By: Aaron De Boer
“When the LORD turned the restoration of Zion, we were like those who dream.”
-Psalm 126:1
Such it has been for our small congregation of believers drawn from around the Mount Baker foothills area of rural Washington state. Our work began in the Fall of 2020 during the height of covid unpleasantness, in the little mountain town of Maple Falls. We began by renting the historic Maple Falls Town Hall for a Thursday evening Reformed Bible study. By early 2021 our little group composed of new converts, the formerly unchurched, and folks only acquainted with modern mega church culture, but who were growing in the Reformed faith and practice, were looking for a place to gather for Lord’s Day worship. The PCUSA congregation in Everson, WA had folded in 2019 and we secured a very affordable lease for their property. Steady, ordinary means ministry, Lord’s Day morning and evening, a Tuesday night sung Psalmody study, and the ongoing outreach in Maple Falls continued Thursday nights.
From the beginning, we had made the sharing of meals with one another a priority, enjoying fellowship meals on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings. At the time that we undertook Lord’s Day worship, the Lord prompted a mature and gifted ruling elder, Mr. Jordan Levien and his family to come alongside us. We had been considering a couple of denominational homes, but ultimately, through my participation in the ThM program at Erskine Theological Seminary, we approached the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. All of it has been guided by the kind hand of God’s gracious providence.
Since coming into the ARPC Synod, we have had a number of trials. A member who had seemed a pillar among us fleeing discipline. An individual enamored with the novel theology and the culture warring of Doug Wilson was very disruptive. The little Maple Falls Town Hall that we rented for our Thursday outreach and instruction was co-inhabited by very vocal PRIDE activists who adorned the building with the regalia of their movement in a seeming attempt to discourage and dominate us. We would come with a roll of butcher paper and cover over the PRIDE flag encased behind locked glass right in our worship space and we prayed for the individuals by name who persecuted us. Earlier this year we were informed that the PCUSA would be selling the building that we rented from them for Lord’s Day worship and Tuesday night instruction. When we approached them about terms, we were told it would be sold for full market real estate value to prop up other PCUSA “ministries” in the region. Though from an earthly perspective it seemed we were insecure, we had an abiding sense that the LORD had something in mind for us, perhaps even a season of good fruit which might emerge after the hard prunings of the previous couple years.
Meanwhile, we had come in contact with a tiny congregation adjacent to our field of ministry who were carrying on with about eight souls under the care of an Assembly of God minister who himself was filled with cancer and teaching them from a bed in his living room. Though we had some theological differences regarding our understanding of modern Israel, and some other matters, I was enjoying meeting with them for their Wednesday evening Bible study. As Pastor Gilbert Gunderson was growing weaker and weaker, he would ask me to teach the Wednesday class. Given their affection for Israel, I took the opportunity to exposit the Psalms of David and to introduce them to the practice of Psalm singing. In the late Spring, conversations began about a shared use agreement for the church building that they owned, Bethany Chapel. They were not actually using it as Pastor Gunderson was mostly immobilized by his infirmities, even as all prayed that he might be healed and restored to the pulpit. When we as elders entered this conversation it was clear that our polity differences were going to make Pastor Gunderson’s proposal of a “joint board” to govern his church rather difficult. At times we wondered if we were being called to pursue purchase from the PCUSA. Elder Levien expressed in a session meeting, that the clearest path forward for us, was to have clear ownership of the Bethany property, and since we really did not have a lot of financial resources, that would likely require them gifting it to us. The church property had changed hands on two previous occasions by that very sort of gift, including how Pastor Gunderson had acquired it in 1988.
When we came together on July 5, 2024, after a few hours of trying to hammer out some sort of legal agreement, I was emboldened to make the petition that Elder Levien had articulated privately. Citing James four, “You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly…” and Mark 11:24, “whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” I made the following proposal, “We propose that the elders of Friend of Sinners Reformed Church assume the responsibility of continuing the pure proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ and be entrusted with the stewardship of the historic Bethany Chapel facility and cemetery, in keeping with its historic Christian purpose, nature, and character.
(Citing Article VIII.4 of the Bethany Chapel existing bylaws.)
We obediently commit to assembling God’s people for worship and instruction in the whole counsel of God morning and evening on the Lord’s Day, as well as on Wednesday evenings.
We lovingly commit to the immediate fundraising effort for, and the undertaking of, repairs to the facility, maintaining and preserving it as a historic and traditional house of solemn worship.
We lovingly commit to the remaining members of Bethany Chapel, reasonable and charitable use of the building for the furtherance of their worship, outreach, and fellowship, and in the event that they are ever without a pastor we commit ourselves to faithful pastoral care.
We commit never to sell the Bethany Chapel, but in the event of dissolution, to gift the property to a vetted, gospel preaching church, in keeping with the pattern of succession of leadership in the past. Citing Article VIII.5 of the Bethany Chapel bylaws.”
Well, this was bold indeed, and upon proposing it, Elder Levien and I took our leave and asked the officers and members of Bethany Chapel to prayerfully consider this as the viable way forward. On July 10, Pastor Gunderson acknowledged that he could see no reason not to proceed with the request and put it before a meeting of his little congregation. The congregation all agreed. Pastor Gunderson and the Friend of Sinners elders were thrilled at the Lord’s leading and kindness but did not have the knowledge of how to craft the legal documents for execution. On Sunday, July 14, a member’s son-in-law visited our worship service. The Lord sent a land and trust attorney, a strong believer into our fellowship the very week that we were perplexed, three days later this attorney had crafted a conveyance of the deed, as well as an elegant covenant to the deed articulating that, “The property shall be used as a worship facility and cemetery in keeping with its historic Christian purpose, nature, and character.”
On August 6, 2024, a called meeting of MVP approved the acquisition, as well as a name change for our church to reflect the meeting place that we were graciously gifted. Since 1907 the property, a historic country chapel erected by Norwegian Lutherans, and a one acre churchyard cemetery, has been known as, Bethany. It is a prominent landmark in our area, and we desired to capitalize on that notoriety, creating an easy reference point for our neighbors as to who and where we are. Friend of Sinners Reformed Church (ARP) is now Bethany Associate Reformed Church.
When all these things came so suddenly to pass in just a matter of weeks, we interrupted our morning preaching series and took up the 126th Psalm.
“When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb!
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.” (ESV).
Please give thanks and praise with us for the LORD’s restoring our fortunes suddenly, like a stream in the desert, we were like those who dream… “greater than we could ask or imagine.” (Eph. 3:20). Our mouths are filled with laughter and our tongue with shouts of joy…the LORD has done great things for us!