June 7 Today in OPC History

On June 7, 1981, the Rev. Jack J. Peterson, pastor of Grace OPC in San Antonio, Texas led the first regular worship service for the members of the Orthodox Presbyterian Chapel in Austin, Texas. A year earlier, Mr. Peterson had sought permission from the session of Grace Church to begin a Bible study with contacts he had made in the Austin area. The fellowship of the group grew both in number and in Christian love to the point where the overseeing session of Faith Church was able to call the Rev. Gerald S. Taylor as an Associate Pastor to serve the Austin Chapel.

Pastor Taylor led a Bible Study on Thursday nights and taught a study class on the Westminster Confession of Faith on Sunday evenings. Sunday school classes were begun in early 1983 with fifteen children and thirty two adults and a Ladies Bible Study established on Tuesday mornings. The midweek Bible study grew to the point in the fall of 1983 to where it reorganized into two groups. On March 4, 1984, Mr. James Van Dam was ordained and installed as a ruling elder and Mr. Christopher Bennett and Mr. James Morgan were ordained and installed as deacons. A little less than a month later, the congregation unanimously recommended the church name, "Providence Presbyterian Church (OPC)."

On April 29, 1984, a special Sunday afternoon service was held to celebrate the reception of Providence Church as a particular congregation of the OPC, along with the installation of Rev. Taylor as pastor, Mr. Van Dam as ruling elder, and Mr. Bennet and Mr. Morgan as deacons.

Picture: Gerald Taylor (left) and Jack Peterson