Last week, the elders of the churches in Knox Presbytery met to report on the various churches and conduct business on behalf of the presbytery. The purpose of this post is to provide an update on what occurred during that meeting. Before doing so, I want to offer a brief overview of our presbytery.
Overview of Knox Presbytery
Knox Presbytery consists of fourteen churches located across the United States, Canada, Tasmania, and Brazil. The majority of these congregations are in Washington and Idaho, consistent with the principle that presbyteries are organized along geographical boundaries. The current Presiding Minister of Knox Presbytery is Toby Sumpter.
Meeting Overview
The day began with a time of singing alongside our brethren from Kuyper Presbytery, which was formerly part of Knox. We continue to hold our meetings jointly. Following the singing and a brief exhortation, the two presbyteries separated to conduct their respective business.
Knox Presbytery began its session with reports from each church, sharing praises, challenges, and requests for prayer. After each report, prayer was offered on behalf of that congregation. It was an encouraging and enlightening time, providing a window into the faithful work of our sister churches as they labor to shepherd the people of God.
Decisions
Reception of New Churches
Four churches were received into the CREC and Knox Presbytery:
- King’s Church (Spokane Valley, WA)
- Living Stone Reformed Church (Moscow, ID)
- Igreja Protestante Reformanda (Joinville, Brazil)
- Grace Bible Church (Neilburg, Saskatchewan)
Mission Churches Announced
Several mission churches were announced. Of particular note to HCC, we formally announced the planting of Christ Covenant Church in Sandpoint, ID.
Canadian Presbytery Established
Knox currently oversees four particularized (seated) churches, three mission churches, and four candidate churches in Canada. A proposal was approved to establish a new Canadian presbytery, with the official name to be announced in the future.
Christ Church Spokane
Christ Church currently has only one local elder. According to the Book of Procedures, a church with fewer than two local elders must revert to mission status after one year. A motion was made and approved to grant the church an additional year before this change takes effect.
Ratification of the Presiding Minister’s Actions
The Presiding Minister is authorized to act on behalf of the presbytery in limited ways, subject to ratification at the annual meeting. Toby Sumpter’s actions since the last meeting were reviewed and formally ratified.
Spring Meeting Finalized
The next spring gathering of Knox Presbytery will take place on April 20–21, 2026, at Trinity Church in Moscow, ID.
Discussions
Memorial Proposals
The presbytery discussed several memorials addressing racism, Kinism, and antisemitism. These were proposed in response to Tyndale Presbytery’s Memorial on Nations, and will continue to be debated at the upcoming Council meeting next year.
Rescinding Part II of a Previous Report
In 2017, Christ Church (Moscow) requested that the Presiding Ministers of the CREC review its handling of several high-profile shepherding cases and provide feedback to its session.
While the initial report fulfilled this request, a second section was later added that addressed the tone and style of Doug Wilson’s blogging. This section had not been requested and has since been circulated in ways suggesting that the CREC had “censured” Wilson or that he was unresponsive to denominational oversight.
The latter two points are false, and the presbytery considered a resolution urging the CREC to rescind the second part of the report so that the report may not be weaponized against Doug or the CREC.
Conclusion
Knox Presbytery concluded its business on Tuesday and ended the day with a fellowship event hosted by Christ Church, which provided a joyful close to a productive and encouraging meeting.