A fully sanctioned charge

The Session’s petition (17 February 2025)

The Session of the Nobleford Alberta Preaching Station met on 17 February 2025 at Graham, North Carolina. The extract minute records: “Rev. Beers reviewed the process to raise the Nobleford Preaching to a fully Sanctioned Charge followed by the reading of the Petition. Communicant members and adherents were invited to sign the petition.”¹

The petition to the Presbytery “was signed by 25 Members and 26 Adherents (6 of whom were admitted as Communicants later that week)”. The Session agreed to forward it, “along with the Session’s full support and commendations”, to the Presbytery, “indicted [appointed] to meet next on April 2, 2025 in St. Louis, Missouri.” The minute was extracted by Randall E. Taylor, Session Clerk.²

The Presbytery’s petition (2 April 2025)

The Free Presbytery of the United States of America met on Wednesday 2 April 2025, at one in the afternoon, at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 10126 East Watson Road, St. Louis, Missouri. It received the Nobleford Session’s petition, “with the signatures of members and adherents of the preaching station”, granted its crave [request], and agreed to petition the General Assembly “to raise the Nobleford Alberta Preaching Station to a fully Sanctioned Charge.” The minute was extracted by Christopher Reeder, Assistant Clerk of Presbytery.³

The Presbytery’s petition gave its reasons as a series of “whereas” clauses. Among them:⁴

• “Whereas the Presbytery erected the Nobleford Preaching Station in the summer of 2023;”
• “Whereas there is a desire among the members and adherents of the Preaching Station to see the Congregation further established and stabilized;”
• “Whereas the Preaching Station holds two Sabbath services, with attendance at Sabbath services averaging one hundred people;”
• “Whereas the Preaching Station is strategically located in Southern Alberta and is central to small communities and easily accessed in a rural environment;”
• “Whereas raising the Preaching Station to a fully Sanctioned Charge would provide the opportunity for calling a minister and facilitate in the election of elders and deacons;”
• “Whereas the Nobleford Preaching Station is financially self-supporting, does not participate in the Sustentation Fund, is not dependent upon the Central Funds of the denomination, and provides financial support for its stated supply;”

It asked the Assembly to “raise the Nobleford Preaching Station to a fully Sanctioned Charge”, and to consider “the recommendation of the Free Presbytery of the United States of America that the congregation of Nobleford be placed under the supervision of the Free Presbytery of the United States of America with standard representation of office bearers on that Court.”⁵

The Assembly’s finding (20 May 2025)

The General Assembly met at Glasgow, in Partick Free Church (Continuing), from 19 May 2025, with the Rev. E. Trevor Kirkland, minister at Ballyclare & Doagh, as Moderator. It took up the Presbytery’s petition in its second session, on the morning of Tuesday 20 May.⁶

Its finding reads: “The General Assembly receive the Petition of the Free Presbytery of the United States of America and grant its crave. They raise the Nobleford Preaching Station to a fully Sanctioned Charge within the bounds of the Presbytery of the United States of America with a representative elder on that Court and, on the settlement of a minister, he be granted a seat on the Presbytery.”⁷

The finding is recorded as Act XII of 2025, “Act anent [concerning] raising Nobleford to a fully Sanctioned Charge”, at Glasgow on 20 May 2025.⁸

The next day the Assembly noted “with regret that services in Smiths Falls have ceased and that the Congregation is now dissolved”, and were “thankful that the Congregation kindly donated their remaining funds to the Preaching Station at Nobleford, Alberta”.⁹

The congregation’s own account, on the Presbytery’s page, reads: “In May of 2025 we were approved as a fully sanctioned charge (full congregation) by the General Assembly held in Glasgow.”¹⁰

Since 2025

The Presbytery’s page reads: “Nobleford Presbyterian Church receives regular pulpit supply, and the Presbytery has appointed an Interim Session of Elders, which also functions as the Deacons’ Court. They are Rev. Gavin Beers (Burlington, NC), Interim Moderator, Elder Randy Taylor (St. Louis, MO), ruling elder, and Elder James Wanliss (Greenville, SC).”¹¹

Reporting to the Assembly of 2026, the Presbytery listed Nobleford among four vacant congregations, and wrote: “The situation in Nobleford is especially challenging due to its geographic isolation and unique context. We ask the Church to pray that the Lord would provide labourers.” The proposed deliverance commends “the Congregations and respective Kirk Sessions of Dallas, Nobleford, Philadelphia, and Atlanta to the prayers of the Church”.¹²