The PCA is full of thoughtful, talented people using the gifts God has given them in the places where God has placed them to serve his kingdom. As the year draws to a close, we are thankful for those who took time to contribute to byFaith in 2024. They are members, deacons, and elders connected to PCA congregations from coast to coast. They serve on campus, in the academy, in congregations, and even in other countries as missionaries. We are also grateful for those who let us share the story of what God is doing through their lives and their churches. 

Here are some of our favorite articles from the past year as chosen by Andy Jones (editor) and Megan Fowler (associate editor):

1. Why College Students Need the Local Church 

I (Andy) cried when I read the initial draft of this article by Monse Santiago. It is a beautiful story of how God brought her to faith during college and used the church to conform her to the image of Christ. Her story is heartening in and of itself, but it is a reminder of how Christ is building his church to reach people we wouldn’t expect.

2. Infertility and Longing for Restoration

Vulnerability doesn’t come naturally to me (Andy), but the older I get the more I appreciate it. Catherine Duffin gives us a glimpse into her longing to be a mother only to realize, “What I so deeply long for, I may never have.” She also permits us to see how Scripture has been a source of comfort and how God uses disappointment to make us long for things more permanent. 

3. Samuel Miller and the Perils of Presidential Politics

In a year defined by a presidential election, it was a privilege to have Brian Franklin, a presidential historian, provide this account from Presbyterian history. He points out how eager Samuel Miller was to enjoy proximity to the president in his ministry’s early years, only to regret it later. 

4. Pastor’s Wife Gives Husband Kidney

We’ve all heard stories about patients in need of a transplant. The surgical procedure is complex and involves months of recovery. But the story in this case is personal and not merely medical, as the pastor receives a kidney from his wife. It is a moving account of sacrifice and commitment featuring Tom and Liz Gastil.

5. Hope in the Midst of Generational Poverty

God is using Alton Hardy in Fairfield, Alabama, to grow a church that is addressing the issues that linger over a generationally impoverished neighborhood. After you read this story, you’ll pray to see it multiplied in similar towns across America, as the church disciples young men to become leaders at home and in the church. 

6. Artificial Intelligence: Toward a Christian Perspective

This article is unlike anything byFaith has ever published. Since artificial intelligence is poised to play a bigger, not smaller, role in our lives, I’m grateful the PCA can turn to a data scientist like Jonathan Barlow, who is also a ruling elder. Barlow offers readers a clear explanation of how this technology actually works and some of its ethical and moral components. 

7. Ministry at the End of Life: Shepherding Aging Congregations

This topic won’t liven up your New Year’s Eve party, but the PCA is not exempt from the “silver tsunami” hitting churches across the U.S. Elizabeth Turnage offers practical advice on how ministry leaders can help their people to end life well: to face the reality of decline, dying, and death while preparing for glory practically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

8. Butler-Area PCA Pastors Respond to Shooting

Living 30 minutes from Butler, Pennsylvania, I (Megan) felt like Trump was practically in my backyard when he was shot on July 13. But for PCA Ruling Elder Matt DeLorenzo and his wife Karen, this national tragedy was literally in their backyard. The PCA churches closest to the shooting site made the most of the opportunity, seeking to help the community make sense of evil and pointing people toward Christ.

9. From Punk Rocker to Reformed Pastor

We at byFaith enjoy hearing about pastors with interesting “pre-pastorate” experiences. Matt Morginsky is one of those pastors, having spent much of his 20s fronting the Christian ska band the O. C. Supertones. 

10. “Love Could Not Be Found in Allah”

Earlier this year Hamid Hatami became the first PCA teaching elder of Iranian descent ordained in the PCA. His story of coming to faith is an encouraging reminder that God is at work in unexpected places, using unexpected means to draw people to himself.