Ritchey Cable, Digital Content Lead of the General Assembly, gives a brief glimpse into the new upcoming season of In All Things that begins next week!
Episode 135: “Trailer” for New Upcoming Season of In All Things!
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Category Archives: Church News
Episode 133: Conversations at the 44th General Assembly | A General Assembly Discussion with Attendees and Volunteers of the 44th GA
In this special episode, we interview a number of people at the 44th General Assembly meeting at Hope Church in Memphis.
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Episode 132: Faces and Voices from GA 2024, Part 2 | A General Assembly Discussion with Five Leaders of the 44th General Assembly
Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes back five guests for the second week of this two-part series preparing us for the 44th General Assembly. Those participating in the podcast are upcoming moderator, Victor Jones, EPC Chief Parliamentarian, Bob Garment, Hannah Attaway of Hope Church, and two individuals delivering GA messages, pastors Tim Johnson and Corrina Gambrell. In this episode, the panel discusses some of the issues and conversations we will be having at GA this year.
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Episode 131: Faces and Voices from GA 2024, Part 1 | A General Assembly Discussion with Five Leaders of the 44th General Assembly
Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes five guests this week for a two-part series preparing us for the 44th General Assembly. Those participating in this podcast are upcoming moderator, Victor Jones, EPC Chief Parliamentarian, Bob Garment, Hannah Attaway of Hope Church, and two individuals delivering GA messages, pastors Tim Johnson and Corrina Gambrell. This is part one of the two part series.
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Episode 130: Westminster as a Middle Name | A General Assembly Discussion with GA Preacher, Marcos Ortega
Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes EPC pastor, Marcos Ortega, who will be preaching on Tuesday night at the 44th General Assembly. Dean and Marcos discuss the meaningful nature of this worship and commissioning service. Marcos also served on the committee forming the Pastoral Letter of Racial Lament and Hope, and Marcos reflects on the process of creating the letter and the role the Westminster Standards played in creating that document.
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Women’s Opportunities at General Assembly
As GA 2024 approaches, the Office of the General Assembly extends a warm invitation to all the women within the EPC community to join us in Memphis. Rev. Hannah Attaway, Assistant Pastor and Women’s Ministry Director at Hope Church, shares her heartfelt invitation to women to attend special events planned specifically for them during the Assembly in Memphis this June. Continue reading
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Registration for the 44th General Assembly and Gospel Priorities Summit is Open Now
The excitement is palpable as the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) invites you to mark your calendars and secure your spot at the 44th Annual General Assembly and Gospel Priorities Summit. It’s time to dive into a gathering of faith, fellowship, and learning like never before. Click here to register now! Continue reading
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Childcare at General Assembly 2024: Register the Whole Family on April 1st!
We hope you’re eagerly anticipating our upcoming General Assembly & Gospel Priorities Summit in Cordova, Tennessee! As we gear up for this transformative event, we’re thrilled to share some more details on the childcare services available throughout the entirety of the conference.
Attending General Assembly can sometimes be a juggling act, especially for those with young children. In keeping with our focus this year on what’s “Next,” we want to be as accommodating as possible to young families. That’s why we’re delighted to offer a comprehensive childcare program designed to cater to the needs of families like yours! Here’s what you can expect from our childcare services:
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Episode 116: Marti’s Top 5 Tips for a Great General Assembly (GA) Experience | A Discussion with GA Lead, Marti Ratcliff
Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Marti Ratcliff, the GA Lead of the EPC, to share some of the exciting things happening at this year’s event and how you can make the most of it.
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EPC Church Offers Childcare on Valentine’s Day
Memorial Park Church in Allison Park, PA
One of our Pittsburgh area churches, Memorial Park Church, has opened its doors to children of all ages so parents can have a night out together on Valentine’s Day. Check out this article to read more about it!
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“In All Things” podcast episode 97 informs the audience of Benefits Resources, Inc. (BRI), a wholly owned subsidiary of EPC, Inc., which provides health care and retirement benefits to members of the EPC family. This includes not only pastors but can also extend to employees of the EPC. The new Director of BRI, Carolee Richendollar, is our guest in today’s podcast where she introduces herself and gives important information about the program.
Episode 97 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things,” Carolee Richendollar, the new Director of Benefits Resources, Inc. (BRI), gives some of her history within the healthcare industry and gives details about the variety of benefits available to recipients of the program.
Host Dean Weaver and Carolee Richendollar, discuss not only the details of BRI and the benefits available to EPC pastors and EPC employees, but also the reason the denomination created this system from the beginning. This podcast engages the idea that if leaders of the church are going to care well for others they must be sure to care also for themselves.
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.
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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
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Disability ministry conference returns to Cleveland, Ohio, EPC church
Bay Presbyterian Church in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, will host Disability & The Church 2023 on Friday and Saturday, April 28-29. The event is the largest annual disability ministry conference in North America and is presented by Key Ministry in collaboration with the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Topics of this year’s conference include:
- Inspired ideas and strategies for outreach.
- Approaches to mental health inclusion/ministry.
- Engaging lead pastors in promotion and implementation of disability ministry.
- Innovative community partnerships.
- Ministry with persons impacted by trauma.
- Underserved populations in the disability community.
- New and impactful family support models.
- Disability, gender, and biblical sexuality.
- Research on ministry best practices.
- Inclusion in Christian schools, colleges, and universities.
- Ministry with persons experiencing disabilities of aging.
- Advancing ministry through use of technology and social media.
On Thursday, April 27, an optional, pre-conference slate of Ministry Intensives includes three options:
- Mental Health Ministry Intensive: Every Church Can Do Something More.
- Creating a Trauma-Informed Children’s or Youth Ministry.
- Disability Ministry 101.
Disability & The Church is designed for pastors, leadership teams, care teams, and children’s/student ministry leaders. Cost is $129 per person (through April 21; $159 on April 22 and later. EPC members are eligible for a 20 percent discount by using the code EPC23 at registration. The Thursday add-on is $69 per person (through April 21; $79 on April 22 and later).
“I have known the Key Ministry staff for many years, and I wholeheartedly endorse their efforts,” said Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk. “If your church has a disability ministry—or you are praying about starting one—you should attend this conference.”
For more information, see www.keyministry.org/datc2023.
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Tornado strikes Selma, Ala.; EPC congregation affected
A large tornado descends on Selma, Ala., in this still image from a storm chaser video. Photo courtesy of the Selma Sun.
A tornado described by the National Weather Service as “large and dangerous” tracked across Selma, Ala., on January 12. The tornado was part of a larger outbreak across the South.
Steve Burton, Pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Selma, reported minor damage to the church property, but “complete devastation” in residential areas approximately 100 yards away. He added that several members of the congregation have lost their homes, though his house was not damaged.
In an email immediately after the storm to Ken Van Kampen, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of the Central South, Burton noted that a school with 360 students was near the church. At the time he sent the email, he was not able to access the area but said the school was “an utmost priority” for him and others and he would help in any way he could.
“Pray for the emergency workers in the immediate hours ahead and the clean-up work in the days to come,” Van Kampen said. “Pray that every parent in town will be reunited with their children this afternoon and that all displaced families will find their physical needs met today, as well as their spiritual and emotional needs in the future. Finally, pray for Cornerstone EPC and the churches in Selma as they minister in very practical ways in the name of our Lord.”
The EPC Domestic Emergency Relief Fund is accepting donations to assist in disaster areas with identified needs. To contribute, go to www.epc.org/emergencyrelief.
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Mississippi EPC church featured in Atlas Obscura
First Presbyterian Church of Port Gibson, Miss., received an entry on the website Atlas Obscura on December 20. Atlas Obscura bills itself as “The definitive guide to the world’s wonders.”
The entry, “First Presbyterian Church Golden Hand” explains the background behind the church’s unusual steeple topper. It honors the congregation’s first installed pastor, Zebulun Butler, who served from 1828 until his death in 1860. He punctuated his sermons by pointing up as if to heaven.
“Our ‘golden hand’ is indeed one of the best-known tourist attractions in our area,” said Michael Herrin, current Pastor who also serves as Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of the Gulf South.
“So many people know and love it that the last time we had the hand regilded, fully one-third of the cost was paid for by people who are not members of the congregation,” he added. “But I like to think that it does what all steeples are supposed to do: to point us away from ourselves to God, reminding us that Jesus is the only way to the Father. The hand just puts an exclamation point on that important truth.”
Atlas Obscura is an award-winning media and travel company with a platform for discovering the world’s hidden wonders. Its first book, Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders, was a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon and in The New York Times.
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“In All Things” podcast episode 52: EPC church planter Sean Boone’s journey from gang life to pastor
Sean Boone, Pastor of Woke Bridge Community Church in Ferguson, Mo., is the guest for episode 52 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things.”
This week, host Dean Weaver and Boone discuss his personal journey from gang life and prison to freedom in Christ, and from an independent, historically Black church to planting a Southern Baptist church, to planting Woke Bridge in the EPC. Boone explains how Woke Bridge Community Church got its name, and his vision for how the gospel can transform Ferguson and grow a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural congregation.
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.
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Fort Myers pastors provide Hurricane Ian update, donations sought for EPC Emergency Relief Fund
The pastors of the two EPC churches in Fort Myers, Fla., are reporting that Hurricane Ian had a devastating impact on their congregations. The storm came ashore in southwest Florida September 28 with 150 mph winds.
“Overall, it’s just a disaster zone,” said Mike Jones, Associate Pastor of New Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers. “The further south and west the more profound the destruction. The further east, with the exception of the flooding it’s not as noticeable.”
Both Jones and Paul de Jong, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers, reported at least 25 families in their respective congregations lost everything.
“One of our members was rescued at 5:00 a.m. by Miami EMS to get him out of the attic with his wife, son, and 80-year-old mother-in-law,” Jones said, adding that the homes of at least two New Hope staff members are “a total loss.”
The EPC Domestic Emergency Relief Fund is accepting donations to assist EPC churches in these and other disaster areas with identified needs. To contribute, see www.epc.org/emergencyrelief.
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Hurricane Ian blasts Fort Myers, Fla., EPC congregations
Members of the two EPC congregations nearest the Florida landfall of Hurricane Ian suffered significant effects from the near-category 5 storm.
“Many of our congregation have suffered severe and total loss of home, cars, and property,” Mike Jones, Associate Pastor of New Hope Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers, said by email on September 29. “At this point, I am not aware of any loss of life or health, but I know some were evacuated by boat at 5:00 a.m. (Thursday).”
He also noted that there was no power, water, or internet and most of the roads in his neighborhood were “impassable.”
Paul de Jong, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers, reported on September 30 that “everyone appears to be safe and accounted for. But with no power and spotty cell service I haven’t been able to contact everyone—only maybe 10 percent of our congregants.”
Flood waters rose to just below the light switches in the home of a widowed member of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers before receding. (Photo courtesy of Paul de Jong)
“One who I did talk to had several feet of water in their home,” de Jong said. “Another elderly lady who lives by herself had 5 feet of water in her house. Her piano ended up upside down, and her refrigerator was in her living room. So for many people, they lost all their worldly possessions and their homes will unlivable for months.”
He reported only minor damage to the church property.
“The church has a few broken windows, a few leaks here and there, and the steeple will need some TLC,” he said, noting that the storm surge stopped about 200 yards from the building. “The church sits in a flood zone, but it’s very well built by incredibly faithful Christians in the 1950s who recognized that one day a hurricane would come.”
He added that though the church building was not an official shelter, “quite a few homeless people were knocking on the door as the storm approached. We absolutely wouldn’t turn them away, so we let them in, fed them, and took care of them as best as we could. We held a brief worship service and of course I spoke on God being our shelter in the storm. One of the men said we gave him the best meal he had had in a long time, and I hope we were able to minister him spiritually as well. My biggest job was to try to keep people’s spirits up because you could just feel the anxiety.”
First Presbyterian Church in Fort Myers suffered several broken windows. (Photo courtesy of Paul de Jong)
Both de Jong and Jones said their homes received only minor damage, and the New Hope campus “was spared any real damage,” Jones said.
“In my neighborhood, every home sustained some damage—some major and some minor,” de Jong said. “Our house has damage but nothing that can’t be fixed.”
He added that both First and New Hope plan to hold worship services on Sunday.
“Though without power for the sound system I will have to project like Spurgeon back in the day,” de Jong quipped.
Damage reports from other Florida pastors
Elsewhere across Florida, EPC churches were largely spared significant effects during Ian’s slow trek northeast.
“All is well here in Tampa,” said Mark Farrell, Pastor of Tampa Covenant Church on September 29. “The church is intact, with just a few felled tree branches and accumulated water in the parking lot. Thanking God for His grace on our churches at this time. May He continue to do so as we all recover.”
David Swanson, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, said “the First Pres buildings are all good—and our staff has fared well.”
Robert Olszewski, Pastor of GracePoint Church in Plant City, reported that some of the members of his congregation suffered minor damage and power outages.
“We are reaching out to folks in our community who need help and providing a hot meal today at the church,” he said by email on September 29.
Doug Walker, Pastor of River City Church in DeBary, reported minor damage to the church property. “And it appears our parishioners are doing OK,” he said by email.
Dillon Thornton, Pastor of Faith Community Church in Seminole, said his congregation “weathered the storm well. Our church campus and our members suffered only minor damage.”
Greg Gunn, Lead Pastor at Providence Church in Spring Hill, said “all is well at Providence Church and with the flock. We are praying for our friends in Ft. Myers.”
After leaving Florida as a tropical storm late Thursday and entering the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Canaveral, Ian regained hurricane strength with sustained winds of 75 m.p.h. A hurricane warning is in effect for coastal South Carolina. Ian’s storm surge is forecast to bring five feet of water into coastal areas in Georgia and the Carolinas. As it moves north across South Carolina and into North Carolina and Virginia, rainfall of up to eight inches could bring flooding to inland areas.
The EPC Domestic Emergency Relief Fund is accepting donations to assist EPC churches in these and other disaster areas with identified needs. To contribute, see www.epc.org/emergencyrelief.
Boats carried by Hurricane Ian’s storm surge were stranded on dry land a few blocks from First Presbyterian Church in downtown Fort Myers.
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Prayer requested as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida
The projected path of Hurricane Ian, with the locations of EPC churches in the Presbytery of Florida and the Caribbean.
Hurricane Ian neared Category 5 status with sustained winds of 155 mph on Wednesday morning, September 28, as it bears down on Florida. At 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, the center of the storm was located about 75 miles southwest of Fort Myers, home of two EPC congregations—First Presbyterian Church (Paul de Jong, Pastor) and New Hope Presbyterian Church (Mike Jones, Pastor).
“Please pray for our churches and communities in Florida as Ian approaches,” said Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk. “We do not have any negative reports so far, but of course the worst is yet to come. Pray also for the staff of the Office of the General Assembly and their families, as Orlando is directly in the projected path of the storm.”
Other churches potentially in the path of Ian’s effects include Community Presbyterian Church in Clewiston (William Slager, Pastor); Faith Presbyterian Church in Brooksville (Joe Tolin, Pastor); Faith Presbyterian Church in Seminole (Dillon Thornton, Pastor); First Presbyterian Church in Orlando (David Swanson, Pastor); GracePoint in Plant City (Robert Olszewski, Pastor); Nación Santa in Haines City (Luis Quiñones, Pastor); New Covenant EPC in Pompano Beach (Adam Greenfield, Pastor); Providence Church in Spring Hill (Greg Gunn, Pastor); River City Church in DeBary (Doug Walker, Pastor); Seaside Church in Vilano Beach (Brady Haynes, Pastor); and Tampa Covenant Church in Tampa (Mark Farrell, Pastor).
Hurricane Ian is projected to cut northeast through Florida, emerge in the Atlantic off the northeast Florida coast near Jacksonville, then make landfall again in southeast Georgia or South Carolina and move north.
The EPC Domestic Emergency Relief Fund is accepting donations to assist churches in disaster areas with identified needs. To contribute, go to www.epc.org/emergencyrelief.
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A daughter comes home: 1980s Ward Church plant merges with parent to become second campus
Several work days at Grace Chapel in Farmington Hills, Mich., helped prepare the facility for its merger with Ward Church in Northville, which planted Grace Chapel about 8 miles north of Ward’s campus in 1983. Following the October 9 launch service, the Farmington Hills campus will host a neighborhood party with food trucks, lawn games, and live music.
As a former standup comedian, Scott McKee is quick to point out that a church merger is no laughing matter. It requires a lot of prayer, planning, and hard work.
More than 18 months of planning and work will come to fruition on October 9 as Ward Church in Northville, Mich., and Grace Chapel in Farmington Hills, Mich., hold their first services together as a merged congregation—Ward Church in two campuses. McKee, Senior Pastor of Ward Church said the historic connection between the two congregations made the merger easier.
Scott McKee
“Grace Chapel is our daughter church,” McKee said. “Ward Church started Grace Chapel 40 years ago, so it’s an adult daughter. There was a family affection to say a daughter wants to come home. I don’t think it would have worked any other way. It’s a church we know. It’s a church we love. It had been without a pastor for four years, and our staff had already been out there helping them fill the pulpit. This is not a stranger. This is not a cold business decision. It is totally out of a relationship.”
It was out of that relationship McKee said the leadership of Grace Chapel originally approached Ward Church leadership asking for a “tighter partnership.”
“When they said, ‘We would like a tighter partnership,’ it didn’t initially mean multi-site. We talked about we could keep filling the pulpit for a while, how we could provide a video feed of our sermons, help with curriculum, and do bookkeeping,” McKee recalled. “So, we could on one end help fill the pulpit, or on the other end do a full-blown church adoption as a multi-site. Surprisingly, they went there pretty quickly.”
He added that Ward Church has been exploring multi-site ministry for some time, but the time “never seemed right” until now.
For such a time as this
“We have studied the multi-site model over the years, and thought about it, prayed about it, read books about it, but have never pulled the trigger,” McKee said. “There are reasons for that, and then Grace Chapel approached us. This is admittedly passive leadership. They came to us and said they would like a stronger partnership.”
Roy Yanke, Executive Director of PIR Ministries who served Grace Chapel as a Ruling Elder and Transitional Pastor, said the merger will assist the Farmington Hills congregation as it continues to reach its mission field for Jesus Christ.
Roy Yanke
“One of the challenges that Grace Chapel experienced over the last few years is that we became a far more ‘drive-in’ church than what it had been when planted 40 years ago,” Yanke said. “The adoption back into the Ward family will mean that there will be new energy and a larger pool of believers to engage in reaching people for Jesus. The mission field for Grace has always included our annual outreach to Appalachia, and that has been folded into the overall work of the Ward family—which is exciting.”
Yanke said one of several factors leading Grace Chapel to approach Ward about merging was the struggle to find a permanent pastor.
“I know that many churches have experienced the same thing, which certainly contributes to the instability of a congregation over the long haul,” Yanke said. “I am absolutely convinced that the other factors that led to Grace needing to merge with Ward—all of the challenges the evangelical church has been dealing with for the last two and a half years—were very typical but could also be a very good thing in the long run.”
He added that much of the Farmington Hills congregation has committed to the church’s new chapter, though some have not.
From necessity to opportunity
“This is new territory for all of us, and the church cultures are very different. But those who are engaged are praying and working hard for a successful relaunch. This was initially a move out of necessity that became an opportunity for fresh ministry. We are trusting that the Lord will help us navigate the grief and loss of the particular expression of church as the Grace family, while at the same time ignite our hope for what He will do going forward.”
During a staff work day in August, (left to right) Karol Gee, Jane Black, and Alan Fisk pitch in to help prepare the Grace Chapel facility for its merger with Ward Church. Gee has served as Grace Chapel’s Administrative Assistant for 20 years. Black is Ward’s Student Ministry Administrative Assistant. Fisk is a Ruling Elder for Grace Chapel.
McKee noted that multi-campus ministry—though new to his tenure—is part of Ward’s history. When Bart Hess served as Ward’s pastor, the church had campuses in Detroit and Livonia. Hess served both churches simultaneously for 12 years, and during that time the Livonia campus grew to 5,000 members.
“Dr. Hess would give the sermon in Detroit, and then his wife, Margaret, would drive him out to the suburbs where he would give the sermon a second time. We were one church in two locations in 1956. No one had ever heard of that. We have history to draw upon.”
Yanke, who served as a pastor before leading PIR, brings a different kind of experience to the merger.
“In my own pastoral days I led a redevelopment-relaunch, and our mantra was a quote from Oswald Chambers: ‘Beware of harkening back to what you once were, when God wants you to be something you have never been before.’ A timely word for us all.”
by Tim Yarbrough
EPConnection correspondent
Staff and elders of both Ward Church and Grace Chapel spruced up Grace’s Farmington Hills campus inside and out in preparation for the October 9 launch of Ward Church Farmington Hills.
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Hurricane Fiona slams Puerto Rico, EPC churches spared major damage
Hurricane Fiona, which made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 18, delivered flooding rains and an island-wide power outage. While two deaths on the island are attributed to the storm, the EPC churches on the island experienced no casualties. Those congregations are Iglesia Presbiteriana Westminster (Westminster Presbyterian Church) in Bayamón, Iglesia Presbiteriana Evangélica en Añasco (Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Añasco), and Iglesia Presbiteriana Evangélica Mayagüez (Mayagüez Evangelical Presbyterian Church).
By September 22, power had been restored to about two-thirds of the U.S. territory.
“Our church in Bayamón is up and running,” Enid Flores, Westminster Ruling Elder said by email on September 22. “Añasco has no power as of yesterday, but they were good with no casualties. Mayagüez has been cleaning the falling trees which affected some houses, streets, and the Retreat Center, but they are in good hands and their building has power and water.”
Flores reported that power is still out in her area of Puerto Rico’s capital city of San Juan, but water service had been restored.
“The devastation is pretty serious at the south and center of the island,” she said. “But in God we trust, and I know He has a purpose.”
Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, asked “our entire EPC family to pray for our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters as they minister to their communities in the aftermath of Fiona, even as they face their own recovery.”
The EPC Domestic Emergency Relief Fund is accepting donations to assist churches in disaster areas with identified needs. To contribute, go to www.epc.org/emergencyrelief.
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George Robertson offer words of hope to Memphis congregation in midst of tragic week
George Robertson, Senior Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tenn., addressed a week of tragedy in Memphis on September 11 that included the abduction and murder of church member Eliza Fletcher and a September 7 city-wide shooting rampage that left four dead.
His sermon from Lamentations 3, “Four things to do when tragedy strikes,” offered four biblical responses to the shock and grief of the week’s events:
- Pour out your feelings to the Lord (Lamentations 3:1-20).
- Profess the faith of your fathers and mothers (Lamentations 3:22-27).
- Pursue the peace of the King to come (Lamentations 3:28-29).
- Pray with Jesus’ prayers.
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43rd General Assembly planning underway
Leaders of the EPC Office of the General Assembly and Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo., met at Cherry Hills on September 6 to begin planning for the denomination’s 43rd General Assembly. The suburban Denver church will host the annual meeting June 20-23, 2023.
The theme of the 43rd Assembly is “Sharpen” based on Ephesians 4:12, “… to equip the saints for building up the body of Christ, ….” For more information, see www.epc.org/ga2023.
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Update: EPC church member abducted, suspect arrested
Eliza Fletcher
Eliza Fletcher, a member of Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tenn., was abducted while jogging on Friday morning, September 2. In a statement issued by Memphis police, the 34-year-old mother of two was approached by a man in a dark SUV who forced her into the vehicle after a brief struggle. Fletcher was running on the University of Memphis campus, about a block from the church.
“I know the family well from my time serving as Assistant Pastor at Second,” said Michael Davis, EPC Assistant Stated Clerk. “Please pray for Eliza’s safety, and for her husband, Richie, and their two children. May God bring peace to all today and lead law enforcement as they work the situation. Pray also for the entire Second Pres family as they wait for answers.”
The photos of the suspect’s vehicle. pic.twitter.com/7GB4RRb98t
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 2, 2022
More information is available at www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2022/09/02/jogger-kidnapped-near-university-memphis/7971738001/
September 4 update:
On Sunday morning, the Memphis Police Department released the affidavit in support of arresting Cleotha Abston, 38, in Fletcher’s disappearance.
UPDATE: The individual who was detained has been officially charged in connection with the abduction of Eliza Fletcher. At this point in the investigation, Cleotha Abston, 38, has been charged with Especially Aggravated Kidnapping and Tampering with Evidence.
— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) September 4, 2022
According to the affidavit:
- Fletcher was last seen at approximately 4:20 a.m. on Friday, September 2, jogging near the University of Memphis campus about one block from Second Presbyterian Church.
- A dark-colored GMC Terrain SUV was seen 24 minutes before the abduction surveillance footage.
- A surveillance camera captured a man “violently and quickly” approach Fletcher, then forced her into the passenger side of a dark-colored GMC Terrain with damage to the right rear tail light.
- “A male exited the black GMC Terrain, ran aggressively toward the victim, and then forced the victim Eliza Fletcher into the passenger’s side of the vehicle,” the affidavit read. “During this abduction, there appeared to be a struggle.”
- Investigators found a pair of slide sandals at the scene. Police said DNA from the footwear matched Abston, based on a sample taken from a previous conviction. Other surveillance video showed Abston wearing similar sandals days earlier.
- Abston’s cellphone placed him near the abduction site around the time Fletcher disappeared.
- U.S. Marshals found the GMC Terrain on Saturday at an apartment complex in southeast Memphis.
- Police ended an interview with Abston still not knowing where Fletcher is.
- Fletcher is believed to have been seriously injured during her abduction.
- Abston spent just more than 22 years in state prison after being convicted of kidnapping an attorney. He was released from prison in November 2020.
Additional information is available at www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2022/09/04/1-charged-eliza-fletchers-disappearance-no-sign-teacher/7992733001/
As of September 4, Fletcher is still missing.
This story will be updated as information emerges.
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“In All Things” podcast episode 41 features regional ministry, faith-work integration with Case Thorp
Case Thorp, Senior Associate Pastor of Evangelism for First Presbyterian Church of Orlando, Fla., (FPCO) is the guest for episode 41 of the EPC’s podcast, “In All Things.”
This week, host Dean Weaver and Thorp discuss his spiritual roots in evangelistic camp meetings in Georgia, FPCO’s church planting efforts and commitment to urban community outreach, and his ministry in Orlando through missions, evangelism, and leadership of The Collaborative—designed to help people bridge the secular-sacred divide by integrating their faith and their work.
Thorp also previews the World Reformed Fellowship’s sixth General Assembly, to be held October 27-30 at FPCO, and The Collaborative’s podcast, “Nuance,” launching in mid-September.
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.
