Church Planting International (CPI) was begun in the early 1980’s by Rev. Donald Dunkerley, former pastor of McIlwaine Memorial Presbyterian Church of Pensacola, Florida. He served as the Executive Director of the mission until his death in 1999. After a brief period of transition, Dr. George Hutchinson became the new Executive Director in 2001 and he continued in that capacity until his death in a car accident in June of 2013 while on a mission trip in Uganda. At that point, Rev. Dewey Roberts became the new Executive Director, effective immediately. Before his death, Dr. Hutchinson had gotten the board members of CPI to designate Rev. Roberts as the Executive Director upon his retirement or death.
CPI is a Reformed mission agency that assists indigenous pastors, churches, and denominations in Uganda, Portugal, Myanmar, India, and Russia. We require those Reformed indigenous denominations to be committed to the inerrancy of Scripture and some reformed confession or creed, such as the Westminster Confession of Faith or the Heidelberg Catechism.
The first work of CPI was in Uganda shortly after the fall of the brutal regime of President Idi Amin in 1979. CPI soon thereafter assisted in the founding of a new denomination, the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Uganda. This denomination remained small for several years, but experienced a great enlargement through the Holy Spirit in the early 2000’s. Today it has over 300 congregations with individual congregations numbering in the several hundreds of members.
Board of Directors and Staff
Rev. G. Dewey Roberts Dewey Roberts was converted to Christ at the age of 18 during his freshman year of college and immediately felt called to preach the Gospel. He then pursued a degree in Bible from Belhaven College (1973) and a Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary (1976). On June 16, 1976, he was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America and has served in the Gospel ministry for the past 38 years. He has been pastor at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Destin, Florida since 1995. He has been active in the denomination, serving as chairman of the mission to the world committee of Gulf Coast Presbytery and as a member of the denominations’ Standing Judicial Commission for four 4-year terms. He is also a retired chaplain in the rank of Colonel from the US Army/US Army Reserves. Since 1999, he has made 23 mission trips to Russia, assisting in the formation of the Evangelical Reformed Church of Russia (ERCR) and holding annual pastor training conferences. In June of 2013, he succeeded Dr. George Hutchinson as the Executive Director of Church Planting International.
Robert E. Spooner Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. Bob is the father of four adult children, seven grandsons. After graduation form North Georgia College, Bob served in Germany in the Army. He has had a lifelong interest in apologetics and the application of biblical principles in public and private education. Currently he is working with an independent Reformed church plant after a forty year teaching career.
Dr. Donald Williams Raised in a Christian home, Donald T. Williams devoted his life to Christ at an early age. Recognizing by his high-school years that he had a strong drive for the integration of faith and learning, he felt called to a ministry of preaching, teaching, and writing. He holds a BA in English from Taylor University, an M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a PhD in Medieval and Renaissance Literature from the University of Georgia. He is the author of nine and has also contributed essays, poems, and reviews to such journals as National Review, Christianity Today, Touchstone, Modern Reformation, The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Philosophia Christi, Theology Today, Christianity and Literature, Christian Scholar’s Review, Mythlore, SEVEN: An Anglo-American Literary Review, Christian Educator’s Journal, Preaching, and Christian Research Journal. An ordained minister in the Evangelical Free Church of America with many years of pastoral experience, he has spent several summers in Africa and India training local pastors for Church Planting International, and currently serves as R. A. Forrest Scholar and Professor of English at Toccoa Falls College in the hills of NE Georgia.
Dr. Jim Romaine
Rev. James Gaillard Romaine has departed this earthly life to be with Jesus his Lord and Savior.
July 26,1945 — August 11,2024
2 Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
Jim departed Sunday afternoon to receive his crown of righteousness having fought the
good fight. After spending 20 years serving as missionaries in Turkey, Jim and Karan
returned to continue ministering to Turkish people and others in New York City. After
transitioning to Church Planting lnternational, Jim taught in Uganda and India while battling cancer for the last few years. He leaves a legacy of pastors who have been taught and built
up in the faith through MINTS courses, conferences, seminary teaching for ARTS in Uganda, and many e-mails and personal conversations.
Karan and Jim’s three children, James, Jonathan, and Kathryn and their families appreciate
your prayers as they plan a private (family only) funeral service for Jim in Ocean City, New Jersey, sometime later in the fall. There will be no memorial service.
ln lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be sent to Church Planting lnternational, P.O. Box 836, Gainesville, GA 30503.
Cards may be sent to The Family of Jim Romaine, 606 East 6th Street, Ocean City, NJ 08226.
Condolences via e-mail may be sent to Karan and the family to cpimission@juno.com.
We realize that some of you as supporters will end your support, but those of you who want to continue supporting Karan in retirement may still send gifts through Church Planting lnternational (P.O. Box 836, Gainesville, GA 30503). lf you have questions or concerns,
please contact Linda Hutchinson, Office Manager 770.535.7008.
RE Tom Patterson Tom Patterson is a ruling elder at Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church, Chestnut Mountain, GA. He has been married to Deborah Patterson for twenty-five years and they have three children Andrew, Emma, and Anna. Tom works as a Linux system administrator. He has a BS from Bryan College, Dayton, TN and an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL.
Ben Phillips Ben Phillips is the associate pastor at Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Chestnut Mountain, Georgia. His ministries involve leading worship, administration, Christian education, discipleship, and church media. He has participated in mission journeys to Bulgaria, Croatia, and Mississippi. He also serves as the Chairman of the Georgia Foothills Presbytery Credentials Committee and is a student member of the Evangelical Theological Society. A graduate of the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg and Reformed Theological Seminary-Charlotte, Ben is currently working toward his Doctorate. Ben and his wife Rebecca have been blessed with two sons and one daughter.
Jason Cunningham is a ruling elder at Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church in Flowery Branch, GA. He was raised in a Christian home, but became a prodigal for a season in adulthood. After his enlistment in the United States Marine Corps, he served in Operation Desert Storm “where the Lord was gracious to open his eyes to see his miserable, sinful condition, and brought him to faith and repentance.” Jason and his wife, Nancy, have four daughters and have been members at Chestnut Mountain since 2001. Nancy had a similar spiritual journey as Jason. When they were married in 1998, they dedicated their union to Jesus Christ. Jason graduated from Metro Atlanta Seminary in 2020 and was licensed by Georgia Foothills Presbytery in January of 2021. He has participated in mission trips to Haiti, Canada, Turkey, Clarkston, GA, and India. At present he works as the IT and Corporate Director of Croy Engineering. Jason went with Jim Romaine to India in January of 2023. He is currently starting a new PCA church plant in Jefferson, GA, and will soon be ordained as a Teaching Elder in the PCA to organize that new church.