Last night, June 26, 2012, at about 9:10 pm, the Presbytery of Elizabeth dismissed First Presbyterian Church of Dunellen to the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO). Without debate, the presbytery approved the Covenant of Gracious Dismissal that had been negotiated between our session and the Presbytery Resolution Team.

At the same time, the presbytery dismissed Pastor Silvio DelCampo and myself to ECO.
This momentous decision was the product of months of hard work and prayer by the session, our Denominational Relations Team, and the Presbytery Resolution Team. We are grateful to God for such a gracious and Christ-honoring process.

The prevailing feelings at last night's presbytery meeting were love, grief, and hope. In addressing the presbytery, I shared that this experience is very similar to when a pastor decides to leave a beloved congregation to pursue God's call in another field of ministry. The joy and anticipation of a new call are tempered with regret at leaving behind a group of people that we love.

"Over the years we've worked together, laughed together, served Christ together, worshiped together, and sometimes fought together. But it has always been in the context of love, because we are brothers and sisters in Christ. I don't see any enemies in this room tonight. I see a great many friends. I hope that none of you see an enemy standing here. And although after tonight we won't be sharing ministry hand-in-hand, we look forward to continuing side by side."

After the vote, I was privileged to lead the presbytery in singing "God Be With You 'Till We Meet Again."

This Sunday during worship we will be celebrating this new beginning for First Presbyterian Church. We are now members of the Presbytery of the East in ECO, and our new faith-family is rejoicing with us as we move forward together in Christ. A new day has begun!

-Jeff Wildrick, Pastor

Are Presbyterians Christian?

A word about being “Presbyterian”

The guy towing my car was curious. “What church are you the pastor of?” he asked. 

“First Presbyterian Church,” I replied. “The big white church, right there on the corner.”

The driver got a puzzled look on his face and asked a question that I’d never expected. “Presbyterian? So… how is that different from Christian?” Happily, I was able to explain that Presbyterians are very Christian indeed!

The word “Presbyterian” comes from a Greek word that means “Elder.” To put it simply, Presbyterian churches are churches that are led by Elders, elected by the members of the congregation. Elders, though, are not chosen for their age! Elders are men and women who are called by God, through the voice of the congregation, because their lives have demonstrated spiritual maturity and wisdom. In this church, we’ve elected several “elders” who are actually in their 20s. Elders serve three year terms on the “Session,” which is what we call the leadership board of our church.

One distinctive belief of Presbyterians is that all congregations should be in committed relationships with other churches. A group of Presbyterian churches who share ministry together, encourage one another, and are accountable to one another in Jesus Christ is called a “Presbytery.” To put it simply, we Presbyterians believe that we are “better together.”

It is our expectation that very soon this church will be transferring from the Presbyterian Church (USA) to a new community of Presbyterian churches called the “Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.” also known as “ECO.” We will be voting at a special congregational meeting on June 10 at 12:15 pm. For more information about this move, check our literature racks, or visit http://updates.dunellenpres.org. 

Yesterday I Saw a great sermon...

Yesterday I saw a great sermon. 

I was attending the funeral of a dear saint, Karl Smith. He and his wife, Doris, had been members of our church, but quite some time ago joined a congregation in Warren. Still, both had continued to come to many services and functions at First Presbyterian, and remained close friends of the congregation.

Karl loved Jesus with all of his heart.

The last time I had seen him was at the funeral of another saint last Friday. Afterward, Karl and Doris thanked me for preaching a message of salvation that morning. The next day he died of a sudden and massive heart attack.

Doris was on the phone with me minutes after his death, asking if I would come to their church and give a salvation message at his funeral. It was humbling for me to realize that the last sermon he had ever heard had been the funeral message I had shared the day before.

My words were at Karl’s funeral were ok, but the most powerful message of the morning was lived by Doris. At the end of the service, as we sang "Because He Lives," she hobbled to the casket, supported by her cane. She placed on hand on the casket, lifted the other hand toward Heaven, with tears running down her cheeks and a radiant smile on her face, she sang with us...

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives."

It was one of the greatest sermons I ever saw.

Jeff Wildrick

Because He Lives

---

God sent His son, they called Him Jesus
He came to love, heal, and forgive.
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives.
But greater still the calm assurance,
This child can face uncertain days because He lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone.
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because He lives.

And then one day I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain.
And then as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!

Words: Bill & Gloria Gaither

The Story Behind Tim Tebow

Got 30 seconds?

In 2010, this was one of the most controversial ads played during the Superbowl:

Believe it or not, this ad had pro-abortion groups up in arms. Before it was aired, a coalition of abortion rights groups petitioned CBS to reject the add, arguing that it was "divisive." The Women's Media Center equated the ad with "anti-abortion vitriol" that has led to the murder of doctors, and decried it as "anti choice."  Afterward, having failed to censor CBS, the National Organization for Women even went so far as to claim that the ad promotes domestic violence!

What were they really up in arms about? The story behind the story - that Tim's mother had rejected doctor's advice to abort him, despite the likelihood that he would be born with irreversible damage due to medications taken to save her own life during pregnancy. 

If you've read this far, I'd like to encourage you to devote another ten minutes of your life to hearing the full story, as told by Bob & Pam Tebow.

Tim Tebow isn't a superhero, and we need to guard against putting him on a pedestal. He's a human being with feet of clay, just like the rest of us. But he's also a great football player who is using that platform to share his story and tell the world about Jesus.

Please take some time today to pray for our brother in Christ.

Classic Humor

Nothing spiritual or profound today. Just a great laugh from a classic comic. This is Jack Benny at his best. Enjoy!