by A.J. Millsaps My work as an evangelist in East Tennessee started with a question: “Are there any open doors for church planting in the region?” I had been born and raised in East Tennessee, and I had come to faith in the Baptist church, which dominates the local religious landscape. Yet, in high school and college, I found my theological convictions increasingly challenged by my study of the Scriptures, and eventually, those studies landed me in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. My personal experience left me with an eagerness to share the riches of the Reformed faith with others from my little part of the world. Then came an opportunity. Upon graduating seminary, the Lord opened the door for a year-long internship at
Thanksgiving in North Texas
by Mark Sumpter with Nate Blank Hello? Hello, my name is Mark Sumpter. I’m with the OPC. Picking up the telephone and having conference calls with dear saints who are making a first-time inquiry about starting an Orthodox Presbyterian Church makes up a good part of my work. Back in late September 2017, just such a phone call led to an informational meeting and eventually a Bible study in a city in north Texas near the Oklahoma border called Wichita Falls. From the start, with two or three families and three or four singles, Living Stone Fellowship began to build. A Young Congregation Wichita Falls, with a population of nearly 105,000, is home to Midwestern State University (5,000 students) and Sheppard Air Force Base
Three Mission Works Spreading Their Wings
by Katharine Olinger A few weeks ago, parents around the country packed their children up, drove them to their Welcome Week orientations, and said goodbye. College drop-off is a developmental milestone. When we say our goodbyes and drive away, we do so because we have faith that our college students have reached some level of maturity and independence. Yes, there will still be bumps, challenges, and setbacks. But it’s time for them to spread their wings. A Milestone for Three Mission Works This year, three mission works that receive support from our denomination reached a developmental milestone: they were organized as particular congregations of the OPC. When a mission work begins to display the characteristics of an
Room to Grow in Dayton, Ohio
Last year, the Committee on Home Missions asked the church to pray together with First Street Reformed Fellowship—a church plant in Dayton, Ohio—for a new building. Not only has God answered this prayer, he has provided a space that is well-suited to the church's expanding outreach ministries and to the congregation's heart for sharing Christ's love. Pastor Tyler Detrick writes, "We were particularly drawn to 1501 E. Third Street because of its location along the 'Welcome Dayton Corridor' where immigrants are residential and recognized by the city." According to Detrick, the church's neighborhood is both urban and ethnically diverse: "Roughly 40% of our neighbors are immigrants (mostly Turkish, or Spanish-speaking). The rest of the
Bay Haven Presbyterian Church
In early 2020, I had just returned home from a seven-month deployment as an Air Force Chaplain. Our family began the social distancing lockdowns extremely grateful to be together and to make up for lost time. As the months went on and the chapel on base remained closed, the Lord laid it on the hearts of several people, myself included, that we could safely have a worship gathering outdoors on Sunday morning when I was available to preach. A dear friend, Rosemary Henderson, graciously offered her side yard as the meeting spot, and on June 21, 2020, about thirty of us met to worship the living God in her beautiful garden overlooking Tampa Bay. Emails were sent and phone calls were made to invite people to our gathering. We emphasized that we