Announcements – June 20, 2025

Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

This coming Sunday will be a very special and significant day in the life of our Church.  As we have been announcing, following our service of Worship there will be a Called Meeting of the Congregation for the purpose of voting on our Session’s unanimous and enthusiastic recommendation that we elect Dr. Matthew Elliott as our Associate Pastor.

For over six years Matthew has faithfully served as our Pastoral Assistant for Counseling, as well as assisted me in the many aspects of practical pastoral ministry and care of the Church.  Matthew has also been elected to the positon of Ruling Elder and has served on our Session for over four years. You will also remember that Matthew has been engaged in the arduous process of becoming ordained by our Presbytery as a Teaching Elder.

With his journey toward ordination coming to an end, the Session desires that Matthew would serve our Lord and our Church in an even more substantial way as an Associate Minister of the Gospel.  Additionally, this proposed change in Matthew’s ministry will require him to transition from the Office of Ruling Elder to that of Teaching Elder.

In the PCA, an Associate Pastor (in contrast to an Assistant Pastor) is permitted to perform any ministry function that the Senior Minister may engage in, including regular preaching, worship leadership, and the administration of the Sacraments as assigned by the Session.  Also, our Book of Church Order specifies that an Associate Pastor must be elected and called to this position by a majority vote of the congregation (whereas an Assistant Pastor is chosen and called by the Session only).

If elected and called by the congregation this Sunday, Matthew will then appear before the Credentials Committee of Providence Presbytery on July 22 for his final oral examinations in the subjects of Church History and the Sacraments (there are five subject areas of both written and oral examinations required of all candidates of ordination: Theology, Bible Content, Book of Church Order, Church History, and Sacraments. Matthew has already completed and passed the first three of these).

Then, he will come before the entire Presbytery on August 5 to be examined again in all five of the ordination subjects.  Upon the successful completion of his oral examinations, and by vote of the Presbytery, Matthew will take his ordination vows as a Minister of the Gospel at that meeting.  After that, a Sunday night of worship at CPC will be scheduled for his Service of Ordination and Installation conducted by a Commission of Teaching and Ruling Elders from our Presbytery.

On a more personal note, I am absolutely thrilled at the prospect of having Matthew as our Associate Pastor, and of working with him in the pastoral leadership, ministry, and care of our precious Church family!  His special gifts and skills that are essential for ministry are obvious. His love for our Lord and the Body of Christ is exemplary, and there is no doubt that he will greatly assist me as our fellowship grows by God’s marvelous grace.

The Called Meeting will immediately follow Worship and will be very brief.  The vote will be by ballot, and the results will be communicated to the Church on Sunday night by email.

Please pray fervently for Mathew, Meghan, and their children, Liza, Caroline, Daniel, and Jonathan.  And let’s also beseech the Lord to accomplish His will through us in this most important moment.

I love you all,

Mike

PS:  Sunday’s sermon will come from 1 Timothy 3:16. And our subject will be ‘The Mystery of Godliness.’