Final month, the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC) convened its forty ninth annual assembly with all 13 member denominations represented. The assembly happened November 12-14 and was hosted by the Reformed Church in the US at Northland Reformed Church in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri.
NAPARC member denominations collect yearly to advise, counsel, and seek the advice of on points widespread among the many Reformed denominations.
The member church buildings embrace the Affiliate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP), the Canadian Reformed Church buildings, the Reformed Church of Quebec (Église réformée du Québec – ERQ), the Free Reformed Church buildings 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 US (RCUS), the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), and the United Reformed Church buildings in North America (URCNA).
Representatives of the Bible Presbyterian Church (BPC), the Protestant Reformed Church buildings in America (PRCA), and the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Canada (RPCC) attended as invited observers.
Studies
A lot of the time on the gathering was spent with denominations offering stories on what the Lord is doing in every denomination and praying for each other after every report. The stories talk each the religious blessings and the struggles of ministry.
Denominations reported on a number of research and theological tasks accomplished because the final assembly. The ARP reported finishing a research paper on membership in secret societies and one other on the diaconate. The FRCNA reported on the close to completion of a brand new Psalter developed collectively with the HRC and the PRCA. The RCUS reported on a brand new research accomplished on sexual misconduct prevention. The URCNA accomplished a research paper on digital media and worship, and one on human sexuality.
Discussions
After the stories and prayer, members hung out discussing three matters chosen from a listing submitted by member denominations:
How can NAPARC denominations higher foster and coordinate interchurch relations on the presbyterial and classical ranges?
What can they do to encourage males to pursue theological training in preparation for the pastoral ministry and missions?
How do the member denominations deal with requests from worldwide denominations for fraternal relations? What are distinctive alternatives and dangers offered by such requests?
Officers
The gathering elected the Rev. Bruce Parnell of the RPCNA to function its subsequent chairman, and the Rev. Joel Dykstra of the URCNA was elected as vice-chairman. The Rev. Ralph Pontier was elected to a seventh time period as secretary, and Danny McDaniel of the PCA was elected to a second time period as treasurer. The chairmanship and vice-chairmanship rotate yearly among the many member denominations in alphabetical order.
Subsequent Assembly
The minutes of the council, together with NAPARC’s structure, bylaws, and different assets, might be discovered at NAPARC’s web site: naparc.org.
The subsequent assembly of the council is scheduled for November 11-13, 2025, to be hosted by the RPCNA at Hope Neighborhood Reformed Presbyterian Church in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
