Here's what the FCC (cont.) reports on their North American church (in their reports to GA, which begins Monday). This may be helpful in seeing how close they are to whatever markers they have laid out for making an US indigenous denomination. I am not sure what they have by way of communicants/baptized (they'd say "baptised) members. I imagine they are around 350-400 members total? Not sure.
North America
Smiths Falls, Canada
This has been a difficult year in Smiths Falls; those who attend do so faithfully, but their numbers have reduced. The Kirk Session is considering sending a representative to encourage the work and assess the situation.
United States of America
The Committee maintain a supervisory and supportive role in relation to the Presbytery of the USA, including ensuring the ready flow of information between Scotland and the USA.
The Presbytery give thanks to God for its continuing connection with the wider denomination, and continue to labour and pray that God would bless the testimony and heritage of the Free Church throughout the United States.
The Presbytery consists of four established Congregations: Atlanta, Georgia; Burlington/Mebane, North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina; St. Louis, Missouri; and a Preaching Station in Auburn-Opelika, Alabama, and another in Greenville, Texas. Each of these Congregations maintain two services of worship on the Lord’s Day and a midweek meeting. There are four active ministers (Rev. Robert D. McCurley, Rev. Gavin Beers, Rev. Jonathan Mattull and Rev. Brent C. Evans), one retired minister (Rev. Warren Gardner), one licentiate (Rev. Joshua Cochran), two official FC(C) Students under care of Presbytery (Mr. Tyler Ray and Mr. Logan Shelton), and two students in Greenville Seminary who hope to apply to be received as FC(C) Divinity students.
The Preaching Station in Greenville, Texas, was erected in September 2022. A group from Greenville reached out to the Presbytery the previous year, and after an initial visit by two ministers it was decided to pursue the potential of starting a work. In the mercy and providence of God, a small local PCA congregation in the town was willing to discuss joining the interested group, and as discussions progressed, the PCA elder indicated his desire to bring the few remaining members, together with their building and financial assets, into an FC(C) Church Plant. This provision meant there were sufficient funds to pay for resident pulpit supply, and Rev. Craig Scott (Grand Rapids RPCNA) was approached. The Lord put it in his heart and prepared the way for him to go, and he has been ministering fruitfully in Greenville, Texas, for the last six months. Mr Scott has made Application for Admission to the FC(C), and a Petition was received from the preaching station at the March Presbytery meeting to raise it to a fully-sanctioned charge. In the light of this Petition, the Presbytery resolved to Petition the General Assembly for the raising of the Preaching Station at Greenville, Texas, to a fully-sanctioned Charge. There are currently 35-40 people attending worship services each week.
The Preaching Station in Auburn-Opelika continues to prosper under the blessing of God. New members have been added and Mr. Logan Shelton has been faithful in ministering as resident supply. Mr. Shelton has now finished his seminary studies and has met with the Training of the Ministry & Admissions Committee in Scotland; it is hoped that he will soon receive his Completion Certificate and thereafter be licensed and ordained as a minister of the Gospel. The Presbytery met in Opelika in November 2022, and received a petition to raise the preaching station to a fully-sanctioned charge. This has led to the Presbytery petitioning the General Assembly thereanent. With the Lord’s blessing there is therefore the potential for the Presbytery to have two further established Congregations (Opelika, Alabama and Greenville, Texas), able to call and have settled their own ministers in 2023, thus raising the number of congregations and active ministers in the Presbytery to six.
The Presbytery continue to investigate a Church plant in the Philadelphia area, although this has not progressed as much as desired. In the last year contact was made by a group in Southern Alberta, and an investigative meeting took place in February 2023. There is the potential of raising a preaching station in this area, but there are a few obstacles in God’s providence that need to be worked through, particularly the provision of pulpit supply, and we commit this to the prayers of the Church. Another group of families have reached out from central Virginia and one initial meeting has been conducted with them. The group have expressed their desire for further discussion, and this will be ongoing. Please pray for wisdom for the Presbytery as they evaluate potential church plants and for the provision of men to supply pulpits.
Last year the Presbytery reported to the Assembly that a preaching station had been erected just over the Mexican border in Nuevo Laredo. This work continues to encourage, and a number of visits have taken place throughout the last year. Baptisms were conducted and a first Communion Season was held. There are currently around forty people connected with this work, but they lack pulpit supply. Two of the local men have worked diligently to translate and dub over YouTube videos of preaching from the Congregations of our Presbytery, and the people watch these each week. The Presbytery continue to provide online catechetical instruction and teaching on the Confession of Faith, and one desire is that through this local men can be identified and prepared to hold office. The Church’s prayers are solicited, and any help of available men to supply the pulpit for a period of weeks would be welcome as local men are able and willing to provide live translation in the services.
The Committee reported last year on the opportunity for our Congregation in North Carolina to purchase the building they have been renting from a local Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church. It was hoped that the purchase would be made quickly, but this was delayed due to the ARP Congregation having to sort out some legal matters before they could sell their property. These have recently been resolved and the purchase will soon be completed. The Congregation have raised the funds to purchase the building outright and to begin some needed renovations. May the Lord be praised for his mercy.
The Presbytery held their annual Family Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, during August 2022, and were again disappointed in not being able to invite one of our Scottish ministers to speak due to travel restrictions. They were glad to be able to invite Rev. Ian Macleod, minister in the Heritage Reformed Congregations in Canada, who preached a series of messages on the Sonship of Christ and the believer’s sonship in Him. It will be a delight to the Presbytery to resume the practice of inviting our Scottish brethren over, with Rev. David Blunt scheduled to be the visiting speaker in August 2023.
Grange Press Trust, the Presbytery’s publishing arm, continues to publish its quarterly periodical, The Master’s Trumpet. The digital Psalm singing albums, and the Shorter Catechism memorization card deck, continue to sell well. The Presbytery praise God that a major publication came to fruition this year in the production of a Greek New Testament Reader based on the Received Text of Scripture. This has been well and widely received and the initial sales have been very encouraging. As this report is written, a new edition of the 1650 Psalter together with explanatory notes for each psalm, is at the printers and prayer is requested for the sale and distribution of this volume. Other books in line to be published include John Brown of Wamphray on the Nature of the Church, Gisbertus Voetius’ treatment on musical instruments in worship, and Thomas Boston’s Memorial on Personal and Family Humiliation and Fasting.
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