Category Archives: People

Bill Enns named to Office of the General Assembly staff

Bill Enns

Bill Enns

Bill Enns has been chosen to fill a new interim Associate Executive position at the Office of the General Assembly. Enns will serve alongside Ed McCallum, Assistant Stated Clerk, and Phil VanValkenburg, Chief Operating Officer. The appointment is for two years and begins on July 1, 2015.

“I am really excited about the experience and energy Bill brings to the EPC in this new position,” said Jeff Jeremiah, EPC Stated Clerk. “He’s uniquely gifted and equipped to help us at an important time in the growth of our mission as a church.”

Enns will serve as the staff resource for the EPC’s four strategic initiatives (global movement, transformation, multiplication, and effective biblical leadership) and oversee the World Outreach, Student and College Ministries, and Women in Ministries departments.

He retired as Pastor of Hope Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, N.C., in May 2015, and brings 32 years of experience in organization development, and leadership. Enns also served as a mentor to senior leaders in non-profit and for-profit organizations and companies. He earned a doctoral degree in Congregational Mission and Leadership from Luther Seminary, and did further doctoral studies in Organizational Management and Conflict Management at Fuller Theological Seminary.

He and his wife, Ruth, have been married 49 years. They have three adult children and five grandchildren. He grew up in Ecuador where his parents were missionaries under the Evangelical Covenant Church of America.

Former Stated Clerk Mike Glodo featured in Reformation21

Mike Glodo

Mike Glodo

Reformation21 recently featured a two-part essay on preaching written by Mike Glodo, former EPC Stated Clerk and current Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at Reformed Theological Seminary.

His essay is a response to the question, “Given that contemporary communication studies show that people learn better with a Q&A format, should we abandon the traditional form of the sermon?”

As Glodo explains in his opening paragraph, “The stated premise behind the question was that the sermon form as we know it is a ‘relic of the Reformation’ for which there is no biblical sanction.”

Click here to read part 1 of Glodo’s article; click here for part 2.

A ministry of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Reformation21 is an online magazine that presents various confessional positions with a Reformed perspective on a variety of historic matters and contemporary issues.

Son of Anna, Ill., EPC Pastor dies at 3

Clayton Jonathan Whitley, 3-year-old son of Jonathan and Tara Whitley, died on Friday, May 1, following a brief illness. Jonathan serves as Pastor of First Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Anna, Ill.

Clayton is survived by his parents; two brothers, Ross William Whitley and Graham Oliver Whitley, both of Anna; paternal grandmother, Janet Whitley of St. Louis; maternal grandfather, John Eby of Blue Springs, Mo.; maternal grandmother, Randa Eby of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; and numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Memorials may be made to the First EPC Children’s Park Fund.

Click here for more information.

Dave Sturkey, EPC Teaching Elder, dies at 52

Dave Sturkey

Dave Sturkey

Dave Sturkey, Pastor of Community Church of Ephrata (Wash.) died on Monday, April 5. He was 52. He had recently undergone successful heart bypass surgery and was recovering at home.

A native of Hopewell, Va., Sturkey graduated from Columbia International University in Columbia, S.C., in 1985 and Covenant Theological Seminary in 1989. He then planted a PCA church, Cornerstone of Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota, Fla., where he served as Pastor for 18 years prior to his EPC pastorate in the Presbytery of the Pacific.

He is survived by his wife, Deanna (Dee), and four children in Florida: Alexandra, Katie, Ben, and Abby.

A memorial service will take place at the church on Saturday, April 11, at 11:00 a.m. PDT.

The church has established a memorial fund to assist with family travel expenses; gifts can be sent to Community Church of Ephrata, P.O. Box 293, Ephrata, WA 98823. Checks should be made payable to Community Church of Ephrata, with “Mercy Fund” in the memo field.

EPC leaders attend World Reformed Fellowship in Brazil

Rob Norris (left) and Corey Gray of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Md., take a break from the proceedings of the WCF General Assembly.

Rob Norris (left) and Corey Gray of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Md., take a break from the proceedings of the World Reformed Fellowship General Assembly in Sao Paulo, Brazil, March 23-27.

Luder Whitlock, member of First Prebyterian Church in Orlando, presented the daily devotionals for the Fourth General Assembly of the World Reformed Fellowship, March 22-25.

Luder Whitlock, member of First Presbyterian Church in Orlando, presented the daily devotionals for the General Assembly of the WRF.

Stated Clerk Jeff Jeremiah and Dean Weaver represented the EPC at the Fourth General Assembly of the World Reformed Fellowship (WRF) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, March 23-27. The EPC has been a member of the WRF since 2000. Weaver is a member of the Committee on Administration and teaching elder from of the Presbytery of the Alleghenies.

The WRF General Assembly convenes every four years to take up the business of the Assembly and to consider matters of interest to the global Reformed and evangelical community. Concerns addressed at this year’s meeting included the challenges of Islam, the homosexual agenda, human trafficking, and poverty. Presenters included leaders of Reformed churches from Indonesia, China, Germany, Brazil, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

Jeremiah noted that it was instructive to hear speakers from outside the United States address these topics. “Learning how our global brothers and sisters in Christ are addressing these challenging issues was really helpful,” he said.

Several other EPC leaders were involved in the Assembly.

In the opening session, Luder Whitlock, member of First Presbyterian Church in Orlando and former president of Reformed Theological Seminary, described the events in the 1980s and 90s that led to the formation of WRF in 2000. Whitlock is a founding member of the WRF. Rob Norris, Pastor of Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Md., was re-elected to the Board of Directors. Chris Wright, 2012 EPC General Assembly Workshop speaker, delivered the devotional message each morning.

On March 25, Jeremiah and Weaver attended a special meeting of denominational leaders from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe who attended the Assembly. The group discussed how an effective denominational fellowship might function, and formed a committee to explore how that would benefit each member denomination. Jeremiah agreed to serve on the committee.

Jeremiah also met with the Presiding Bishop of a Pentecostal denomination of 270 churches in Brazil. “He and the next generation of leaders in his church have ‘discovered’ Reformed theology, and He wanted to talk to me about becoming a Reformed Pentecostal denomination,” Jeremiah said, noting a high level of affinity among the other leaders at the Assembly.

“I can get excited about the EPC becoming a more energetic partner in the WRF,” he said, “because the values and commitments of this global group are consistent with ours.”

The WRF’s mission is to promote understanding, cooperation, and resource sharing among evangelical and Reformed Christians in the advancement of the gospel. The organization’s vision—citing Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 4:11-13—is that “the strengths of some might become the strengths of all in the service of Jesus Christ.”

Since its founding in 2000, the WRF has grown to include 69 denominations; 101 churches; 157 seminaries, schools, and other organizations; and 734 individual members from 74 countries. Individual WRF members include EPC leaders Bruce Anderson, Sharon Beekmann, Matt Brown, Gerrit Dawson, Corey Gray, Jason Harris, Dan Tidwell, Alan Trafford, and Dean Weaver.

For more information about the WRF, see www.wrfnet.org.

On March 25, denominational leaders from five continents discussed a denominational fellowship.

On March 25, denominational leaders from five continents discussed a denominational fellowship.

George Carey accepts leadership role with Project Mercy

George Carey, former EPC World Outreach Director, recently began serving as Director of Church Development for Project Mercy, an international relief and development agency based in Fort Wayne, Ind. Project Mercy ministers primarily in the Yetebon community of Ethiopia, an area of about 70,000 people (95 percent of whom are Muslim) located about 90 miles southwest of Addis Ababa.

“Project Mercy is one of the most heart-warming and holistic ministries with which I have ever been associated,” Carey said.

Project Mercy ministers in a variety of ways, including a K-12 school for 1600 children, a home for vulnerable and orphaned children, and training of those with indigenous skills as well as in growing enhanced gardens and fruit trees. It also built a first class hospital and Health Science College to help meet the medical needs while also training new medical personnel among Ethiopians. As a result of these ministries, three vibrant churches of former Muslims have formed.

Carey is available to churches and individuals to communicate opportunities available in Ethiopia for partnerships, prayer teams, and short-term and long-term ministry assignments. For more information, email george.carey@projectmercy.org or call 260-747-2559.

EPC Home Missionary John Bueno releases December newsletter

John Bueno, EPC Home Missionary serving with Latins United Christian Ministries (LUCM), invites you to read his current newsletter, in which he discusses ministry efforts in Colombia, Nicaragua, South Sudan, and Washington state. Previous LUCM newsletters are available on the EPC’s Church Planting & Revitalization page.

For more information about Latins United, email john.bueno@epc.org or call 402-350-3815.

Praying for Prodigals webinar on December 9 to feature EPC pastor

Dr. James Banks

Dr. James Banks

Dr. James Banks, Pastor of Peace Church in Durham, N.C., and his wife, Cari, will be the featured guests on a free RBC Ministries webinar “Praying for Prodigals” on Tuesday, December 9, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST.

The webinar will explore both healthy and unhealthy methods that parents, grandparents, and other family members respond regarding a child on the run. Topics of discussion include:

Praying faithfully for your children, regardless of the outcome
Praying even when you don’t see anything good happening
Understanding the true purpose of prayer for the one who prays
Discovering that you are not alone and how to build alliances with other parents praying for prodigals
Praying even when you feel like a failure as a parent and all the emotions that go along with that

In addition to serving as Pastor, Banks is a part-time seminary professor and author of three books: Praying the Prayers of the Bible, Prayers for Prodogals: 90 Days of Prayer for your Child, and The Lost Art of Praying Together: Rekindling Passion for Prayer.

Click here to register for the free webinar.

B. Mark Moore, charter EPC Teaching Elder, dies at 91

Benjamin Mark Moore of Aurora, Colo., one of 37 Teaching Elders to attend the EPC’s first General Assembly in 1981, died October 23 after a lengthy illness. He also served on the inaugural Missions Consultation Interim Committee.

A native of Huntington, Ind., Moore served as assistant pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Aurora, Colo., from 1969 until his retirement in 1985. He and his wife, Nancy, also served as missionaries to Brazil for many years.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; adult daughters Cindy, Linda, Debby, and Kim; nine grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and several nieces and nephews.

A complete obituary notice is available at www.horancares.com/obituary/B.-Mark-Moore/Aurora-CO/1445721

Son of God

Jeff Jeremiah Feb 11, 2014

“Son of God” gives your church a great opportunity to reach into your community with the good news of Jesus Christ! The movie will be released in about 3,000 theaters nationwide on February 28. Produced by Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, “Son of God” is about the life of Jesus taken from footage shot during “The Bible” series.

Bob Beltz, Pastor of Highline Community Church in Colorado and advisor to “Son of God,” reports, “We’re going to use it as an outreach event and buy out a theater. There are lots of outreach resources that have been done for the movie.”

Community invite packages, church kits and small group studies are among the resources available at www.sonofgodmovie.com, Outreach.com/SonofGod, or (email) share@sharesonofgod.com

Bob also says that “AD,” which begins with the resurrection of Jesus and goes through the Book of Acts, is in the works.

“The Bible” opens this Sunday

Jeff Jeremiah Feb 28, 2013

“The Bible” is an epic five-week, 10-hour television mini-series premiering March 3, 2013 on the History Channel @ 8pm (cable TV), from Emmy-Award winning husband and wife team, Mark Burnett and Roma Downey. For two hours each Sunday night, millions of viewers will see the Bible come to life in a way never before seen. The final episode of the series will air on Easter Sunday [March 31] and will feature the death and resurrection of Jesus. To help ensure the accuracy of the miniseries, many Christian scholars served as advisors and hundreds of Christian leaders have given their endorsement.

“In terms of importance, nothing we’ve ever done, not ‘Touched by An Angel,’ not ‘Survivor,’ not ‘The Voice,’ not ‘The Apprentice,’ none of this could possibly compare to ‘The Bible’,” Burnett says. “This is not a TV show to us. Its images, sound and sacred text that people will still watch, way after our grandchildren are old people.”

Famed television producer Mark Burnett tackles his projects with passion, but “The Bible” is a special labor of love.

The 10-hour, five-part docudrama will span the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, presenting some of its best-known stories, including Noah’s Ark, the Exodus, Daniel in the lions’ den and the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

“The Bible” promotional trailer (2m 31s)

“The Bible” extended promotional trailer (4m 4s)

Former “Touched by An Angel” star Roma Downey, Burnett’s wife and fellow executive producer, heads a large international cast in the role of Mother Mary. Keith David, an Emmy winner for voice-over performances, will narrate with a musical score by Oscar-and-Grammy-winning composer Hans Zimmer.

Because the entire Bible can’t be covered in 10 hours, the miniseries, which was filmed in Morocco, focuses on a select group of stories and features such compelling figures as Abraham, Moses and David. Some stories had to be compressed for artistic purposes.

This mini-series does not begin until March 3rd but this will give all of us a chance to tell as many people as possible about this series. Let’s use this series to reach as many people as possible.

Saeed Abedini Update

Jeff Jeremiah Feb 26, 2013

Thank you for praying for and for voicing to the U.S. government your concern for Saeed Abedini, a pastor and American citizen imprisoned in Iran. It would be wonderful to report that his prospects are good, but this is not the case. On Friday, February 22, Saeed’s first letter since he was convicted in January was released. It describes beatings, torture and a concerted effort to force him to “deny Christ,” something “he will never do.” For the American Center for Law and Justice article on our brother in Christ, please click here.

Please Help Free Saeed Abedini

Dana Cadman Jan 29, 2013

Please pray for Christian pastor Saeed Abedini who was sentenced in Tehran, Iran on Sunday, Junary 27th to eight years in prison for threatening the national security of Iran through his leadership in Christian house churches. The evidence was based on Abedini’s activities primarily during the early 2000s, when house churches were not considered a threat in Iran.

The 34-year-old father of two denied evangelizing in Iran and claims he had only returned to his native land to help establish an orphanage. Authorities pulled him off a bus last August and threw him into Evin Prison in Tehran. Evin Prison is known as one of the most brutal in Iran.

The leadership of the EPC is also asking all of its members to contact the US State Department and encourage them it do all it can to secure the release of this American citizen. To contact the State Department, write to:

U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520

Or call 202-647-4000.

You can also send them e-mail with this link http://contact-us.state.gov/app/ask or these instructions.

Go to U.S. Department of State web site – http://www.State.gov
Click on “Contact” on the right side of the home page in “Stay Connected with State.gov”
Click on “Email a Question/Comment” and type in your message.

EPC Women In Ministry Resourcing You for Advent

Susan Nash Nov 29, 2012

One of our goals is to resource women in order to equip them for ministry. This month we are focusing on giving you resources for soul development during the Advent season. Christ is the Lover of your soul and it is in Him that you have life. Take the time this season to grow in Him. Check out our Facebook page: EPC Network for more Advent devotional resources, but we want to make you aware of one of our EPC women in Houston who has come out with an Advent devotional available for Kindle on Amazon (check it out):

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Him-Room-ebook/dp/B00AEGID6S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354196529&sr=8-1&keywords=%22make+him+room%22

Make Him Room by Kirsten Oliphant

We may all have heard the real message of Christmas, but are you really hearing it? It is so easy for us to get lost in the hustle and bustle of holiday stuff, but Jesus wants you to make room in your heart for him. This series of daily devotions from December 1 to December 25 matches up Old Testament prophecy with New Testament fulfillment about Jesus. With a bite-sized reflection and a handful of discussion questions, this devotional will work for the family around the dinner table or for your personal time alone with God.

Kirsten, a mother in her 30’s, is married to Rob, Youth Director at Christ EPC Houston. They both have served on the staff of Cornerstone EPC (Katy TX). She also maintains a blog: www.stillhatepickles.com

Remember to give to keep this ministry alive. Our ministry operates from your gifts to us. We ask that your church give $1 for every woman member in your congregation. Send to the GA Office earmarked for Per Woman Asking.

Thanksgiving 2012

Jeff Jeremiah Nov 19, 2012

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (I Thessalonians 5.18)

As we in the national office of the EPC have been very focused on those suffering from recent disasters in New York City and Indianapolis, I’ve thought repeatedly about a most remarkable hymn we sing at Thanksgiving, “Now Thank We All Our God.”

“Now Thank We All Our God” (“Nun Danket Alle Gott”) was written by Martin Rinkart, a Lutheran pastor serving in Eilenburg, Germany during the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). Germany was the “battleground” for much of this conflict. The high point of the suffering he ministered into was 1637. That plague struck Eilenburg that year; it was not unusual for Rinkart to hold forty to fifty funerals a day. Among those he buried was his wife.

In the midst of this constant grief and suffering, Rinkart drew inspiration and comfort from I Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

He wrote the words that became a great hymn of the church:

“Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,

Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;

Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way

With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.

“O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,

With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us;

And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;

And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!

“All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;

The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;

The one eternal God, whom earth and Heaven adore;

For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.”

May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving as you live in God’s will for you!

Appreciation and Praise from Jeff and Cindy Jeremiah

Jeff Jeremiah Aug 22, 2012

Thank you all so very much for your fervent prayers and loving expressions of encouragement and support in the wake of the minor stroke Cindy suffered on July 31. We praise our Lord for all you have done on our behalf, and for the healing the Great Physician has graciously given. At her August 16 follow-up appointment, Cindy’s neurologist described the almost complete recovery of her vision as “absolutely remarkable.” She was cleared to drive as well as to travel. We’re returning to a “more normal life” grateful and blessed.

EPC members share their Aurora stories

Dana Cadman Jul 23, 2012

In the wake of the tragic shooting in Aurora, CO this weekend, several of our members share with us the stories the major news networks have overlooked.

Chloe Anderson speaks about her sister’s struggle for life, her mother’s battle with cancer, and the choices they are facing. http://www.indiegogo.com/readytobelieve?c=home and @Chloeliz05
Brad Strait’s first-hand story of being with the Anderson’s during surgery and at the ICU. http://bstrait.wordpress.com/2012/07/22/a-miracle-inside-the-the-aurora-shooting-one-victims-story/
Former Moderator Doug Klein shares with us how a city weeps for victims and supports the survivors. @PastorDougKlein
Worship Director Zac Hicks shares with us how a congregation responds to this tragedy. http://www.zachicks.com/blog/2012/7/23/worship-in-the-wake-of-aurora.html and @ZacHicks
Cherry Hills Community Church and others open their doors to the community for prayer and counseling. http://au.christiantoday.com/article/churches-offer-counselling-after-aurora-shooting/13737.htm

We are constantly updating this article as we become aware of more stories. If you have news to share, please contact Dana Cadman at Dana.Cadman@EPC.org.