R. Scott Clark is an American Reformed pastor and seminary professor. He is the author of several books, including his most recent work, Recovering the Reformed Confession. He has a twitter account with over 6,000 followers, and this week he shared with them all an update on a small Reformed Presbyterian Church Plant in inner-city Atlanta. Here’s what he had to say:
R. Scott Clark (@RScottClark)
An unexpected and faithful ministry in “The Bluff” in ATL – a compassionate, a cappella psalm-singing congregation DEFYING EXPECTATIONS AND PREACHING CHRIST.
The work in Atlanta started back in April 2010, when Northminster Reformed Presbyterian Church, located to the north of Atlanta in Forsyth County, began ministering in the English Avenue community – an area also known as “The Bluff”. Initially, these efforts consisted of a Sunday afternoon Bible study conducted on the steps of a derelict church building – St. Mark’s – which is in the heart of the Bluff. After two and a half years of ministry there, it was decided to transition to worship services. Starting in December 2012, this ministry, known as Atlanta Presbyterian Fellowship, met for worship at a corner grocery store every Lord’s day afternoon at 5 o’clock. In December 2013 we moved into the Faithful Friend Church–Vine City, which graciously hosted us for a year and a half. In June 2015, we were finally able to rent our own facility, one side of a duplex, located at 472 Paines Avenue NW, SUITE B, Atlanta, Georgia 30318.
Pastor Frank Smiths wife Penny posts regular updates about the work on her blog, Penny’s Pen. Here is an excerpt from the latest blog entry.
“We have had a very exciting start to the New Year, with an average attendance of 34, which is more than 25% higher than this time last year. A significant part of this increase in numbers has come from newcomers right here in the Bluff.
A new and exciting development is that on the first Lord’s Day in February we launched a morning worship service in addition to our regular afternoon/evening Sunday school and service. With seventeen in attendance in the morning, and twenty different individuals coming in the evening in addition to four “overlaps” which included Pastor Frank and myself, we ministered to thirty-seven people with a total attendance between the two services of forty-one.
Another new development has been the activity of one of the members of our fellowship, Robert, who spends a number of days in Atlanta each week, and has been enjoying talking to residents of the Bluff as he is out and about. He has engaged many people in conversation, even to the point of taking the hungry for a meal and sharing the gospel with them. Over the months this has led to a number of people starting to attend worship on the Lord’s Day and continuing on a regular basis. One of those men recently professed faith in Christ as a result of the witnessing of this man, and under the preaching of Pastor Smith.”
