At the 2022 Presbytery Meeting held in the Abe Martin Lodge at Brown State Park, Indiana, Dr James Hoffman and Mr Alexander Paunovic were taken under care by the Presbytery with a view to their entering the ministry in the Presbyterian Reformed Church. They join Mr Mason Chase who was received last year at Presbytery in North Carolina.
For all three, the process of coming under care began with an application to the Presbytery’s Training of the Ministry Committee. Their applications consisted of a letter of request to come under care, a resume, an account of their Christian experience and calls to the ministry, and letters of recommendation from their Sessions. The men then took closed book examinations in English Bible and Elementary Doctrine.
The Committee collated and considered the materials and passed them on to the Presbytery with its recommendations.
Presbytery then interviewed the applicants. First, the examinations in English Bible and Elementary Doctrine were reviewed in open session. Then, the men were questioned on their Christian experience and calls to the ministry in closed session. After a closed session discussion, Presbytery voted to take the applicants under care.
Mason Chase is a member of the Des Moines, Iowa, congregation. He works for John Deere as a Data Scientist. He and his wife, Cristina, are expecting their first child. Mason has begun his studies for the ministry with our new denominational theological training programme.
James Hoffman is a member of the Corbin City, NJ, congregation. He is a Clinical Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor. He and his wife, Valorie, have three daughters, aged 9, 8, and 5, and a son who is two. James will begin his studies with the PRC programme later this summer.
Alexander Paunovic is a member of the North Carolina congregation. He is in banking. He and his wife, Tiffany, have four boys, ages 6, 4, 2, and 6 months. Alexander has been studying at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and is transferring to the denominational programme.
Please remember these men and their families in prayer as they traverse the course of study for the ministry.