From: Darrell128 Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 17:26:26 EST Mime-Version: 1.0 Subject: NR 98015: New URC Cl. Southwest United States to Face Dramatic Expansion February 25, 1998 * Contents: NR #1998-015: New United Reformed Classis Southwest United States to Face Dramatic Expansion One year ago, the United Reformed Churches had only one small congregation with 40 members in the area ranging from California west to Colorado and south to Arizona. Now that area will be home to one of the federation's largest classes and two of its largest congregations. On March 10, Phoenix URC will host the first meeting of Classis Southwest United States, with ten churches counting over three thousand members in three states. NR 1998-015: For Immediate Release New United Reformed Classis Southwest United States to Face Dramatic Expansion by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (February 25, 1998) URNS - One year ago, the United Reformed Churches had only one small congregation with 40 members in the area ranging from California west to Colorado and south to Arizona. Now that area will be home to one of the federation's largest classes and two of its largest congregations. On March 10, Phoenix URC will host the first meeting of Classis Southwest United States. Since URC Synod 1996, which recorded only Trinity URC of Walnut Creek, the classis has added Phoenix URC of Arizona, Calvary URC of Loveland, Colorado, and five congregations in California: First URC of Chino, Escondido URC, Ontario URC, Christ Reformed Church of Placentia, and Saigon Reformed Presbyterian Church of Garden Grove. The federation also briefly included Pleasant Valley URC of Longmont, Colorado, which disbanded due to declining membership within a year of leaving the CRC and whose pastor, Dr. Allan Elder, is now available for call. Classis will also welcome Cloverdale URC of Boise, Idaho, which was previously in Classis West, and has received a request from Trinity URC of Walnut Creek to organize Zion URC of Ripon, California, as a new member of the federation. "We're adopting a classical funding and reimbursement plan and rules of procedure," said convening pastor Rev. Bradd Nymeyer of Phoenix URC. "I really characterize it as an administrative kind of classis, to get to know each other and to get some of the business done." While classis will conduct a doctrinal examination of Rev. Randy Lankheet of Ontario URC, Nymeyer said there was no way he and Boise pastor Rev. Ed Marcusse could have examined all the new churches and ministers via colloquium doctum, and was glad Synod 1996 of the URC adopted a "grandfather clause" which allowed the other new churches of his classis to join at a later date. All of the new congregations except Escondido, Chino, and Ontario made the October 1997 deadline established by Synod 1996; a special provision extended the deadline further for Chino and Escondido. "It'd be a lot of work to examine all these ministers by myself," laughed Nymeyer. "Ed and I would sure be busy." "We're very pleased that the URC was open to allow the time for ministers and churches to have time to work through entering the federation; it was gracious on their part and helps us in establishing ourselves," said Nymeyer. "We're very pleased to see the number of churches joining the federation and pray that will continue." In other business, Rev. Wayne Buchtel of Calvin Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Phoenix will attend and bring greetings as a fraternal delegate from the OPC's Presbytery of Southern California. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1998-010: Classis California South Loses Third of Membership Contact List: Rev. Bradd Nymeyer, Pastor, Phoenix United Reformed Church 2418 North 127th Ln, Avondale, AZ 85323 Study: (602) 935-2200 * E-Mail: BLNymeyer@aol.com ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-015.txt .