Two weeks ago, February 21, I drove to Dover, Delaware, to visit Daryl and Laria Wattley at Delaware State University. Ruth came along for dinner with Daryl and Laria, but she had to return on Wednesday to teach her co-op class. Daryl continues to pick up students and build a strong ministry at Delaware State. We had a close look at his budget and determined that he is short of ongoing financial support, and also that his salary is not where it needs to be. I met with the RUF committee chairman to discuss how to address both of these issues.
I returned home Thursday afternoon, and Ruth and I headed to Newport, Rhode Island, on Friday. We attended the funeral of a close friend in the morning and hit the road about noon. It was a good conference, and we were happy to be with most of the New England staff for the weekend.
Next stop was Newark, Delaware, on Monday evening. We stayed in Newport Sunday night and drove straight to Newark on Monday. I attended a wonderful Bible study that night, then spent Tuesday with Nick Owens. I was able to fit in a visit with Jay Harvey, the pastor in Newark and an RUF committee member, then Ruth and I had a delightful dinner with Nick and Erin. Several very mature freshmen have joined Nick’s ministry this year, and we spent a lot of time discussing the pace of his ministry and how to develop leaders.
Nick and I finished up these discussions Wednesday morning, and then we headed back to Allentown for Ruth’s class. In between everything else I’ve been on the phone and email a lot to secure ministers for our new ministries at Rowan University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Over the weekend Ruth and I went to West Virginia to see Peter’s licensure exam and check out West Virginia University. Peter passed the exam with distinction! We arrived in Morgantown, PA, Friday night and had dinner with Curt Stapleton, the pastor in town, and his family. The presbytery was meeting in Winifrede, which is southeast of Charleston – so we had an almost three-hour drive at 6:00 AM Saturday morning. We enjoyed meeting the other pastors and elders, and as I said, Peter was spectacular. Yesterday we worshiped with the wonderful people at Mercy Church in Morgantown and arrived home in the evening. It was a good trip, but Ruth was alarmed at the steepness of the hills in Morgantown.
I am flying to Atlanta for the spring meeting of the PCA oversight committee. I return on Thursday to join the men of my own presbytery at our annual retreat.
David Green 