Rivers and Lakes; TE Juan Rivera*, Presbytery of Florida and the Caribbean; TE Bob Vincent*, Presbytery of the Gulf South; TE S.J. Winter, Presbytery of the Midwest.

Permanent Judicial Commission: RE Jeff Hollingsworth*, Presbytery of the Southeast; TE Zach Hopkins, Presbytery of the Rivers and Lakes; TE Barton Kimbro, Presbytery of the Central South; TE Ed McCallum, Presbytery of the West; RE Tom Werner, Presbytery of Mid-America.

Presbytery Review Committee: RE Ron Bengelink*, Presbytery of the Pacific Northwest; Jim Connors*, Presbytery of the Pacific Southwest; TE Jason Steele*, Presbytery of the Midwest.

Theology Committee: RE David Buschart, Presbytery of the West; TE Luke Johnston, Presbytery of the Great Plains.

World Outreach Committee: TE Whitney Alexander*, Presbytery of the Gulf South; TE Waring Porter*, Presbytery of the Central South.

Other Business Items

A T-shirt commemorating the “Tornado Assembly” is available in a variety of colors in the EPC Merchandise Store, www.epc.org/merchandise.

Commissioners also approved a variety of other business items:

  • Adopting the Minutes of the 42nd General Assembly.
  • Approving exceptions requiring a response as found in the 2022 Minutes of 14 of the 16 Presbyteries (Presbytery of the New River and Presbytery of the Rivers and Lakes had no exceptions requiring response).
  • Approving the responses from the Presbyteries to exceptions issued by the 42nd General Assembly.
  • Accepting the invitation from Hope Church in Cordova, Tenn., to host the 44th General Assembly in June 2024.

In closing the Assembly, Weaver quipped to Commissioners that they “would be pleased to know that the work of this General Assembly is already at play—you approved earlier a permanent committee on Disaster Relief.”

“This has been a General Assembly I will never forget,” Weaver said. “But what I’ll never forget about it is the amazing way the Cherry Hills staff and volunteers served us. The way you went into the basement and started singing ‘Holy, holy, holy.’ That you were passing out water bottles to each other, the way you were loving one another. Because that’s what family does. And in my view, the EPC is not a denomination; the EPC is a family. And you have demonstrated that.”

The Cherry Hills Community Church staff and volunteers earned a well-deserved ovation at the conclusion of the Assembly. (photo credit: Scott Wiest)

#epc2023ga

Ministry to abused and trafficked women the topic of “In All Things” podcast episode 86 with Bonnie Gatchell

 

Bonnie Gatchell, Teaching Elder in the Presbytery of the East and Executive Director of Route One Ministry in Boston, Mass., is the guest for episode 86 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things.” The mission of Route One Ministry is to serve sexually exploited and trafficked women by entering strip clubs and building relationships with the women who work in the clubs, as well as equipping the local church and community leaders with the tools they need to understand trafficking, identify vulnerable people, and respond in the most healthy ways to those who have experienced sexual abuse.

Host Dean Weaver and Gatchell discuss how God led her to begin a ministry to strip club dancers in Boston, and Route One Ministry’s efforts to train church leaders on how to minister to victims of trafficking, trauma, and abuse.

Gatchell also describes the qualities of a “safe church” and some of the resources on trauma and abuse that Route One Ministry provides.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

2023 Pastor-Spouse Retreat registration now open

 

Registration is now open for the 2023 EPC Pastor-Spouse Retreat, October 23-27 at Glen Eyrie Castle & Conference Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Annie Rose

“Study after study the past few years reveal the same thing: that pastors are feeling the wear and tear of ministry like never before,” said Annie Rose, EPC Director of Ministerial Support and Development. “Our goal for this retreat is to provide time and space for our pastors and their spouses to rest, connect, and be encouraged by the Lord.”

Facilitators are Wade Brown, Jeannie Martin, and Dave Meserve from the EPC’s ministry partner, PastorServe. The three will lead large-group discussions each morning and provide free coaching sessions each afternoon.

“Unless you sign up for one of the free coaching and care sessions, the afternoons are completely open with no scheduled activities,” Rose said. “My prayer is that our church leaders will understand the value of renewal for their pastor and his or her spouse and bless them by helping them attend the retreat.”

The cost for the retreat is $550 per person ($1,100 per couple) and includes accommodations for four nights and 11 meals in the Glen Eyrie Castle Dining Room. For more information and to register, see www.epc.org/2023pastorspouseretreat.

Stephen Morefield, historical fiction author and Kansas pastor, author the guest for “In All Things” podcast episode 85

 

Stephen Morefield is the guest for episode 85 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things.” He serves as Pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Leoti, Kan., and is the author of But the Blood: A Novel Based on the True Story of America’s Bloodiest County Seat Battle.

Host Dean Weaver and Morefield discuss his spiritual path as a covenant child of the EPC to urban church planting to rural church ministry. Morefield also describes some of the joys and challenges of serving as an introverted solo pastor in a rural setting, how “falling in love with the community” is essential to rural outreach, and how writing the historical novel based on events in the town in the 1880s has built bridges for ministry in the community.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

Don Fortson, noted Presbyterian historian and author, the guest for “In All Things” podcast episode 84

 

Don Fortson is the guest for episode 84 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things.” Fortson serves as Professor of Church History and Pastoral Theology at the Charlotte, N.C., campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. He is the author of numerous books on Presbyterian history, including Reformed and Evangelical Across Four Centuries: The Presbyterian Story in America and Liberty in Non-Essentials: The Story of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

Host Dean Weaver and Fortson discuss how his most recent book, Reformed and Evangelical, fills a need for a comprehensive, current Presbyterian history, as well as how it traces the symbiotic relationship between Presbyterians and evangelicals. In addition, Fortson describes Presbyterian heritage of evangelistic renewal, and how the EPC may be uniquely positioned to respond to revivals such as what occurred in early 2023 at Asbury University in Kentucky.

Fortson also describes how gifts of the Spirit and the ordination of women are examples of how the EPC lives out its motto of “In Essentials, Unity; In Non-Essentials, Liberty; In All Things, Charity.”

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

‘Tornado General Assembly’ recap the topic of “In All Things” podcast episode 83

 

In episode 83 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” Dean Weaver and Michael Davis provide a summary recap of the 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit, held June 20-22 at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo.

The EPC’s Stated Clerk and Assistant Stated Clerk, respectively, reflect on the worship services, business items, and equipping opportunities provided to Commissioners and guests at the Assembly. They also discuss how attendees and the host church staff responded to the tornado that struck during the Thursday afternoon business session.

Episodes are available on a variety of podcast platforms, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Spotify, and others. Search “In All Things” on any of these services.

The audio recordings also are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/inallthings.

#epc2023ga

Recordings of 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit now available

 

Video recordings of the 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit are available on the EPC website at www.epc.org/ga2023recordings. Included are the Gospel Priority plenary sessions, worship service messages, Thursday Gospel Priorities Dinner, select committee verbal reports, fraternal delegate greetings, and more.

The videos feature Shelley Kral, Associate Pastor of Longview EPC in Longview, Texas; Mike Kuhn, Director of the International Theological Education Network of EPC World Outreach; Aaron White, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of South Charleston, Ohio; Mark Farrell, Pastor of Tampa Covenant Church in Tampa, Fla; Rosemary Lukens, Moderator of the 42nd General Assembly; Curt Taylor, Senior Pastor of Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo.; Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk; Michael David, EPC Assistant Stated Clerk; Tom Ricks, EPC National Director of Church Planting; Bob Stauffer, EPC National Director of Church Health; Matthew Ellison, President of Sixteen:Fifteen; Mary Ho, International Executive Leader of All Nations International; and more.

In addition, audio recordings are available of the Thursday morning Gospel Priorities equipping sessions on church health, church planting effective biblical leadership, and global movement, as well as select Networking Lunches. These also are available in podcast form on the EPC’s podcast channel at www.podcast.epc.org as well as Spotify and iTunes—search for “Evangelical Presbyterian Church.”

#epc2023ga

Tornado disrupts General Assembly

 

Songs of praise filled the basement of Cherry Hills Community Church as a tornado warning in Highlands Ranch, Colo., forced General Assembly attendees to leave the Sanctuary during the Thursday afternoon business session. A large tornado struck the area surrounding the church causing significant damage. The Cherry Hills campus suffered damage but no known injuries among General Assembly attendees or CHCC staff.

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General Assembly attendees receive royal welcome

 

The greeter team of Cherry Hills Community Church provided an enthusiastic welcome to attendees of the 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit as they enter the building on Wednesday, June 21. Jerry Iamurri and Mike DeHaven from the Presbytery of the East particularly enjoy the rock-star treatment provide by the General Assembly host church staff and volunteers.

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Joe Kim elected Moderator of 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit

 

Jerry Iamurri (right) former EPC Assistant Stated Clerk, prays for freshly installed 43rd General Assembly Moderator Joe Kim as previous Moderators and Stated Clerks lay on hands.

Joe Kim, Teaching Elder in the Presbytery of the East, was elected Moderator of the EPC’s 43rd General Assembly on June 20. Kim serves as planting pastor of Hope Philly in Pennsylvania, which consists of two micro-churches in the Philadelphia area with a third launching soon.

In his opening remarks, Kim told the Assembly that the EPC “has been a haven from a world that more and more no longer tolerates difference or disagreement; where suspicion and even outrage is way too normal.”

Yet he emphasized that the EPC “does things differently.”

“Beyond the essentials, we often all don’t agree,” Kim said. “But even so, there remains in every single one of us a persistent conviction to view those we disagree with as co-laborers in the gospel; brothers and sisters to whom we resolve to extend the right hand of fellowship.”

Kim described how Hope Philly defines grace as the place “where blessing and benefits normally reserved for friends and family are given to strangers and even enemies in hope that those strangers and enemies become themselves friends and family.”

“When we come here,” Kim concluded, “we are amongst family—a family bound together not because of race, or politics, or social orientation, but by the gospel and the gracious hospitality it drives us to extend.”

Kim was ordained as a Teaching Elder in the EPC in 2015. Prior to planting Hope Philly, he served as the English Ministry pastor of Korean churches in New Jersey and New York. He also has served as a children’s ministry director, choir director, and youth group director.

Kim studied Music at Temple University in Philadelphia and later finished his degree at Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa, Ga. He came to faith in 1995 and received a Master of Divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary in Glenside, Pa., in 2005. He is a regular contributor to Reformed Margins, a blogsite that provides a platform for Reformed Christian thinkers from various ethnic minority backgrounds to join in the broader Reformed and Evangelical conversations.

Kim has served on various committees in the EPC, including the Ministerial Committee for the Presbytery of the East, the General Assembly’s Ministerial Vocation Committee (MVC), and the Revelation 7:9 Task Force.

He and his wife, Emii, have two daughters. He enjoys reading, guitars, theology, all Philadelphia sports teams, and spending time with his family.

#epc2023ga

Check-in desk ready for 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit

 

The check-in desk is ready and earnestly awaiting Commissioners to the 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit, June 20-22 at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Office of the General Assembly staff (from right) Cathy Flores, Marti Ratcliff, and Rachel Joseph are joined by a host of Cherry Hills volunteers to assist commissioners with their registration packets.

Assembly equipping plenaries, worship services, and business sessions are available via live stream at www.epc.org/ga2023livestream. More information on the 43rd General Assembly, including a complete schedule of activities, is available at www.epc.org/ga2023.

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May 2023 EPC financial report: POI support continues strong

 

Contributions to Percentage of Income (POI) and Per Member Asking (PMA) received by the Office of the General Assembly in fiscal year 2023 (FY23) through May 31 total $2,211,919. May POI/PMA support was $143,725.

With one month left in the fiscal year, the total is only $3,275 less than the $2,215,194 FY23 support projection to fund the EPC’s overall mission, vision, and Gospel Priorities of church health, church planting, effective biblical leadership, and global movement. FY23 contributions continue to outpace the FY22 year-to-date total of $2,072,726 by $139,193 (6.7 percent). The 12-month rolling average of POI/PMA contributions is $212,516—6.3 percent above the rolling average as of May 3, 2022.

“I say it every month: I am so grateful for the trust and generosity of our churches to support POI so faithfully,” said Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk. “I am also very thankful for the excellent stewardship of our staff at the Office of the General Assembly. Our total operating expenses are more $5,300 under budget through May 31.”

Of the $2,211,919 received, $442,384 (20 percent) was contributed to EPC World Outreach.

In addition to PMA/POI contributions, $5,750,437 in designated gifts were received through May 31. This total is $515,883 (8.2 percent) lower than the $6,266,320 in designated gifts received in the same period in FY22. The entire difference is attributed to significant donations in 2022 to the Domestic Emergency Relief Fund in response to Hurricane Ida and the International Disaster Relief Fund in response to the Ukraine crisis.

Of the total, $5,445,476 was designated for World Outreach workers and projects, and $304,962 was designated for EPC projects. These amounts only reflect gifts received and distributed by the Office of the General Assembly, and do not reflect donations given directly to WO global workers or other projects.

Designated gifts include support for World Outreach global workers and projects, and contributions to EPC Special Projects such as Emergency Relief, church planting and revitalization initiatives, and the EPC’s Thanksgiving and Christmas offerings.

Commissioners to the denomination’s 42nd General Assembly in June 2022 approved a transition from the Per Member Asking (PMA) funding formula to a Percentage of Income (POI) model. Under PMA, churches were asked to contribute $23 per member to the Office of the General Assembly. The POI model is a request for churches to support the national level of the EPC with 1 percent of income to the church’s general operating fund. The shift will phase in over the next three years, with full POI implementation expected at the start of FY26 in July 2025.