The Midwest Presbytery of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America gathered at Black Forest Reformed Church in Colorado Springs (Formerly Tri-Lakes in Monument) for their fall meeting, November 3rd through 4th. There were 14 Ruling Elders and 29 Teaching Elders from 21 (out of 22) organized Congregations across 7 states (WY, CO, KS, OK, TX, IA, MO). The Presbytery has mission Churches in Houston, Oklahoma City, and San Antonio. Joseph Friedly was elected to serve as our moderator. Shawn Stickel, Andrew Barnes, and Joe Allyn serve as our treasurer, clerk, and assistant clerk.
We give thanks for the progress of students in exams. The Court examined Kevin Dennis, former Ruling Elder of the Shawnee and Bryan (Living Way) congregations. He was sustained (passed) in his Level 1 systematic theology and preaching exams. Two members, Bradley Cupples and Agnel Soundron, of the Black Forest Reformed Church were taken under care and are studying theology in hopes of being called to serve the Church. Agnel is a native French speaker and has interest in the Nantes, France work.
Other work included oversight of congregations through minute reviews as well as forming a commission to adjudicate a complaint. A paper was brought forward on the topic of abortion, which the Presbytery formed a committee to study. We also are studying pastoral resilience and perseverance as well as why the number of ruling elders per congregation has trended downward over the past 50 years.
Our meeting was finished early so that the court could drive to Laramie, WY for a second meeting, this time to ordain and install Allen Blackwood. We give thanks that we now only have two vacancies (although we anticipate a third in the coming year with a planned retirement). Lord willing we’ll meet again next March (which is a new plan for Midwest Presbytery — until 2021, we only had one annual meeting in November, we’re now planning for two!).
You can see a video of the closing psalm here: https://fb.watch/hhpGnLmXRI/
Thanks to Joe Allyn for compiling this report
