Biography: Rev. Linn W. Rus Howard, D Min

Family:
Wife: RoriAnn
Sons: Jeff (20) and Matthew (15)

Pastorates:
1997 - Today Peters Creek Presbyterian Church, Venetia, PA
1991 - 1996 Hamilton Presbyterian Church, Bethel Park, PA
1986 - 1990 Vandalia Presbyterian Church, Greensboro, NC
1981 - 1986 First Presbyterian Church, Ponca City, OK

Education:
Doctorate of Ministry - Trinity Evangelical Divinity School - May 2004
Masters of Divinity - Princeton Theological Seminary - June 1981
BA Religion -The University of North Carolina - May 1976

Service to Christ’s Church (current or within past 10 years)
Board of Trustees – Washington Presbytery
Presbytery Council – Washington Presbytery
Confessing Church Movement Leadership Team
Board of Directors of The Outreach Foundation
Mission Trips to Malawi, Brazil, and China
Speaker on Missions, Stewardship, & Church Leadership
Co-host of Howard and Kopp with Real People (Cable TV)
Columnist for the Washington Observer-Reporter (Washington PA)
Board of Directors of South Hills Interfaith Ministries (Bethel Park PA)
Stewardship and Missions Chair – Pittsburgh Presbytery

My Sense of Call to Serve as Stated Clerk of the PC(USA)
In April 2001, while serving on the Board of Directors of the Outreach Foundation, I became aware that the continuing drift of the PCUSA away from our Reformed faith was causing our international mission partners to question the faith and direction of the denomination. This was when I finally realized that politically-correct fence-sitting, which I had mastered early
in my ministry, was not a faithful witness for Jesus.

Working with others on the Board of Directors of the Outreach Foundation, I participated in writing a confessional statement to clarify our unwavering faith. I believe:

• Jesus Christ is God’s only Son, our Lord and Savior;
• The Bible is the inspired, authoritative, and infallible Word of God;
• God calls us into a loving and saving relationship with Jesus;
• God expects us to live holy lives in obedience to His Word.

When the ensuing General Assembly was unable to be speak unequivocally and passionately about Jesus as God’s only Son and our only Lord and Savior, the Session and congregation of Peters Creek Presbyterian Church joined the Confessing Church Movement by composing and approving our own confessional statement.

Since then, we have witnessed the growing failure of our leadership, governing bodies, and judicial commissions to reverse the continued defiance of our Constitution and a movement away from our Christ-centered and Biblically-rooted Reformed faith. Furthermore, our “loss of members” is accelerating, rather than declining.

Currently, the far left, a small but powerful minority within the church, is dominating the PC(USA). Furthermore, they are corrupting our Biblical faith and leading us astray. In June 2003, at the Venetia Consultation, a group of church leaders met to discuss what we could do to reverse our spiritual and numeric decline. Through worship, prayer, and discussion, we came to realize that one way to reverse the decline of the PC(USA) was to replace our current leadership in Louisville.

We need leaders who are not ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16-17) and who are willing to lead with a God-given spirit of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Tim 1:7-8). For a long time I was sure there was someone “out there” who could and would lead us. I was certain that I was not the person.

Last Fall while researching and writing my doctoral thesis on Building Faith in Church Leaders based on the Model of Joshua, I began to sense God was calling me to run for Stated Clerk. In November, I mentioned to several close friends my sense of call. They were thrilled; but I was not. God was at work at Peters Creek Presbyterian Church in a powerful way and I did not want to leave Peters Creek to serve as Stated Clerk. Thus, I backed-off from running for Stated Clerk.

In January 2004, the congregation of Peters Creek Church began a 12-week study of Henry Blackaby’s Experiencing God. As our study progressed, God was at work within me; calling me to run for Stated Clerk. I kept resisting. My friends kept pushing. Finally, in early February, God directed me to Ezekiel 22:30: “I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” At this point, I realized I had to run for Stated Clerk, if I was to be faithful to God’s call.

I kept resisting God’s call. My love for the ministry God has given to me at Peters Creek Presbyterian Church is deep. I did not and do not desire to leave this ministry.

However, in the end, I have to accept and obey God’s call to run for Stated Clerk. This is my sense of call. As Luther said so well, “Here I stand!”

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