pilgrim people

The 20th stated Classis Southwest of the URCNA met on January 22-23 and was hosted by Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim. We adjourned at 6.00pm on Wednesday. The greatest highlight of the meeting for our Consistory was watching Mr. Alex Garleb sustain his candidacy exam. He is pictured here, flanked with members of the Christ URC Consistory (from left to right: Dan Palmer, Roy Lopez, Alex Garleb, me, Brett Watson, Matt Jumper).

For those of you who do not know, the URC candidacy exam is tough. It is not a cake-walk. It is open only to seminary graduates who are put forth by a Consistory. It is a closed-book, oral exam before the delegates of classis that lasts about five hours. It consists of seven areas: practica, Bible knowledge, exegesis and knowledge of original languages, confessions, Reformed doctrine, church history, and ethics. Moreover, the candidate is previously assigned an Old Testament text and a New Testament text and must submit an exegetical paper and a written sermon on each, as well as a catechetical sermon. The candidate is grilled in these seven areas in order to test his knowledge, and then he is open to questions from the floor (i.e. other delegates). Not everyone passes these exams the first time they take them. By God's grace, and through the means of Alex's self-discipline and hard study, Alex sustained all seven areas. Soli Deo Gloria!

The rest of the two days of Classis was taken up with more examinations for two other candidates, church discipline cases (in which, according to our Church Order [namely, Article 55], local Consistories sought the advice of Classis before proceeding in the course of discipline), one overture, committee reports, committee elections, and church visitor reports.

Other Classis highlights included:

• A dinner for all the delegates at a private room at B.J.'s Brewery in Brea, in which, after dinner, Dr. Godfrey gave his famous lecture on Sister Aimee Semple MacPherson, with a few bonus tracks that I had never heard before.
• Kim Riddlebarger's NY Yankee's tie (I think he's starting to lose it a little; he was trying to make an argument that Yankee Stadium is actually holy. But as any Padre's fan knows, Yankee Stadium is a false temple. Please pray for our beloved Dr. Riddlebarger.).
• Excellent food and hospitality by the saints of Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim.
• Finally meeting Winona Taylor in person.
• Great fellowship with the brothers from the other churches in our Classis.
• Great fellowship, edifying conversation, and plenty of laughs among the five of us in our Consistory.

I think I can speak for the five of us when I say that we have returned from Classis encouraged and motivated in the work of the kingdom, and humbled by the opportunity to serve our Lord and his church.