In All Things

Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Aaron White, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in South Charleston, Ohio. The two discuss the joys and challenges of pastoring a growing church in a rural community and how White intentionally harnessing the cycles of the year for discipleship. White also previews his General Assembly sermon from 1 Corinthians 12, and highlights the GA presentations of the Westminster Society, an EPC networking group that seeks to promote confessional churchmanship in the denomination.

Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Shelley Kral, Associate Pastor for Longview Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Longview, Texas. The two discuss her path to ministry from Southern California to a Lutheran college in the Pacific Northwest to Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando to Longview in East Texas. Kral also describes a vision she and her husband had for a pastoral retreat center eventually resulting in the creation of Enoch’s Stomp Vineyard & Winery near Longview. She also explains how the vineyard illustrates the truths of John 15.

Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Curt Taylor, Pastor of Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado—host church for the EPC’s 43rd General Assembly / Gospel Priorities Summit, June 20-22, 2023. The two discuss Cherry Hills’ excitement in hosting this year’s Assembly. Taylor also describes his path to Colorado and the EPC from Texas, including some of the challenges and opportunities in sharing the gospel in those two culturally different parts of the country. He also relates some ways the church can address division in culture.

Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Rosemary Lukens, Moderator of the 42nd General Assembly and Ruling Elder for Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church in Gig Harbor, Washington. The two discuss how serving as Moderator has strengthened her faith, as well as encouraged women across the EPC to be involved in the life of the church. Lukens also reflects on her enthusiasm for accessible theological education in an ever-changing vocational ministry pipeline landscape, funding for the mission of the larger church, and the importance of building relationships in ministry leadership.

Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Dave Strunk, planting pastor of Church of the Redeemer in suburban Knoxville, Tennessee. The two conclude a 5-episode series on Church Planting by discussing Strunk’s journey to the EPC from a Baptist background, including how he started Church of the Redeemer and how church planting is a viable evangelism strategy for established churches. In addition, Strunk reflects on his service on the EPC’s National Leadership Team from 2019-2023 and how trust serves as a form of leadership currency.

Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Jerry Iamurri, Executive Director and CEO of inFaith. The two discuss how inFaith ministers among the most underserved and underreached communities in the U.S., as well as how the organization serves church planters with a variety of administrative support functions. In addition, Iamurri describes how governance serves mission and vision, and how his experience as Assistant Stated Clerk informs his leadership at inFaith.

Iamurri is a Teaching Elder in the Presbytery of the East and served as EPC Assistant Stated Clerk from 2017-2022.

Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Abe Radmanesh, member of the EPC’s Church Planting Team. The two continue a series on church planting by discussing how an established church can begin a church planting movement, based on Radmanesh’s experience at Colonial Presbyterian Church in Kansas City. Radmanesh also describes how his experience in the business world provides fresh perspective in church planting, the value of entrepreneurial skills in church planting, and the benefits that established churches receive by starting new churches.

Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Shawn Robinson, Pastor of Clayton Community Church in Clayton, California. The two discuss how Robinson planted Clayton Community Church in 1996 as part of the EPC’s Key Cities Initiative. Robinson also describes the EPC’s strategy of “every EPC church a parent, patron, or partner of church planting” and how people loving  their neighbors is foundational to maintaining an outward focus as a church.

Dean Weaver, EPC Stated Clerk, welcomes Jack Cathey and Tom Ricks, founding members of the EPC’s National Church Planting Team. Cathey is a Ruling Elder for the Lake Forest family of churches in Charlotte, North Carolina; Ricks serves as the EPC’s National Director of Church Planting.

The three kick off a series on church planting by recounting how church planting in the EPC has gone from being aspirational to operational. They also discuss steps churches can take to get involved in starting new churches, and how relationships are the key to successful church planting.

This week, EPC Stated Clerk Dean Weaver shares an Easter weekend message about the raising of Lazarus as recorded in John 11:38-44.