As we get close to our 50th anniversary in just a few days later this month (May 13), we remember that the organization of a new church generally begins first with the hard work of church planting where a core group of families is gathered around a common vision to organize the new church. Such was the case with our church, with the initial church planting work done with members of the Berkeley OPC who resided in Novato under the leadership of the Rev. Richard M. Lewis, and then under the leadership of the full-time church planter and missionary, the Rev. Robert H. Graham. By God’s grace, by the February before they were formally organized, the church had gathered a group of eleven families determined to see the church officially planted, signing a declaration of intent to that end.
You can find this recorded in this in this brief snippet from the The Presbyterian Guardian Volume 40, Number 3 – March, 1971, page 44:
While the Lord brought those eleven families together at that time to officially organize the church, we recognize that the church’s continued existence as a ministry must continually repeat that pattern. In other words, the church’s ongoing ministry is only possible as the Lord continues to bring families together around a common vision for ministry. The declaration of intent in February, 1971 must be continued with ongoing intentions to be a congregation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in this area. We thank God at this 50th anniversary for the continued heart for such a church that he has given to our current generation of members.
Really enjoy reading how Trinity began and how we have grown and are continuing to grow as time passes. I pray that it’s Our Father’s will that we should move to Petaluma to a larger “tent”