Posts by Charles Wilson

The Great Punt If it were not for seeing old friends again and meeting new ones, the meeting of the General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church this summer would have been a total waste of time. As a friend said, “We’re doing it again. In good ARP style, we’re kicking the can down…

I’m old now, and I’m too old to do much but sit in my rocking chair and rock in my living room with my dog beside me, look out our picture window at the world, observe the curious goings-on, scratch my gray and balding head, and I wonder in amazement. One of the things I…

I hate the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. I love the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. I am capable of loving and hating the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church at the same time. After 50 years, I have come to this conclusion: one does not have to be mind-numbingly drunk or rip-roaringly crazy to be an Associate Reformed…

Once again, for the third year, General Synod will not meet at Bonclarken. In 2019, Synod met in Pennsylvania, at Geneva College, in Beaver Falls. Last year, because of the stringent Covid protocols in North Carolina, Synod met in the facilities of First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina. Once again, because of Covid protocols, the…

A TRIBUTE 2021 began with the announcement of the death of the Reverend Henry Lewis Smith, my friend since 1970. In the summer of 1972, my wife and I became Associate Reformed Presbyterians when we united with the Covenant Presbyterian Church in Winter Haven, Florida. Henry was the founding pastor of the congregation. More than…

Other than Jesus, do you have a favorite Christmas character? I do. It’s Joseph, and I call him the father of Christmas. However, before I tell you why, let me begin with a story. I don’t have many childhood memories of Christmas. I was the only child of older parents, who were no-nonsense people. They were in their 30s when they married in 1942, and they waited until after World War Two to have a child. Daddy explained he wasn’t going to chance dying in the war and leaving mama to raise a child alone.

DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY (2) A Two Part Analysis of the Meeting of General Synod In the last issue of ARPTalk, by identifying the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as a dysfunctional family, I am sure I offended some of my more sensitive readers who live in the fragile world of nice. However, as I was taught in…

DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY (1) A Two Part Analysis of the Meeting of General Synod The meeting of General Synod last Thursday and Friday (October 22 and 23) sparked my imagination. In the beautiful sanctuary of the First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, SC, we heard numerous delegates speak of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as “family.” Well,…

Recently, a number of friends have asked me about the goings on which are presently so troublesome. I have been encouraged to share my thoughts. So, I said, “Email me your questions, and I will see what I can do.” Below are a few of my responses to friends’ questions. I have given my friends…

As a lover of long words, a long word describes my thinking in this post. In a time of financial uncertainty, watching the churchmen who run Central Services in Greenville applying for a government loan instead of appealing to God’s people in the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is gut-wrenching. Does this reflect a distrust of…