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Almost Heaven: The 78th General Assembly

There were few speeches and not even many questions at the General Assembly that convened on June 8, 2011—not just because the newly elected moderator, the Rev. Danny Olinger, urged new commissioners to watch and learn for a few years, nor just because we were celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of what was to become the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. There was a sense of maturity based on the grace of God, whose works in weak vessels were lauded throughout. We could see God's hand at work in the OPC, reminding us of what the apostle Paul says in Philippians 1:6, "He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." The outgoing moderator, the Rev. Alan Pontier, gave a message from Revelation 12 entitled "The Conquering Church." Yes, we are in a battle, to be sure. But Christ has won, and though we are still the church militant, we can rest in him and his triumph. Things were peaceful, but not because we in the OPC, as "Machen's warrior ... Read more

English—An Open Door in Quebec

In Quebec City we speak la belle langue , French. I minister almost entirely in French. However, English is an open door through which we can reach out to the community with the gospel. English is a ticket to the world. People in Quebec City want to speak English, and parents in particular want their children to master English. While English classes are offered in the schools, parents are prohibited by law from sending their children to English immersion schools. We can take advantage of this situation. Since the summer of 2005, we have organized English for Kids Bible camps at our church each July. Parents enroll their children, five to twelve years of age, in an all-day camp from Monday to Friday. Mission teams from Presbyterian and Reformed congregations run the camp, with the help of an OP missionary associate. All the activities—singing, skits, crafts, Bible lessons, videos, sports, etc.—are taught in English, while volunteers from our congregation provide translation into French as ... Read more

The Task of Christian Education

It is a joyous time for me at this seventy-fifth anniversary. The church that was founded by some one hundred and thirty members on the eleventh of June 1936 has held fast to the commitment it made on that memorable day until this memorable day. Have we maintained the faith? Have we been building the church? Jesus said, "I will build my church." Whatever we have done to land here seventy-five years later, holding to the same faith, has been by the grace of the Spirit of the living God. It gives me joy, then, to be here among such an assemblage—joy because I look out and see people who are holding to that faith. And I trust that you have similar joy that you can be here on this day. So many have given their lives for that. Men and women, even children, have committed themselves wholly to the Lord Jesus Christ in this church and to the church to carry on its ministry. When J. Gresham Machen was trying to reform the Presbyterian Church in the USA, there were two things that he dealt with primarily. ... Read more

Woman to Woman: Life in Exile

Woman to Woman: Life in Exile To: JuneMcrea@ustel.com From: KellyTodd@linkmac.com Dear Aunt June, I took your advice. I went to the church workday and stayed from start to finish—well, almost to the finish. Mrs. Rivers had to drive me home early after I sprained my ankle climbing down from the ladder I had climbed to wash a window. The doctor says I'll need to stay off it for a few days. Now I'm on the church prayer list under two categories: sick and unemployed. But I may not be unemployed for long. Elder Jones was assigned to the window-washing detail too. We talked about my job situation. He's the editor for the local paper, Little Creek Times , and they're looking for someone to design ads. It's not exactly my dream job as an artist, and it's only part-time, so no benefits. But I need the money. The Chevy eats gas, and Mom and Dad paid the first insurance bill, but I need to pick it up in the future. Please pray! Kelly ... Read more

2011 Timothy Conference

The OPC Timothy Conference is a ministry of the Committee on Christian Education conducted through its Subcommittee on Ministerial Training (SMT). Its purpose is to challenge young Orthodox Presbyterian men in their late high school and early college years (ages 16-21) to consider the gospel ministry as God's calling for their life. Instituted in 2008, the conference was conceived by Dr. David VanDrunen as a means for helping the churches of the OPC identify young men with potential gifts for the ministry. The Timothy Conference is designed to arise out of the life of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in all its aspects. Thus, in order to attend the young men must be communicant members who have been nominated by their session. They must be willing to adjust their academic workload to attend the two days of the conference, and they may expect that the OPC will cover all the expenses associated with sending them to it. Speakers at the conference will all be OP ministers with a good mix of experience in ... Read more

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