neon

COVENANT REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
(A Mission Work of the OPC)
Neon, Kentucky

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The Congregation of the Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church (OPC), Neon, KY

The Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church is a "mission work" of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. A mission work consists of a group of believers who, in desiring to establish a new church in a particular place, meet together as a worshiping community each Lord's Day and are formally recognized, overseen, and financially supported in part by the Presbytery and denomintation until it grows large enough to be "particularized" into a new and separate congregation of the OPC. This occurs when the group (1) is able to support and calls a minister of its own to serve as pastor, (2) elects elders from its own membership to serve on a session to oversee the work directly, (3) is financially able to support itself without outside contributions, and (4) the Presbytery formally installs its pastor and elders and constitutes it as a new church within its regional bounds. Until a mission work is "particularized", a provisional session is appointed to oversee the group, pulpit supply is provided from week to week, and the focus of the ministry is primarily on public worship and outreach to the local community.

At present, the overseeing session of Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church is the session of Providence Presbyterian Church of Chilhowie, Virginia. Rev. John Belden was called by Providence Presbyterian Church as its Associate Minister to serve as an Evangelist to the Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church in Neon, KY. As such, Rev. Belden resides in Neon with his family, preaches and leads the other parts of public worship every week, conducts many visitations, and primarily handles the outreach to that local community. In addition, an elder from Providence Presbyterian Church attends one worship service every month, and Pastor Hank L. Belfield assists Rev. Belden in shepherding the congregation by occassionally preaching and visiting with the families that make up the core group.

The session of Providence Presbyterian Church hopes that Rev. Belden will one day be called by the group in Neon to serve as the pastor of the Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church whenever it is in a position to be particularized by the Presbytery.

~~A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE WORK~~

For several years a few families living in Neon had prayed about trying to establish a new church in the area that was committed to Reformed theology and Presbyterian government and worship. After learn- ing about the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and visiting a few of its congregations in neighboring states, these families decided to become members of Providence Presbyterian Church (OPC) in Chilhowie,

Rev. John Belden, Associate Minister of Providence Presbyterian Church of Chilhowie, VA and Resident Evangelist to Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church, Neon, KY.

VA with a view toward establishing a new OP congregation in Neon, KY.

     In April 2000, the group held a worship service in Neon with Rev. Jim Heemstra (Regional Home Missionary of the Presbytery of the South) filling the pulpit. Members and officers from the Little Farms OPC (Coopersville, MI) and the Heritage Reformed Church were in attendance. Earnest prayer began for the establishment of a Mission Work in Neon.

     In June 2000, weekly worship services were held for the summer.   John Belden, who was then a student at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Greenville, SC,   was approved by the denomination to serve as a summer intern to Neon.   Under the oversight of the session of Providence Presbyterian Church, Chilhowie, VA, John led the worship services and gave exhortations from the Bible. By the end of that summer, the session was persuaded by the initial response to keep the weekly services going into the fall. The pulpit was filled from week to week by various pastors and elders from nearby Reformed churches.

     On October 21, 2000, the Presbytery of the Southeast (OPC) approved the session's request that the group meeting in Neon, KY be officially recognized as a Mission Work of the Presbytery with the name Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church. The Presbytery approved providing ongoing financial support for the work.    Later, denominational support was approved and added with a view toward calling a church planter to establish the work.   The pulpit continued to be filled by various approved pastors and elders.

     In September 2001, John Belden was approved by the denomination to serve as a yearlong intern to Neon upon condition of his licensure by the Presbytery of the Southeast (OPC), which occurred on October 18 of that same year. Once again, John filled the pulpit regularly and continued to do so until his graduation from seminary in 2004. Worship services were held at the Boonefork Community Center in downtown Neon.

In April 2004, the congregation of Providence Presbyterian Church (OPC), Chilhowie, VA issued a call to John Belden to serve as Associate Minister and Evangelist to the Neon Work. That same month the Presbytery approved ordaining John to the Gospel ministry. He was later installed by the Presbytery as Pastor and Evangelist. In April 2008, the Presbytery assumed the oversight of this Mission work and it was renamed Neon Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Along with his wife and four children, John continues to reside in Neon, KY preaching, leading worship, visiting with local and member families, and leading various forms of outreach.

Rev. John Belden leading public worship at the Boonefork Community Center in downtown Neon, KY.

A few years ago, through the finanical support of many churches within the denomination, Neon Reformed Presbyterian Church purchased a building of its own in Fleming/Neon, which is now in the process of being renovating as a facility to hold public worship, Sunday school classes, fellowship meals, and various ministries to members of the local community. Churches throughout the country have been sending volunteer construction crews to Neon every summer for a week or two at a time to assist in this renovation project. The group hopes to be able to move into the new building sometime in 2009.

Downtown building purchased by Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church to be renovated for a church building to hold public worship.

The Boonefork Community Center in Fleming/Neon, KY. The present meeting place of Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church holds its worship services on Sundays at 10 AM and 6 PM. If you would like more information about the church, please contact Rev. John Belden by calling (606) 855-7242 or by sending an e-mail inquiry to neonopc@bellsouth.net. The location of the Boonefork Community Center can be found by clicking on the "Show Map" button below. If you would like directions to the Center, please enter your home address in the "Get Directions" box below and then click "Show me the way".

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