“Are you godly?” This was the challenging question asked of the men gathered for a men’s conference at the Ottawa Reformed Presbyterian Church (Ontario, Canada) on October 16th, 2021. No one raised their hands when asked the question. However, isn’t this the challenge that should be made at every men’s conference or retreat? “Are you godly?”
Rev. Matt Kingswood, pastor of Russell Reformed Presbyterian Church, gave two addresses on “The Godly Man” to the assembly of over 30 men from four area RP churches. In his first message, Matt gave a biblical theology of godliness summarizing the godly as the one who has God in his thoughts and only Christ being the truly godly man (Psalm 1).
Having laid down the truth of our justification in Christ through his death for the ungodly (Romans 5:6) Matt expounded upon 1 Timothy 4:7-8 (“…train yourself for the purpose of godliness”) in his second address. By way of practical application, he explained how the disciplined use of the means of the Word and prayer enable us to keep a good conscience. We were greatly blessed to be reminded of our union with Christ and reflect on how much we need the help of the LORD to live by faith as godly men (Psalm 12:1).
RP Church of Canada: Question Time
In between the two messages, there was a session for Matt and Rev. Dr. Andrew Quigley, Minister of the Ottawa RPC, to explain the reasons for an RP Church of Canada. They sought to make it clear that the planned formation of this national denomination in 2022 is not a divisive decision but one based on theological and practical reasons. They made the point that a national covenanting church will enable the RP Church in Canada to speak to the government in Canada. The practical reasons outlined included provision of an opportunity to create a focused vision, strategy, and culture for the Canadian church. After the explanation, there was a time for the men in attendance to ask questions about the details of the process. It is clear that we can see the hand of God moving in this effort toward the formation of a RP Church of Canada.
Please Pray
Pray for our men in Canada to live godly lives in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12).
Pray for the Canadian Ministers and Elders involved in the process of forming a RP Church of Canada.
Pray for many men to be called to the gospel ministry in Canada (Luke 10:2).
Vince Ward is a veteran missionary (South Sudan) and coauthor of Pursuit of Glory. He currently works for RP Global Missions as a mission consultant and trainer. He is also a teaching elder providing pulpit supply. Vince and Julie Ward have three children and live in Ottawa, Ontario.
