July 6 Today in OPC History

On the evening of Monday, July 6, 1970, the Thirty-Seventh General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church meeting at First OPC in Portland, Oregon, was called to order at 8: 15 p.m. by the Rev. Ralph E. Clough, Moderator of the Thirty-Sixth General Assembly. Mr. Clough constituted the meeting with a worship service and preaching on the topic, “The God Who Is Here.” He then administered the sacrament of the Lord's Supper assisted among others by First Church pastor Albert G. Edwards II and ruling elders Thomas Allen, Ronald Horton, David Munroe, Leonard Schmurr, Joseph Schouten and Lawrence Bourland.

The next day OPC Statistician Edward Haig reported that the number of churches in the OPC had decreased by one to 115 due to the merger of two churches. However, the membership grew to 14,125.

After John Mitchell was elected moderator, the assembly heard two overtures for the creation of two new presbyteries. The Presbytery of Philadelphia divided to create the Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic in Maryland and Virginia. The Presbytery of California divided to create the Presbytery of Northern California and the Presbytery of Southern California.

Picture: John Mitchell (left) and Ralph Clough at the 1970 General Assembly.