Covenant Presbyterian Church
A Little About Covenant OP Church
We believe in the sole authority of God’s word (sola Scriptura). God alone is the Lord of the conscience and His word alone is the final authority of faith and practice. We also believe that Jesus Christ saves alone (solus Christus). We are saved by grace alone (sola gratia). We are not saved by our works nor do our works contribute to, or are they taken into account in, our justification.
The Pastor
The pastor of a church is called primarily to be a minister of God's word (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17). That takes place publicly in preaching and privately in visiting the congregation (Acts 20:20). The pastor seeks to help Christians love God with all their mind through proclaiming God's word (Romans 10:13-17; 12:1-2).
The Elders
The elders in a church are called "overseers" (1 Timothy 3:1-2, Titus 1:7) because their job is to watch over the church as God's household (1 Timothy 3:4-5). That means they are given the job of protecting the congregation from dangers (moral and doctrinal) as well as seeking to watch over those within and help to bring resolution when issues arise between Christians (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13). The elders seek to help Christians love God with all their strength through guiding their lives according to God's word.
Brad Sewart, Elder
Brad came to saving faith in 1974 due to the witness of Christians he’d recently met who loved God seriously, believed His Word fully, and served Him faithfully. Although living entirely “…free from righteousness…” (Romans 6:20) at the time, he was intrigued by the devotion shown by these believers; it was the first evidence of true Christianity he’d encountered and it soon became compelling. In the 50+ years since conversion his denominational path has admittedly varied, but Brad’s love for God, for God’s Word, and for God’s people, has not. He and his wife Gretchen became a member of the OPC in March 2016, and has been a ruling elder since Feb. 2017.
John Deibler, Elder
John Deibler and his wife Mary are one of the founding families of Covenant OPC. The first 5 weeks of worship services were held in their living room. John has been serving as an elder since 2006. He retired from Pacific Northwest National Lab in 2021, having served as an engineer in the Computational Structural Mechanics group for 37 years. Now retired, he has more time to prune fruit trees in their yard, press apple cider, and fish in the Yakima River in their backyard. He and Mary have 5 daughters and 9 grandchildren, all out of town, which gives them an excuse to travel. And overseas travel is common also, having visited all continents except Antarctica.
The Deacons
God has identified himself with the poor and afflicted, the widow and the orphan (Psalm 68:5-6). When the church fails to reflect that reality to the world, it is God's honor that is tarnished. The deacons in a church are given to the ministry of mercy, seeking to identify needs and using the resources of the congregation to meet those needs (Acts 6:1-7). The deacons seek to help Christians love God with all their hearts and souls through developing a godly compassion for others in need.
Stephen Bradshaw, Deacon
Stephen has been attending Covenant since 2015 when he graduated from college and moved to the Tri-Cities area. He and his wife Becki have enjoyed attending and serving at Covenant in various ways over the years, and Stephen has been a deacon since 2023. Stephen and Becki are blessed to be the parents of four small children. When he’s not serving at the church, he fills his time with his family, traveling, farming, volunteering as a first responder, and working on mechanical projects.
