The Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic is a regional body of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC). Our mission is to resource, train, and
encourage one another to fulfill the Great Commission.
Teaching Elder
Kevin Cauley Moderator
Upcoming Meetings 2021 Meetings
99th Stated Meeting
September 24–25, 2021
Lake Forest EPC
Huntersville, NC
Resources from the latest
PIT STOP:
Refresh, Refuel & Retread Training & Discussion
Hosted by Ken Priddy of the GO Center
The recent Go Center PIT STOP training session, hosted by GO Center director, Teaching Elder Ken Priddy, was recorded for further viewing.
Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic is offering
$150 SCHOLARSHIPS
to the first 10 PMA Teaching Elders or Commissioned Pastors
who register for this training.
The training will be led by—
Rev. Dr. William Enns
Retired Associate Executive for Collaborative Ministries of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church
Congregational Consultant, Pastoral Coach
Dr. Paul Borden
Director of Church Health Initiative
Rev. Dr. Tim Fearer
ECO Certified Transitional Pastor and Spiritual Director
Rev. Nate Dreesmann
ECO’s Executive Director of Ecclesiastical Support
The loss of a pastor, regardless of the reason, precipitates a disruption in the emotional, spiritual, and organizational life of any congregation. Many leaders in congregations have not borne the responsibility like this before and, feeling responsible, they seek to return to normalcy as quickly as possible—and this is completely understandable. However, church leaders often fail to consider they have not only lost an employee, but also relationships, a stabilizing presence, and a trusted confidant.
You are invited to participate in this Transitional Pastor Training Seminar where you will learn, together with your peers, how to recognize the issues congregations face, how to provide a consistent non-anxious presence, how to guide the leadership and the congregation to envision God’s preferred future for them. In the process, you will give the search team and the congregation the space they need to prepare for the next called pastor.
PMA Pastors' Weekly Hour of Prayer
Every Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
God is calling us to pray as a Presbytery—a connected and gathered people of God in this place and time. Would you please consider arranging your calendar to join us? Our connection is needed more now than ever before.
The zoom link will open every Tuesday at 8:45 a.m.TE James Banks will lead us through prayer and worship. Our prayer time ends around 9:50 allowing those who need individual prayer to stay and receive the love, encouragement and prayer of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
God is calling us to align our hearts and wills to His by the power of His Holy Spirit through Spirit-filled prayer.
If you have a specific need or simply want to chat, Ron and I are available via Zoom, cell phone and email. May the Lord bless and keep each of you as we seek Him together through prayer.
Your friend and brother in Christ
Bucky
Join a Missional Region Facebook Group
Michelle Munger (see other things Michelle does on our Resourses page) has created new Facebook groups for each of the Missional Regions. These groups allow those who are members of that group to post directly for real time interaction with one another. Please welcome and invite your region brothers and sisters.
The groups are growing and in need of an administrator for each group. If you can help with that, please contact Michelle Munger.
We can change the names of groups once we are settled on each region's name.
Our Missional Director, Bucky Hunsicker, shared a testimony about the effectiveness of B90. Here is the video of his comments.
This letter from Bill provides more information.
Pastor,
Would you love to see your church:
Grow as a community,
Deepen spiritually, &
Reach neighbors with the Gospel?
Scripture Awakening exists to help you do just that. And we make this possible without costing your church a penny. Members who get involved pay a nominal fee to have our new program, Bible in 90 Days Plus (B90+), delivered to their inbox.
Bible in 90 Days Plus is like a daily multimedia coach that comes alongside those who sign up to assist them as they read through the entire Bible in 90 Days. Participants who want to join the reading program but don’t have time to read every page, can choose the overview mode, which takes only 12 minutes a day, and which provides a rich and full overview of the entire Bible.
We also encourage you to consider using the regular, hardcover version of Bible in 90 Days, with accompanying videos and guides. Ideally, offer both options to your church members; they work beautifully together.
By planning ahead, you can form small groups around your church’s reading of the Bible, and invite the unchurched to join in. In addition, the pastor has the option of preaching through the Bible as people read, building unity around key Biblical themes and applications.
To learn more about B90+ and how to sign up, please go here. And be sure to read our best practices PDF. A three-minute video is available, providing you an overview of Scripture Awakening. Please email our church consultant with questions and to send us a key contact in your church. Finally, consider joining our upcoming B90+ training webinar; it will be full of time-tested insights and will offer you opportunity for live questions and answers.
We’re here to serve you, as you seek to bring the power of God’s Word into the lives of your people and into your community. Please let us know if you have any questions.
Bill Campbell
Executive Director
Scripture Awakening
Missional Region Resource Events The Next Reformation:
Thriving During and After COVID-19
Our Church Development Committee offered three Missional Region Resource Events to equip our communities on the evenings of February 22-24. These events provided an encouraging look at how congregations can forge ahead during and after the ongoing pandemic. Current practices, next practices, ways to encourage leaders, and hope for a bright future were shared each evening.
While the topics covered were the same each night, different speakers shared perspectives in their own ways. You’re encouraged to review or take a new look at each recording and the resources offered by each missional region.
Zoom recordings and public chat comments are linked below. Chat comments include links to different resources mentioned during the meetings. Any pre-recorded messages are included in the recording as well.
At our Presbytery meeting in September, Andrew & Norine Brunson shared their vision for ministry moving forward, as well as their needs for rebooting their ministry. We also became aware that the Brunsons were are completely starting their household over again. Because of this, the Presbytery of the Mid-Atlantic is taking one-time gifts to help the Brunsons with their immediate needs. These gifts can be made by our worshiping communities and individuals within those communities until Sunday October 11, 2020. We encourage you to give if you can. And continue to be in prayer for the Brunsons and their ministry.
Robert and Jane McRae of Eagle Rock, VA are offering a beautiful cabin in Eagle Rock as a place for respite. Robert was pastor of Galatia EPC in Eagle Rock. They served Galatia for 32 years.
They describe the cabin as "a mountain cabin for ministers, missionaries, family, friends to rest, rejuvenate, relax, rejoice..."Set in a beautiful location with mountain views, the cabin offers a full kitchen, three bedrooms and beautiful deck to relax outside and enjoy the mountain air.
If you need a time to rest and refresh your spirit, please contact Robert and Jane at roja.mcrae@gmail.com.
Michelle Munger is available to help PMA churches develop or enhance their website and social media presence. Michelle manages several websites herself and uses social media to connect people and help communicate the Good News! Michelle has offered to help PMA churches get online. Please contact Michelle with any questions you may have. She has written a Social Media Primer to help churches. Download the Social Media Primer here.
EPC Stated Clerk Jeff Jeremiah provides a letter to all EPC congregations.
June 12, 2020
To: TEs, Commissioned Pastors, Chaplains, Presbytery Stated Clerks, Committee Members
From: Jeff Jeremiah
Subject: NAE Racial Justice Resources
Dear EPC colleague,
Thank you for how you are bringing the hope and truth of the gospel to your congregations and communities in these unsettled days. As you consider how to address the cultural firestorm raging around us, the National Association of Evangelicals has developed some resources on racial justice response from a biblical perspective. These are available on their website at www.nae.net/racialjustice.
Because the EPC can only issue official statements on topics that have been approved by the General Assembly (by way of Position Papers), we often point people to the NAE’s statements in areas that we haven’t publicly addressed as a denomination. Among these is the NAE’s “Statement on Racial Unrest and Call to Action” issued on May 29. It is available on the website linked above.
I also want to let you know that we have posted the recording of our webinar from earlier this week, “Leading EPC Sessions and Congregations in Issues of Race and Justice,” on our website at www.epc.org/june10webinar. If you did not participate in this one-hour event, I hope you will take the time to hear Michael Davis, Rufus Smith, Dean Weaver, and others address this important topic. Plans are underway to continue the discussion; we will of course announce the details as it comes together.
May we continue to be the voice of peace, love, and reconciliation that our communities, country, and world so desperately needs today.
Thank you, and remember: He is risen!
Jeff
Resources for Reopening Churches
Available on EPC Website
An article at EPC Connection provide resources for reopening churches as COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed.
With many jurisdictions around the country loosening shelter-in-place restrictions, the EPC Office of the General Assembly has curated a variety of resources on how and when churches can begin to open their doors for public worship and other ministries. The materials offer guidelines and suggestions for churches seeking to safely welcome worshippers back into their facilities. Sources include EPC partner ministries and other reputable organizations.
“It is very likely that our pre-lockdown church experience will not be what we experience going forward,” said Jeff Jeremiah, Stated Clerk. “I hope our churches and leaders benefit from the guidelines and suggestions as they look to safely welcome worshippers back into their facilities.”
Included are checklists, guidance, and other helps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ChurchLeaders.com, the Family Research Council, The Gospel Coalition, the National Association of Evangelicals, Smart Church Solutions, Vanderbloemen Search Group, and others.
