General Assembly - June 2022 - ReCharged By God's Grace

This past Sunday - June 26 - we had a full and wonderful morning of worship at Celebration-Harderwyk.  I had also just returned home from 3 days at the General Assembly of the denomination with which I am ordained.  Those days were sooooo encouraging and empowering that I was ready to share multiple stories, but promised instead to put a few on the blog for the sake of time during the service. So, here we go .  .  .

Some History Here For Me

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC from here on) was formed in 1981 at Ward Church in Livonia, MI.  By 1986, the First Presbyterian Church in Houma, LA, where I was serving as pastor, had transferred it's affiliation to the EPC becoming the first EPC congregation in the state of Louisiana.  In June of 1988, I moved to Michigan to pastor Mt Pleasant Community Church, an EPC congregation where I served for 12 years.  This included many trips and meetings at Ward.

For me then, attending the 42nd General Assembly of the EPC at Ward Church felt like a real homecoming. Friends from college, from communities where I have pastored, missionaries sent from our churches and colleagues in ministry from around the country for over 40 years.  I was also encouraged and energized by the new initiatives and leadership.  The meetings lived up to their theme: ReCharge - Acts 1:8 - But You Will Receive Power .  .  .

CLICK HERE for the original 3:32 YouTube Invitation video.  Pastor Scott McKee follwed me at Mt Pleasant in 1999, and later moved to Ward Church.  Under his leadership that church has had a marvelous season of ministry and engagement with metro Detroit.    CLICK HERE for the 27:08 sermon by Scott that was part of our Wednesday evening Worship Service as he teaches about praying for our grandchildren - and more.  

Andrew Brunson

Andrew was a missionary pastor of the EPC serving in Turkey who was imprisoned by their government in October 2016.  Held in deplorable conditions for just over two years, Andrew was eventually released.  He returned to the US, was reunited with his family and church for a season of recovery.  Andrew was a keynote speaker at our Pre-Assembly Leadership Conference and with the EPC has produced a series of 8 YouTube videos called to Prepare To Stand where he reflects of his captivity, what he discovered about facing persecution and how we can prepare our hearts for difficult times as believers.  CLICK HERE for the playlist of all the videos.  Even better, CLICK HERE for the EPC page that includes downloadable copies of these videos as well as a study guide.

Moderator - My Favorite Moment of the Assembly

We elected Rosemary Lukens, a lay Elder from the Seattle area, as Assembly moderator for this meeting and the upcoming year as our first order of business.  CLICK HERE to learn more about her.  Even better, CLICK HERE for a 17-minute YouTube of her nomination, investiture and vision speech.  It was inspiring for me!

Rosemary moderated the assembly through its business across several days of meetings, but her most inspiring moment of leadership came at the Wednesday evening commissioning of missionaries - our new World Outreach workers.

This commissioning service has become a highpoint of each year's assembly.  Since Andrew Brunson's imprisonment, our missionaries have included in their vows to "by God's grace remain faithful even to martyrdom," so it always a sober moment.  Because of our focus on unreached Muslim people groups, the livestream, recordings and photos of the service are stopped for the security of the people.  At the prayer of commissioning, the new missionaries with their families and representatives from their sending churchs and the Assembly all gather for the apostolic laying on of hands and a season of commissioning prayer.  It was during this time that I opened my eyes to see Rosemary - the highest officer of our denomination - on her knees and praying, having swept up several of the children who's families were beginning service as only a grandmother could.  For me to see in one person the highest officer of our movement on her knees as a grandmother in prayer leaves me weeping even as I recount the story.

CLICK HERE for the 3-page report of our outgoing Moderator Brad Strait, pastor of Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in Englewood, CO, as he reflects on the previous year of service.

Revelation 7:9 Task Force

The work of this group is to support all EPC churchs to more likely reflect the church of Revelation 7:9 -  there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language,b standing before the thronec and before the Lamb.  CLICK HERE for documents of their report.    CLICK HERE to learn more about the 5Point7 church in Detroit and Pastor Brian Evans.  This congregation is a great example of the Rev 7:9 Task Force and our church planting resources working together.  CLICK HERE for a 5-minute YouTube that presents 5Point7 Church to the GA as this year's winner of our Hess Award for Church Ministry.

Abortion Addressed By The Supreme Court

As the Assembly was still in session on Friday, we realized that the US Supreme Court had rendered their Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v Wade and returned the matter of abortion to the legislatures of the individual states.  CLICK HERE for summary of that moment and official response from our National Leadership Team.

Closing Session - Great Is Thy Faithfulness

CLICK HERE for a 1:33 video of the closing act of this Assembly, led by Rev Glenn Meyers, our "Singing Moderator" from the previous 40th Assembly.  It was an "on-demand encore!" 

Finally

I hope you can get a sense of the refreshment that our national meeting was for Mary Lynn and I from just these few stories, and that you can find the same refreshment.  That's not always the case with national church meetings.  The EPC is not a perfect place, nor are we perfect people.  I have stories about some of that as well, but save that for another time.  Or I could tell you even more stories from last week.  Grace Abounding!!