CREC in Hillsdale, Michigan & Appreciation for John MacArthur
Why Hillsdale? Because Hillsdale is a strategic piece of the puzzle.
I have returned to the holy land of Pensacola, FL. There is nothing more joyful than being back with my family and my flock for worship and fellowship. I have a 25-day stay in town before my next out-of-state appointment. Twenty-five days is quite a great deal considering my agenda this year.
As I return to the office, I have some time to reflect on and process the last ten days. I have written about my time in Seattle here and here. It seems like a good time to discuss the latter part of my trip to Michigan.
Hillsdale CREC
If you are part of our ecosystem, you have likely heard all the great talk about our new D.C. plant. Christ Church, Moscow, has jumped in full-heartedly, in the best mood possible for such an endeavor. And we are now two Sundays in, and the right enemies hate it, and the right friends love it. So, it’s a win-win. You can see Wilson’s reflections here
.The D.C. plant is going smoothly, and I can only hope for more of God’s kindness through the worship of his people. We should also note in case it was not clear in my last sentence that this is all about worship. Worship is warfare, and worship is also the welfare of the city. Our D.C. plant is not a covert attempt to serve as a GOP headquarters. We are in D.C. to offend the GOP as well. We are in D.C. to demonstrate that worship transforms civilizations and that there is only one true King. And if the Republican establishment doesn’t like the sound of that, they too will be consumed by God’s wrath.
This all brings me to another good labor from the folks in Moscow. This time it’s in the thriving metropolis of Hillsdale, MI. I say some of this in jest, since the city itself appears to be a modern definition of a ghost town. With the population of less than 9,000, the city is also home to Hillsdale College. Were Hillsdale College not present, no one would have ever heard of the town.
This private liberal arts college is one of the most prestigious conservative colleges in the world. It is undoubtedly the wealthiest, raising close to one billion dollars a year. Furthermore, it produces a multitude of self-conscious political conservatives who write laws and inundate D.C. with the philosophy of Kirk, Scruton, Mises, and others.
It came to the attention of the kirkers in Moscow that Hillsdale is ripe for a CREC congregation. I had the pleasure of touring the city with one of the college professors, as well as receiving a personal tour from one of their fundraisers. They showered me with kindness. I even bought a t-shirt to show off my gym peeps.
One of the key families leading the effort in this plant is ready to go. My meeting with them confirmed that they are right for the situation, and breathe the right air to set this effort on the trajectory. I couldn’t be more thrilled about this prospect, and can’t wait to see its efforts come to fruition in a little over a month from now.
On my appreciation for John MacArthur
