John Bernard, Geneva College Staff Photographer
Each year, representatives of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council gather for business meetings, worship, and bilateral conversations. This year’s gathering took place November 11-13 and included a time of celebrating NAPARC’s 50th anniversary.
NAPARC denominations take turns hosting the gathering, and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America hosted this year’s gathering at Hope Community Reformed Presbyterian Church in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Beaver Falls is also home to the RPCNA’s denominational college, Geneva College, where the first NAPARC gathering took place.
NAPARC’s member churches include the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP), the Canadian Reformed Churches, the Reformed Church of Quebec (Église réformée du Québec – ERQ), the Free Reformed Churches of North America (FRCNA), the Heritage Reformed Congregations (HRC), the Korean American Presbyterian Church (KAPC), the Korean Presbyterian Church in America (Kosin) (KPCA), the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC), the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), the Presbyterian Reformed Church (PresRC), the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS), the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), and the United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA).
Several more denominations attend the gathering as observers: Bible Presbyterian Church (BPC), Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRCA), Reformed Presbyterian Church of Canada (RPCC), and Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Canada (ARPCC). ByFaith attended NAPARC’s business meeting on November 12 to observe the proceedings.
The PCA is the largest denomination in NAPARC, with the PCA’s 400,000 members comprising 69% of all members within NAPARC churches. The next-largest denomination, the KAPC, has about 60,000 total members.
The PCA’s delegation to NAPARC was smaller than usual due to shutdown-related travel delays and unforeseen emergencies. Billy Park, the PCA Administrative Committee’s Korean Relations Representative, attended with Dennis Watts, a ruling elder in the Presbytery of Mississippi Valley and the chair of the PCA’s Interchurch Relations Committee. Mike Kennamer with Mission to North America Disaster Response attended a portion of the proceedings to discuss how MNA Disaster Response can assist other denominations.
Each church delivers a report to the gathering, often highlighting major business from its most recent assembly and challenges it might be facing. PCA Provisional Stated Clerk John Bise could not attend the NAPARC gathering because of a family emergency, so Watts delivered Bise’s report, which highlighted the business covered at the PCA’s 52nd General Assembly and the formation of study committees to address Christian nationalism and the Directory for Public Worship.
Watts expressed gratitude for ruling elders who show up to General Assembly and participate, helping to guide the denomination more so than in previous eras. He shared with delegates that as provisional stated clerk, Bise has engaged in a listening ministry to bring together people in the PCA who are often on different sides of an issue. Watts said that Bise’s listening tour has been a source of great joy for the provisional stated clerk.
At the end of each report, another denomination is appointed to ask questions about the report and offer prayer for the denomination. The Bible Presbyterian Church expressed gratitude for Bise and his work before praying for the PCA.
One feature of NAPARC is time for the denominations to have bilateral meetings. Some of the meetings involve specific topics for conversation, while others are casual chats. The PCA held bilateral meetings with the OPC, URC, ARP, and KAPC. Watts said the meetings were informal, friendly chats.
Watts highlighted several ways the PCA benefits from attending NAPARC. First, the PCA builds on the work of its founding fathers, noting the PCA sent five elders to NAPARC’s inaugural meeting: Donald Boerma, Donald Graham, O. Palmer Robertson, Jack Williamson, and Morton Smith.
The gathering is also a time of mutual encouragement.
“As each denomination or federation shares of their gospel work in North America and around the world, we are reminded of the grace of our Father in using flawed men to bring forth His purpose,” Watts said.
The gathering also provides a time of accountability. Watts said the bilateral meetings provide a chance for churches to share concerns and encouragement with each other. And Watts said the annual meeting “is a time of spiritual edification as we pray, sing, read the Scriptures, and reflect upon his truths.”
“My joy in these meetings is the bond of unity we share as depicted in our love for Christ, mutual encouragement, and commitment to live out our faith together even as we are geographically separated,” he said.
As business recessed at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the attendees moved to Geneva College for the NAPARC 50th Anniversary Commemoration. Chad Van Dixhoorn, professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary Charlotte, provided the keynote address.