Presbyterians Week Headlines
[1] Charles F. Burge Leaves Presbyterian Lay Committee
[2] "The American View" Daily Radio Program
[3] Episcopal House of Bishops Votes to Depose Bishop of Pittsburgh the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan
[4] Church of England Apologizes to Charles Darwin
[5] British Medical Ethicist Tells Life and Work That Dementia Patients Should Submit to Euthanasia
[6] Hamilton Boys’ Brigade Celebrates 125th Anniversary
[7] Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand General Assembly Meeting 2-6 October 2008
[8] Presbyterian Church of Vietnam Holds First General Conference
[9] ARP Canadian Presbytery Fall Meeting 25-26 September 2008
[10] Reformation Day Rally at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario
[11] Church of Scotland’s First Pakistani Minister Once Attacked By Muslim Mob
[1] Charles F. Burge Leaves Presbyterian Lay Committee
Charles F. Burge has submitted his resignation with regrets as Executive Director of the Presbyterian Lay Committee (PLC) of Lenoir, North Carolina so that he can rejoin his family at their residence in Florida.
Burge was called by the PLC in late 2007 from Coral Ridge Ministries where he had managed the Truths That Transform radio ministry.
During his PLC tenure, he managed publication of The Layman and the PLC web site, and reported on three Presbyterian General Assemblies, several organizational and renewal group meetings, and hosted the PLC Faith and Life Conference.
"It has been an honor to be associated with the ministry," says Burge. "The Lay Committee plays a vital role in the spiritual life of the PCUSA. My prayer is that God will continue to guide and protect those associated with it for years to come."
+ Presbyterian Lay Committee, Post Office Box 2210, Lenoir, North Carolina 28645, 828-758-8716, Fax: 828-758-0920, laymanletters@layman.org
[2] "The American View" Daily Radio Program
WTHU AM-1450 in Thurmont, Maryland broadcasts the call-in program “The American View” daily from 11:00 AM to Noon eastern time, hosted by Michael Anthony Peroutka and John Lofton of The American View and Pastor David Whitney of Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Pasadena, Maryland.
WTHU additionally broadcasts to the Internet and can be accessed at http://wthu.org/index.html by choosing “Listen Now” from their home page.
+ The American View, Suite #303, 8028 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena, Maryland 21122, Fax: 410-766-8592
[3] Episcopal House of Bishops Votes to Depose Bishop of Pittsburgh the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan
The Episcopal Church House of Bishops meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah on 18 September 2008 passed a resolution formally requesting Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to officially depose Bishop of Pittsburgh, the Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan from the Episcopal Church for abandoning the communion of the church.
Schori deposed Bishop Duncan the next day. Schori had been expected to do so before the diocesan convention scheduled for 4 October 2008 where a vote to realign the diocese will be taken.
The Standing Committee of the Pittsburgh Diocese subsequently announced its intention to function as ecclesiastical authority for the Diocese, and condemned the deposition of Bishop Duncan.
Bishop Duncan has been a voice of opposition to unbiblical actions within the Episcopal Church including their ordination of a practicing homosexual bishop.
Bishop Duncan has been received as a member in good standing of the House of Bishops of the South American Province of the Southern Cone, which is becoming one of the ecclesiastical authorities of refuge for biblically conservative episcopal churches in North America.
+ VirtueOnline, 1236 Waterford Road, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380
+ Episcopal Church Center 815 Second Avenue New York, New York 10017, 800-334-7626, cdawkins@episcopalchurch.org
[4] Church of England Apologizes to Charles Darwin
The Rev. Dr. Malcolm Brown, Director of Mission and Public Affairs for the Church of England (CoE) on 15 September 2008 posted an essay titled ‘Good Religion Needs Good Science’ which addressed Darwin directly, telling him that the CoE reacted wrongly to The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or, The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life when it was published 150 years ago, and has continued the misunderstanding to this day.
The CoE told the Associated Press that Brown’s essay reflects their position on Charles Darwin, but that the CoE does not consider the essay an official apology.
+ Church of England, Church House, Great Smith Street, Westminster, SW1P 3AZ, England, +44(0)20-7898-1000
[5] British Medical Ethicist Tells Life and Work That Dementia Patients Should Submit to Euthanasia
A leading British medical ethicist interviewed by Church of Scotland magazine Life and Work says that dementia sufferers are wasting people’s and their family's lives, are wasting National Health Service resources, and so they should consider ending their own lives.
84 year old Baroness Warnock is a long time supporter of euthanasia and thinks that there should be persons licensed to do this killing.
+ USA TODAY, 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, Virginia 22108, 800-872-0001
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland EH2 4YN, 0131-225-5722
[6] Hamilton Boys’ Brigade Celebrates 125th Anniversary
The Hamilton (Scotland) Boys’ Brigade is celebrating its 125th anniversary with several events in October culminating in a Founder’s Day Parade on 26 October and a civic reception hosted by the South Lanarkshire Council on 27 October.
On 14 November, money collected for world missions by Boys’ Brigades all over Scotland will be presented to the Moderator of the Church of Scotland.
The Boys’ Brigade was founded by William Alexander Smith on 4 October 1883 in North Woodside Mission Sunday School in Glasgow. It is the oldest Christian uniformed youth organization in the world.
+ Hamilton Advertiser, Press Buildings, Campbell Street, Hamilton ML3 6AX, Scotland, 01698-283200, jkelly@s-un.co.uk
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland EH2 4YN, 0131-225-5722
[7] Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand General Assembly Meeting 2-6 October 2008
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand (PCANZ) General Assembly 2008 (GA08) will be held 2-6 October at St. Patrick’s College, Silverstream, Wellington, with the theme ‘Reformed and Reforming’.
Moderator for GA08 is the Rev. Dr. Graham Redding, principal of the Knox Centre for Ministry and Leadership in Dunedin, the PCANZ training center for ministers and lay leaders.
+ Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, Level 1, Terralink House, 275-283 Cuba Street, Post Office Box 9049, Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand, (04)-801-6000 Fax: (04)-801-6001, info@presbyterian.org.nz
[8] Presbyterian Church of Vietnam Holds First General Conference
The Presbyterian Church of Vietnam (PCV) began its first General Conference on 19 September 2008 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The PCV received a certificate for religious practice from the government of Viet Nam on 9 October 2007 and hopes to eventually attain legal status as a government-sanctioned religious organization.
The PCV consists of 8000 worshipers among 80 churches throughout 14 cities and provinces.
+ VietNamNet Bridge, +844-7722729, Fax: +844-7722733, evnn@vietnamnet.vn
[9] ARP Canadian Presbytery Fall Meeting 25-26 September 2008
Stated Clerk Bill McKay reports that the Canadian Presbytery of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church will be meeting Thursday and Friday 25-26 September at the Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for their 2008 Stated Fall Meeting.
+ Associate Reformed Presbyterian Center, 1 Cleveland Street Suite 110, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601, 864-232-8297, Fax: 864-271-3729
[10] Reformation Day Rally at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario
Dr. Cornel Venema, President and Professor of Doctrinal Studies at Mid-America Reformed Seminary will be the featured speaker on the subject of "Saved by Grace" Herman Bavinck's Reformational View of the Believer's Union with Christ at the Reformation Rally at Redeemer University College in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada at 8:00 PM on 31 October 2008.
+ Immanuel Orthodox Reformed Church, 2900 Fourth Avenue, Jordan, Ontario L0R 1S0, Canada, 905-562-8223, Fax: 905-562-8221, JABouwers@hotmail.com
+ United Reformed Churches in North America, C/O Mr. Bill Konynenbelt, 5824 Bowwater Circle Northwest, Calgary, Alberta T3B 2E2, Canada, 403-286-0521, Fax: 403-286-0759, urcna@shaw.ca
[11] Church of Scotland’s First Pakistani Minister Once Attacked By Muslim Mob
Church of Scotland (CoS) the Rev. Peter Gill, a native of Lahore, Pakistan, along with his wife and three children have moved to Paisley, Scotland in preparation for his induction as pastor at Wallneuk North Church on 7 October 2008.
Gill, 43, is the son of a CoS minister who grew up in Pakistan as a persecuted Christian. He was once attacked and beaten by a Muslim mob, and required five stitches to close a head wound. His wife had received several calls threatening their children just before they moved to Scotland.
Gill describes the present situation in Pakistan as being where children are poisoned against Christianity and Taliban-style extremism is worsening. Gill’s father was once arrested after challenging a Muslim man who had stolen church property.
Gill has embraced Scottish culture, including wearing a kilt and tasting haggis, and he has come to enjoy ceilidh dancing.
+ Paisley Daily Express, 14 New Street, Paisley PA1 1YA, Scotland, 0141 887 7911, jhutcheson@s-un.co.uk
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland EH2 4YN, 0131-225-5722
