It is hard to convey the joy and excitement that comes with events like I am going to share with you. We have written about so many churches and pastors coming into CBC that it is hard to make it feel fresh. But think about the joy you find at a family reunion. These were always special times for me when I got to be reunited with cousins, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews. It was always a time of laughter and rejoicing. That is sort of what it is like when a new church, often a church that we used to be affiliated with, officially comes into the CBC family.
Recently, there were two events that brought us joy and we want to share that joy with you so that you can rejoice too.
The first event was the welcoming of yet another pastor into the Covenant Brethren Church. Ken Caplinger is the pastor of the Beaver Run Church. He was excited to align himself with a group of believers who have no reservations about declaring that the Bible is the Word of God and the ultimate authority. He understood that every church must have a solid foundation to stand on, or else its foundation is like sand. To that end, Grover Duling, our National Board Chair, traveled the short distance from his home to Burlington, WV to present Ken with his license to minister.
The second event that caused rejoicing was welcoming the Greenmount Covenant Brethren Church into the CBC denomination. Grover Duling and Leon Alt traveled to the Harrisonburg, VA area to welcome this body of believers into our fellowship and bestow ordination credentials on Pastor Scott Harris.
This was truly a time of excitement for this church for a couple of reasons. You see, this was not only a day we welcomed this church into the CBC family but it was also a day when Greenmount had a sending service, where they sent out Drew and Ashleigh Shoewalter to a church near Weyers Cave, VA for Drew to become their pastor. It was a day filled with joy as the church sent this couple out, continuing the call of Jesus to “Go”. Pastor Scott led the service filled with special music, reception of new members, and bringing Grover forward to lead the church through the Covenant Agreement. Pastor Scott and board chair, Mark Bolton came forward and, acting on behalf of the congregation, signed the Covenant Agreement, bringing the church into the CBC world of churches. They then called all the leaders of the church forward and Leon Alt led in a prayer of consecration for the church and its leadership. There were lots of smiles and hugs to go around but, being good Brethren, the day wasn’t finished yet. No reunion is complete without a meal, and in true Brethren fashion, it was a wonderful gathering.
So CBC family, rejoice! It is a time of reunion and a time of growth. It is a time of being reminded that God has great things in store for the Covenant Brethren Church and we should be excited to be a part of such a wonderful and momentous time. Pray for the Covenant Brethren Church and its leaders that God will continue to use CBC to move the cause of Christ forward and to bring Glory to His name as we hold fast to His word.
Submitted by Craig Howard, Publications Committee
