My trip to New England got off to a rough start. The flight coming in from Chicago to Grand Rapids arrived three hours late because the flight crew had worked too many hours to continue flying. So, while they were resting in Chicago, I realized that I would miss my connection in Newark, New Jersey, so I managed to get rerouted through Laguardia, New York. The plane from Chicago finally arrived in Grand Rapids three hours late, however, which meant I would now miss my flight from Laguardia to Manchester, New Hampshire as well. Since there were no more flights into Manchester that day and I had to preach in the evening, United re-booked me again—this time putting me on a flight to Boston. Happily, Pastor Dave McClelland of the Grace Free Presbyterian Church of Litchfield, New Hampshire, was willing to drive all the way to Boston to pick me up. I landed in Boston at 4:15 p.m. (five hours late), and we then battled traffic getting out of Boston.
Pastor Dave McClelland of Grace FPC
On the way, Dave told me the fascinating story of how he went through the motions of appearing fairly religious as he grew up since he didn’t want to displease his father who was a quiet, faithful pastor. He then began to date an attractive girl named Gina who had no religion at all. She had a troubled past, but he was attracted to her looks and honesty. For a while he tried to hide this relationship from his parents—also because of her worldly appearance (she had sixteen earrings in her ears!), but finally could hold out no longer. To his surprise, his father said he should bring her to church. To his astonishment, she was impressed, asked numerous questions, and was eventually converted. Her worldliness dissipated and she then became a positive influence on him, God using her in his own conversion! They now have a wonderful relationship as husband and wife.
We arrived at the Grace FP church ten minutes before the evening service was to begin. I could have flown more quickly to Europe than to New Hampshire, but was glad to arrive in time for the service, and felt helped in delivering the message.
With David Dicanio, Missionary to Liberia
The following morning I breakfasted with Dave, one of his elders, and a fellow FP pastor, David Dicanio, who is serving as a missionary in Liberia but had to leave his post temporarily due to the Ebola crisis. We had a fascinating conversation about the issue of “separation” from erring brethren and shared with each other how the Lord converted us.
Dave then drove me to Maine. The time flew; again, we had great fellowship on the way. He has become a good friend and it was great to get to know him better. By God’s grace, he has built up this FP church in New Hampshire—a state that is hostile or at best indifferent to the Reformed faith—to become a flock of 250 people, most of whom are quite young and have been drawn to faith from out of the world.
Pastor Leonard Gulstrom drove halfway from his church in Limington, Maine to meet Dave and me for lunch. To my surprise, they did not know each other despite the fewness of sound Reformed ministers in New England. After lunch, Leonard—a friendly, humble, steady brother who has run an effective ministry in Maine for eleven years—drove me to his beautiful country home, where I homesteaded for the next three days. I enjoyed my fellowship with him and his hospitable wife, Sonya, and their son Jason (the only one of seven children still at home) immensely. The Gulstrom parsonage is only two blocks from their quaint country church—Limington Orthodox Presbyterian Church, which is commemorating its 225th anniversary. For most of those years it was a Congregational church, but under Leonard’s leadership became an Orthodox Presbyterian Church in 2011, and is growing steadily. The church now has four elders and four deacons.
Limington OPC
Over the weekend, I delivered five messages on “The Faithfulness of God” in commemoration of the church’s anniversary. I also presented the work of Puritan Reformed Seminary at a Sunday school hour. Visitors came from near and far. A great friend and co-author, Pastor James La Belle, together with six of his children, and one of his elders with two of his children, drove up four hours from Cape Cod, Massachusetts early on Saturday to spend most of the day with us. I was able to treat them to a meal prior to their return. On Saturday evening, I had an engaging discussion at the Gulstrom home with three elders and a deacon from Limington’s OP church. Though the attendees never rose much above one hundred throughout the weekend, fellowship was great, the people were hungry and appreciative, and the books I had brought were nearly all sold already by Saturday.
I was particularly touched by some of the children in the congregation. Seven-year-old Veronica was deeply touched when I gave her one of my children’s books and gave me a thank you card on Sunday evening for it, telling me that she had already read the first chapters. “They were good,” she said in a mature, confident voice. Then there was a three-year-old boy who walked up to me and said sincerely and articulately on Sunday, “Sir, thank you so much for coming to preach for us this weekend.”
