Editorial: Summer 2024
Summer 2024
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:1–2)
Editorial
The Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America (FPCNA) held its inaugural meeting in Toronto on May 18, 2005. The denomination has just entered its twentieth year. Significant anniversaries afford opportunities for reminiscence and reflection. Certainly, we can return thanks to the Lord for His goodness in preserving the work over these past nineteen years. Lord willing, in the spring 2025 issue of Current we will reflect on the Lord’s hand upon His work.
In this issue, I have tasked men to remind us about the things that define us as Free Presbyterians. I encourage you to read the first four articles that cover the areas of first importance for our denomination. I didn’t pick the topics at random or due to my personal preferences. Every man ordained as a teaching or ruling elder publicly vows to believe in and commit to uphold certain principles. They are asked if they embrace and will faithfully maintain the distinctive positions of doctrine and practice of the Free Presbyterian Church of North America. They are stated as follows:
A. The Christ-centered exposition of the Reformed Faith, with a strong commitment to evangelism;
B. The centrality and all-sufficiency of the Person and Work of Christ in the preaching of the gospel;
C. The doctrine of God’s free justification of sinners by grace alone through faith alone in the merits of Christ alone;
D. Separation from the apostasy of the ecumenical movement, opposition to false Charismatism, and steadfast adherence to the historic, Reformed, and Protestant faith;
E. The personal separation of believers from worldliness in holiness unto the Lord;
F. The necessity of giving ourselves to earnest prayer for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit’s power to make our service effective and glorifying to God, and for genuine revival in our day.
From these distinctives arise the four articles in this magazine. I trust the articles will help you to see that these positions reflect biblical priorities. I believe it is important that our members understand that these are the principles they should expect to see and hear in our churches. It is important that our members pray that our churches will maintain these positions faithfully.
These positions unite our churches. Two of the authors of the articles are younger, newer ministers. The other two are more senior and have served the denomination faithfully for many years. I believe that, as we enter this twentieth year, all our ministers and ruling elders still are united in affirming these distinctive positions. It’s never a bad time to reaffirm what we believe and resolve to abound more and more in faithfulness in the service of Christ. As the founders of the FPCNA affirmed in the adopted charter of May 2005:
In forming the Free Presbyterian Church of North America, we confess our adherence to the historic Christian faith as set forth in the Westminster Confession of Faith and place on record our trust in God to bless and endue the church with the power of His Spirit on the merits of Christ our sole King and only Head, to whom we commit ourselves to remain faithful in doctrine and practice.
From the Past
The whole of our ministry must be carried on in tender love to our people. We must let them see that nothing pleaseth us but what profiteth them; and that what doeth them good doth us good; and that nothing troubleth us more than their hurt. We must feel toward our people, as a father toward his children: yea, the tenderest love of a mother must not surpass ours.
Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor