April 3 Today in OPC History

On the Lord's Day of April 3, 1994, Covenant Presbyterian Church of Eureka, California, held it its first worship service as a new congregation. A year earlier, Andy Preston, then pastor of an independent Bible Church in Eureka, had discovered the Westminster Shorter Catechism and had contacted the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The Presbytery of Northern California sent the Rev. Sal Solis and Mr. Jim Huizinga to Eureka to speak about the Reformed faith and the OPC. Mr. Preston and a remnant of the independent Bible Church decided to join the OPC.

Mr. Preston was received as a ministerial member of the Presbytery of Northern California on October 13, 1995. Covenant Church became a mission work of the OPC, and on October 20, 2000, was particularized with 44 members. Mr. Preston would labor as pastor until 2006. Covenant Church would close on October 18, 2009.

Picture: Andy Preston