Vanguard Presbytery met at Eastern Heights Presbyterian Church for its Spring meeting on April 19, 2024. Dr. Rick Light is the pastor of the host church. There were many family members and guests who were there for the meeting, though several ministers and ruling elder commissioners were unavoidably absent. Overall, the meeting was, in the words of a member of my congregation who went with me, “great.” In the morning, Presbytery heard two very good sermons–one from Bradley Bell and the other from Rev. Richard Stetler. Both men were scheduled to be examined by Presbytery at this meeting. Presbytery also spent 50 minutes in prayer with many men participating. It is always refreshing and encouraging to begin our meetings in this way.
The primary business of the day concerned the examination of two men—one a minister transferring and the other a recent seminary graduate—the receiving of a mission work; the approving financial support for TE Mark Turcio to work for a year with the Pathway Presbyterian Church in Clarksville, TN; and, the approving of TE Dewey Roberts to begin the process for Vanguard to have a military endorser for chaplain ministry.
TE Richard Stetler was examined concerning his request to transfer into Vanguard. He lives in Iowa and is actively involved in evangelism there. His goal is to start a Vanguard church through his labors. He passed his trials unanimously as his views are align with Vanguard like a hand and glove. Bradley Bell is a recent seminary graduate and was in the OPC until recently. He has family connections in Lubbock, Texas and learned of Vanguard over a year ago. He first contacted Ryan Denton, who has been starting the Lubbock Reformed Church, and then called me. From the beginning, it was obvious that he was very proficient in his knowledge of the truth and that his views are in perfect alignment with Vanguard Presbytery. His examination on the floor of presbytery was excellent. He has also received a call to be the pastor of the Lubbock Reformed Church. Thus, Presbytery received his examination for licensure to be sufficient to move at once to ordination. Meanwhile, Ryan Denton, one of our evangelists, will be moving to another city where he will be working with sizable group that wants to become a mission church in Vanguard. It is in a city where no other conservative Presbyterian or Reformed church exists. I will reveal where that is when it happens. While the Candidates and Credentials Committee was giving its report, I received an email from a pastor I have known for 10 years who lives somewhere north of Florida that simply said: “Brother, I am ready to take the transfer exam into Vanguard Presbytery.” I communicated that to the committee chairman and the court before he concluded his report. There was also a visiting pastor from somewhere north of Florida who was at Presbytery to observe how we handle out business. He may be transferring into Vanguard sometime in 2024.
The chairman of the Church Planting Committee, TE Rick Light, brought the committee’s recommendations to the floor of the court. First, there was a request from the Pathway Presbyterian Church in Clarksville, TN for financial help to support TE Mark Turcio in moving to Tennessee to assist them in getting their church started. That mission church is on the verge of some really good things and they need consistent pastoral ministry to achieve it. Presbytery approved their request. The second item to report was that there was a request to Presbytery to recognize a new group in Granbury, Texas as a mission work of Vanguard. That was approved. TE Light also encouraged the various churches to give what they can to support Vanguard because there are a lot of needs.
Finally, TE Dewey Roberts requested permission to initiate the process to get Vanguard approved for endorsing chaplains. This request is motivated by the need of one chaplain in Vanguard, Nathan Hays, who is being cut loose from the PRCC which endorses chaplains for the PCA and several other reformed denominations. The PRCC told me that we needed to become a part of NAPARC—the very thing we cannot and will not do. That would bring us back into fraternal relations with denominations that have compromised their doctrinal statements and more. Plus, the PCA GA would have to vote on letting be part of their endorsing agency. That would never happen. Every chaplain needs an endorser to serve as a chaplain. TE Nathan Hays will have to be with an endorsing organization for a while that is not his preference until Vanguard can get this done. We will help and others as soon as we can.
The attitude that predominates in Vanguard is a “can do” attitude which is so much better than a “can’t do” attitude. We have started and are starting churches where larger denominations have failed. Instead of pumping the brakes and trying to slow down, we are moving forward as fast as we can. What is happening in Texas and New Mexico is exhibit number one. Christians who are reformed are looking to us because of our no-compromise principles on the basics of the Christian faith. In Texas and New Mexico, Ryan Denton is getting a small stipend—very small—but continues to aggressively start new works. Commending and supporting such efforts is the only right response.
In my life, there have been many times people have tried to discourage me. An eighth grade teacher told me that I was not college material and that I should consider other options for my life. I knew differently, so I paid her no mind. When I started Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, a member of my former presbytery told me that my mission work had no potential and would soon be gone. That was thirty years ago. I think he was wrong. A former minister tried to dissuade me from starting Vanguard and said that I did not have the gravitas to do it. He sat in my office while telling me that. I told him that I agreed with him about gravitas and that was why I was starting Vanguard on Biblical principles—not gravitas. That man is now in heaven and Vanguard is a reality. There will come a time when Vanguard will be the denomination of choice for Bible-believing pastors and churches. Why? Because we have clear, Scriptural, uncompromising positions on the basics. We have learned from the past and are trying to avoid their mistakes. Thus, there are a number of pastors and churches considering Vanguard. More will be coming. In a few years, we will have separate presbyteries in the Southwest and the upper Midwest. That momentum will attract many others. In twenty years, I believe Vanguard will be larger than the OPC or the ARP. One hundred years from now, Vanguard may well be the largest conservative Presbyterian or Reformed denomination in America. I realize that people like my eighth grade teacher would tell me, “No way.” I say, “Yes, way.” “I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me.” We did not start Vanguard to be a small group huddling together. We started Vanguard as a missionary, evangelistic denomination holding uncompromisingly to the truth of Scripture. I have no doubt that her best days are ahead of her!
Dewey Roberts, Pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Destin, FL