29 October 2008

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Christian Observer Magazine Moves to the Web
[2] Dr. P. David Nicholas Installed as President of Knox Theological Seminary
[3] Diane Bish Dedicates New Organ at Lakeland, Florida's Covenant Presbyterian Church
[4] Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama Announces $US26,000,000 Expansion
[5] Tulsa Church to Pay $US1,750,000 Settlement to PCUSA’s Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery to Keep Church Property
[6] More Light Presbyterians Names Marketing and Development Director
[7] Rev. Robert A. Schuller Removed as Senior Pastor of Crystal Cathedral by Rev. Robert H. Schuller
[8] Presbyterian Church in Taiwan General Assembly Executive Committee Meets
[9] Edinburgh’s Grassmarket and Covenanters Memorial Being Refurbished and Expanded
[10] Scotland to Get First Private Abortion Clinic


[1] Christian Observer Magazine Moves to the Web

Friday, 31 October 2008, the monthly Christian Observer magazine will return to publication as an Internet website at www.christianobserver.org.

In addition to many of the monthly articles and features familiar to readers of the printed Christian Observer, a rich body of biblically solid Presbyterian, Reformed, and other applicable resources will begin being developed on the website, starting with commentaries and sermon notes on the Reformed Confessions and Catechisms.

Please check out the Christian Observer on Friday, Reformation Day 2008, which marks the 491^st anniversary of Martin Luther posting the 95 Theses.

+ Christian Observer, 9400 Fairview Avenue, Manassas, Virginia 20110, 703-335-2844, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[2] Dr. P. David Nicholas Installed as President of Knox Theological Seminary

At a convocation service 22 August 2008 to kick off its 20^th anniversary celebration, Knox Theological Seminary installed Dr. P. David Nicholas as President and Dr. Samuel Lamerson as Dean of Faculty.

Dr. Nicholas founded Spanish River Church (PCA) in Boca Raton, Florida in 1967, and under his leadership Spanish River has planted more than 200 self-supporting churches in the U.S., Canada, and around the world.

Knox Theological Seminary was founded in 1989 by the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

+ Knox Theological Seminary, 5554 North Federal Highway Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33308, 954-771-0376, Fax: 954-351-3343, Administration@KnoxSeminary.edu

+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org


[3] Diane Bish Dedicates New Organ at Lakeland, Florida's Covenant Presbyterian Church

Diane Bish, organist for twenty years at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was interviewed for a 17 October 2008 article in “The Ledger” of Lakeland, Florida while preparing for a recital at Lakeland’s Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) to dedicate their new three-manual, 80-stop Allen Organ Company Diane Bish Signature Series organ.

In addition to designing instruments with the Allen Organ Company, Bish has recorded more than 500 episodes of "The Joy of Music," broadcast on PBS and some cable stations, and still tapes 15 to 20 new episodes per year.

+ The Ledger, 300 West Lime Street, Lakeland, Florida 33815, 863-802-7000, jerome.ferson@theledger.com

+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org


[4] Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama Announces $US26,000,000 Expansion

Briarwood Presbyterian Church (BPC) in Birmingham, Alabama has announced a $US26,000,000 expansion project that will include three new buildings, two new auditoriums, religious instruction classrooms, adult and children's buildings, and a 385-space parking garage.

The 4100-member BPC describes itself as “the Flagship Church” of the PCA, and was the meeting place of the PCA’s First General Assembly on 4 December 1973.

+ The Birmingham News, 2201 Fourth Avenue North, Birmingham, Alabama 35203, 205-325-4444

+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org


[5] Tulsa Church to Pay $US1,750,000 Settlement to PCUSA’s Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery to Keep Church Property

After a 9 September 2008 ruling by a Tulsa County (Oklahoma) District Court judge that the Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery is the rightful owner of church property under the PCUSA’s denominational constitution, a settlement was reached where Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church of Tulsa will pay the Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery $US1,750,000 in order to keep their church property.

In 2006, Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church voted to withdraw from the PCUSA and become affiliated with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) two months after the PCUSA’s 217^th General Assembly voted to relax the constitutional standards barring the ordination of homosexual clergy.

+ The Oklahoman, 9000 North Broadway, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73114, 405-475-3311

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005

+ Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 17197 North Laurel Park Drive Suite 567, Livonia, Michigan 48152, 734-742-2020, Fax: 734-742-2033, webmaster@epc.org


[6] More Light Presbyterians Names Marketing and Development Director

Toby Rogers has been named Associate Director for Marketing and Development for More Light Presbyterians (MLP). MLP describes itself as an organization dedicated to the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered PCUSA members in the full life of the church, including service as ordained elders, deacons and ministers.

Rogers’ new position was created through a grant from The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund in San Francisco, California and several other MLP supporters.

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005


[7] Rev. Robert A. Schuller Removed as Senior Pastor of Crystal Cathedral by Rev. Robert H. Schuller

Former “Hour of Power” preacher the Rev. Robert H. Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral (RCA) in Garden Grove, California on 25 October 2008 announced that he was removing his son the Rev. Robert A. Schuller as the current “Hour of Power” preacher, a position to which the elder Schuller appointed his son three years ago.

The elder Schuller built his ministry on the psychology of positive thinking and appealing to people who, in his view, were turned off by the formality of traditional faiths. In contrast, the younger Schuller’s sermons have been full of direct scriptural references.

In his message Sunday 27 October, the elder Schuller illustrated his and the younger Schuller’s theological differences by saying, “I was called to start a mission, not a church…You don't try to preach…what is sin and what isn't sin. A mission is a place where you ask nonbelievers to come and find faith and hope and feel love.”

One church member said that she preferred the younger Schuller's Scripture-laden sermons, but because she felt called of God to attend the Crystal Cathedral, that she would go along with whatever the church decides.

+ Los Angeles Times, 202 West First Street, Los Angeles, California 90012, 213-237-5000, Fax: 213-237-7679, readers.rep@latimes.com

+ Reformed Church in America, 4500 60th Street Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512, 800-968-6065, questions@rca.org


[8] Presbyterian Church in Taiwan General Assembly Executive Committee Meets

The 13-19 October 2008 issue of the Taiwan Church News reports on the fourth session of the 53rd Annual Meeting of the General Assembly Executive Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) where several important resolutions were passed.

A “National and Human Rights Prayer Meeting” was tentatively scheduled for 6 December 2008 in the Democracy Plaza across from the Formosa Boulevard station of Kaohsiung’s Mass Rapid Transit (KMRT) system at the site where the Kaohsiung Incident occurred on 10 December 1979.

The executive committee also voted to create a committee headed by the PCT General Assembly focusing on national concerns including the Taiwan government’s current negotiations with the Peoples Republic of China, and concerns that these negotiations could result in Taiwan coming under PRC governance as has happened in Hong Kong.

+ National Council of Churches, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 880, New York, New York 10115

+ Presbyterian Church in Taiwan


[9] Edinburgh’s Grassmarket and Covenanters Memorial Being Refurbished and Expanded

Edinburgh, Scotland’s Grassmarket, in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle, until 1784 was the site of hundreds of executions including those of 100 Covenanters killed between 1661 and 1688 because of their religious convictions.

The Edinburgh City Council is planning a restoration of this historic place to better reflect the history of the executions that took place there. One of the restoration goals is to improve the visibility of the Covenanters' Memorial.

The Covenanters were Scots who signed the National Covenant in 1638, confirming their opposition to the Stuart kings’ claims of divinely appointed authority over the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. The Covenanters recognized only Jesus Christ as head of the church.

Ministers with Covenanting sympathies were "outed" from their churches by the authorities and had to leave their parishes. Many of these ministers continued to preach and received the death penalty for doing so.

+ The Scotsman, Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, Scotland EH8 8AS, 0131-620-8620

+ BBC, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TS, England

+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh, Scotland EH2 4YN, 0131-225-5722


[10] Scotland to Get First Private Abortion Clinic

Glasgow or a location in central Scotland will be the site of Scotland’s first private abortion clinic, this one specializing in late term abortions.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service is establishing the clinic to carry out abortions right up to the legal limit of 24 weeks of pregnancy on the hundreds of women annually in Scotland and Northern Ireland that have to travel long distances for late term abortions.

A spokeswoman for the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child commented: "Instead of such clinics being opened, would it not be preferable to concentrate on helping women in crisis pregnancies address their fears in a way that allows their child to be born?"

+ The Scotsman, Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh, Scotland EH8 8AS, 0131-620-8620

22 October 2008

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Christian Observer Magazine Moves to the Web
[2] Calvin Synod Central Classis Fall Meeting 1 November 2008
[3] The Economist Examines Denominational Unification and Schism
[4] Presbyterian Church in Iraq General Secretary to Discuss Iraqi Christians at SUNY Cortland 30 October 2008
[5] Classis of Holland Ordains Norma Knoll Hook as Minister of Word and Sacrament
[6] Baxter United Reformed Church in Kidderminster, England Secures Grant to Refurbish Spire
[7] Scottish Government Denies Plan to Establish Sharia Law Courts
[8] Trinity Reformed Church of Visalia, California Joins Classis Pacific Northwest of the United Reformed Church
[9] Presbyterian Coalition Prepares to Defend Fidelity and Chastity Amendment During Presbytery Voting
[10] Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Hinsdale, Illinois Seeking Pastor


[1] Christian Observer Magazine Moves to the Web

On Reformation Day, 31 October 2008, the monthly Christian Observer magazine will return to publication as an Internet website at www.christianobserver.org.

In addition to many of the monthly articles and features familiar to readers of the printed Christian Observer, a rich body of biblically solid Presbyterian, Reformed, and other applicable resources will be accessible on the website, beginning with commentaries and sermon notes on the Reformed Confessions and Catechisms.

Please check out the November 2008 Christian Observer on the 491^st anniversary of Martin Luther posting his influential debate syllabus.

+ Christian Observer, 9400 Fairview Avenue, Manassas, Virginia 20110, 703-335-2844, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[2] Calvin Synod Central Classis Fall Meeting 1 November 2008

The Fall meeting of Calvin Synod Central Classis is scheduled for Saturday 1 November 2008 at the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Homestead, Pennsylvania. Registration will begin at 9:30 AM, with the opening worship to take place at 10:00 AM. The meeting is anticipated to conclude by 2:00 PM.

The focus of the Fall meeting will be the theme: “Evangelism and Worship”. The Rev. Dr. Joseph Posta will make a presentation and then lead discussion on the topic of “Evangelism and Worship”.

+ Magyar Református Egyház

+ Calvin Synod, C/O Rt. Rev. Koloman K. Ludwig, Bishop, 7319 Tapper Avenue, Hammond, Indiana 46324, 219-931-4321, kkludwig@aol.com


[3] The Economist Examines Denominational Unification and Schism

In a 16 October 2008 article titled “Mergers, Acquisitions and Spin-offs,” The Economist examines recent developments surrounding merger efforts and splits in several denominations.

Merger efforts between the black and mixed-race South African reformed churches and the white Dutch Reformed Church are described as having been furthered because of the Dutch Reformed Church’s eschewal of apartheid, and hampered by their objections to the 1986 Belhar Confession.

In the Netherlands, the 2004 merger of the two largest reformed denominations with a smaller segment of Lutherans is described as the culmination of 40 years of merger efforts. In reaction to this merger, churches representing 60,000 people in the Dutch “Bible belt” from the Zeeland islands to the eastern border have established a new Restored Reformed Church (RRC) professing true Calvinism.

Willem van Vlastuin, an RRC church pastor who serves 1,300 in the town of Katwijk is quoted as saying: “We pledged to follow the original Reformist path, and it is a biblical calling that you must continue to do what you promised.”

The Free Church of Scotland and the Free Presbyterian Church are described as having eschewed an amalgam between Scotland’s main Protestant churches a century ago through what The Economist describes as “a slight blurring of theological edges.” The two denominations are further characterized as “Scotland’s hardline Protestant sects” that have been wracked by personal and theological squabbles.

The article additionally states that the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster avoided splitting in 2007 only after their founder the Rev. Ian Paisley resigned.

+ The Economist, 25 St. James's Street, London SW1A 1HG, England, 44-0-1444-475647, Fax: 44-0-20-7839-2968/9, letters@economist.com

+ Dutch Reformed Church, Posbus 13528, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa, 27-0-12-342-0092, Fax: 27-0-12-342-0380, algemenesinode@ngkerk.org.za

+ Free Church of Scotland, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 2LS, 0131-226-5286, Fax: 0131-220-0597, catherine@freechurchofscotland.org.uk

+ Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland

+ Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster


[4] Presbyterian Church in Iraq General Secretary to Discuss Iraqi Christians at SUNY Cortland 30 October 2008

On 30 October 2008 at noon in the Jacobus Lounge in Brockway Hall at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Cortland, New York, Yousif Al-Saka, General Secretary of the Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Iraq will present a lecture on “Christianity in Baghdad, Iraq: Separate and Unequal.”

The program is supported by the SUNY Cortland Interfaith Center Board and Christ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in Cortland.

+ SUNY Cortland, Post Office Box 2000, Cortland, New York, 607-753-2011

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005


[5] Classis of Holland Ordains Norma Knoll Hook as Minister of Word and Sacrament

On Sunday, 19 October 2008, Norma Knoll Hook was ordained by the Classis of Holland as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America in a service at Christ Memorial Church in Holland, Michigan.

+ Holland Sentinel, 54 West 8th Street, Holland, Michigan 49423, 616-546-4200, Fax: 616-393-6710, peter.esser@hollandsentinel.com

+ Reformed Church in America, 4500 60th Street Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512, 800-968-6065, questions@rca.org


[6] Baxter United Reformed Church in Kidderminster, England Secures Grant to Refurbish Spire

The Baxter United Reformed Church in the Bullring area of Kidderminster, England has received a grant to help with their UK£140,000 spire restoration and roof repair project.

The cash grant will help meet the costs of reinforcing the inside of the 140 feet tall spire where the ironwork has rusted causing the stonework to crack.

+ Express & Star, 51-53 Queen St, Wolverhampton WV1 1ES, England, 01902- 313131, newsdesk@expressandstar.co.uk

+ Baxter United Reformed Church, 33 Mason Road, Kidderminster DY11 6AF, England, 01562-754839, info@baxterurc.org.uk

+ United Reformed Church, Church House, 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT, England, 020-7916-2020, Fax: 020-7916-2021, urc@urc.org.uk


[7] Scottish Government Denies Plan to Establish Sharia Law Courts

Scottish government ministers on 9 October 2008 denied claims that there are plans to introduce Sharia law in Scotland, the day after an 8 October report that the organization behind five Sharia courts in England, the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, was hoping to establish similar entities in Scotland. The Scottish ministers said that Islamic law has “no jurisdiction” in Scotland, and rejected the prospect of a dual legal system.

Sharia courts in the United Kingdom were invested with legal powers by the Arbitration Act of 1996. Under the legislation, which applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland only, the Sharia courts are classified as arbitration tribunals whose rulings are binding in law as long as both parties involved agree to be directed by the court.

+ The London Times, Times House, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1TT, England, 44-0-20-7782-5971, pressoffice@thetimes.co.uk


[8] Trinity Reformed Church of Visalia, California Joins Classis Pacific Northwest of the United Reformed Church

On 14 October 2008, Trinity Christian Reformed Church (formerly CRC) of Visalia, California was welcomed into Classis Pacific Northwest of the United Reformed Churches in North America.

Classis conducted and sustained a colloquium doctum of Trinity’s minister Adrian Dieleman, approving Rev. Dieleman as a minister of the Word in the federation.

+ 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


[9] Presbyterian Coalition Prepares to Defend Fidelity and Chastity Amendment During Presbytery Voting

At the 13-15 October 2008 meeting of The Presbyterian Coalition (TPC) in Newport Beach, California called Gathering XI, the major focus was on the upcoming vote in all 173 PCUSA presbyteries on whether or not to amend the constitution (Amendment “B” (p.3)) to replace the requirement that church officers practice “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness” with a standard that ties ordination decisions more closely to the ordination vows currently in the church’s Book of Order without singling out a sexual conduct standard.

TPC has made available Resources for the Debate on Amendment B to prepare church officers to fight the ratification of the amendment in their presbyteries. Additional resources for the Campaign to Defeat Amendment B are also available. Resources from Gathering XI including Terry Schlossburg’s presentation Winning the Presbytery Vote -- Again and the transcripts of meeting workshops additionally are available on TPC’s website.

+ The Presbyterian Coalition, 4604 Grove Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23226, 804-615-3243, office@presbycoalition.org

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005


[10] Trinity Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Hinsdale, Illinois Seeking Pastor

Trinity Presbyterian Church (TPC) which meets at The Community House in Hinsdale, Illinois is seeking a pastor to develop the spiritual lives of the members of the congregation through teaching and preaching of the Word.

TPC currently has 40 families and 90 communicant members.

+ Trinity Presbyterian Church, 4707 Willow Springs Road, Suite 208, LaGrange, Illinois 60525, 708-352-2788, Fax: 708-352-2789, office@trinityhinsdale.com

+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] By One Vote Margin, Connecticut Supreme Court Legislates Homosexual Marriage
[2] First Graders Taken to San Francisco City Hall for Wedding of Teacher and Lesbian Partner
[3] California Couple Who Added “Bride” and “Groom” to Marriage License Still Not Legally Married
[4] The Rev. Heidi De Jonge is First CRC Classis Holland Woman Minister of the Word
[5] Scottish Island Presbyterians Evangelize Polish Roman Catholic Migrant Workers
[6] Nearly 1000 Christian Families Flee Mosul, Iraq After Recent Attacks
[7] Calvin Synod Eastern Classis Meeting Date Change
[8] Calvin Synod Essay Contest Announced
[9] Workington, England United Methodist and United Reformed Church Merger
[10] St. Andrew’s United Reformed Church of Roundhay, England Celebrates 100^th Anniversary
[11] Heidelberg Reformation Association Annual Meeting Audio Available


[1] By One Vote Margin, Connecticut Supreme Court Legislates Homosexual Marriage

Circumventing and the executive and legislative branches, and thus the state constitution, on 10 October 2008 the Connecticut Supreme Court (CSC) by a 4-3 margin became the third state high court after Massachusetts and California to rule that state marriage licenses cannot be denied to same-sex couples.

The CSC’s Kerrigan v. Connecticut Department of Public Health decision states: "Interpreting our state constitutional provisions in accordance with firmly established equal protection principles leads inevitably to the conclusion that gay persons are entitled to marry the otherwise qualified same-sex partner of their choice."

Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented: "The [CSC] has trampled the law by voting to sanction 'same-sex marriage' and elevating practices most societies condemn. Same-sex marriage is not part of our American tradition, nor should it be. Mothers and fathers are not expendable; children need both parents. Since the court's opinion is not worth the paper it is written on, I urge the executive branch, beginning with the Governor, to ignore the court's ridiculous decision. This ruling violates natural law and common sense, and frankly it should be considered only for what it is - a delusional and misguided opinion of four people who don't know the difference between the judicial and the legislative branches of government."

+ Liberty Counsel, Post Office Box 540774, Orlando, Florida 32854, 800-671-1776, Liberty@LC.org


[2] First Graders Taken to San Francisco City Hall for Wedding of Teacher and Lesbian Partner

Eighteen first graders from San Francisco’s Creative Arts Charter School on 10 October 2008 were taken on a field trip to City Hall to congratulate their teacher who had just married another woman in a ceremony conducted by Mayor Gavin Newsom.

The Yes on 8 campaign of ProtectMarriage.com is urging California voters in the 4 November 2008 election to vote in the affirmative on the Proposition 8 ballot, which if enacted would overturn the California Supreme Court's 15 May 2008 same-sex marriage ruling.

Chip White, Press Secretary for Yes on 8 said, “It's totally unreasonable that a first grade field trip would be to a same-sex wedding. This is overt indoctrination of children who are too young to understand it.” White said that the field trip underscores the Yes on 8 campaign’s message that unless Proposition 8 passes, children will be taught about same-sex marriage in public schools. White added, “Not only can it happen, it has already happened.”

+ San Francisco Chronicle, 901 Mission Street, San Francisco, California 94103, 415-777-1111, readerrep@sfchronicle.com

+ ProtectMarriage.com, 915 L Street, Suite C-259, Sacramento, California 95814, 916-446-2956, info@protectmarriage.com


[3] California Couple Who Added “Bride” and “Groom” to Marriage License Still Not Legally Married

Gideon Codding and Rachel Bird were married in California in the summer of 2008 shortly after California changed the terms “Bride” and “Groom” on the state marriage license to the new terms, "Party A" and "Party B" following the May 2008 California Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriages.

California subsequently rejected the couple’s marriage license because they had added the explanatory terms “Bride” and “Groom” next to the state’s new “Party A” and “Party B” designations.

Even though California has announced that starting 17 November 2008 the state marriage license form will again allow couples to identify themselves as “Bride” and “Groom,” Codding and Bird have yet to be deemed legally married by the state of California.

The couple is being represented by the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) in partnership with a Walnut Creek law firm to as PJI President Brad Dacus says, “We…are determined to continue this fight until we have a legally binding resolution protecting every future bride and groom in the state of California."

+ Pacific Justice Institute, Post Office Box 276600, Sacramento, California 95827, 916-857-6900 Fax: 916-857-6902, pji@pacificjustice.org


[4] The Rev. Heidi De Jonge is First CRC Classis Holland Woman Minister of the Word

On 5 October 2008, the Rev. Heidi De Jonge was installed as a minister of the Word at Harderwyk Ministries in Holland, Michigan, becoming the first woman in the history of the Christian Reformed Church’s Classis Holland to accept such a call.

+ Holland Sentinel, 54 West 8th Street, Holland, Michigan 49423, 616-546-4200, Fax: 616-393-6710, peter.esser@hollandsentinel.com

+ Christian Reformed Church in North America, 2850 Kalamazoo Avenue Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49560, 616-241-1691, Fax: 616-224-0803 crcna@crcna.org


[5] Scottish Island Presbyterians Evangelize Polish Roman Catholic Migrant Workers

Columnist Allan Brown’s 12 October 2008 commentary concerns the recent influx of Polish Roman Catholic migrant workers into the Scottish islands, and how the Free Church, the Free Church (Continuing) and the Free Presbyterian Church are actively evangelizing among them.

The Rev. John MacLeod, assembly clerk of the Free Church (Continuing), is quoted as saying of the Poles, “[They have become] a natural constituency for us…They have social and spiritual needs that are not being met.”

Brown illustrates several aspects of what he calls “extreme” Scottish Presbyterianism by writing, “For those accustomed to the spiritual kindergarten that is the Church of Scotland, a Free Church (Continuing) service is formidable, perhaps even a little scary. The psalms are led by the Presenter, a man at the front who wails in a curious keening voice until the psalm gets to a catchy bit and everyone else joins in. The pews are filled by people with long, anxious Alastair Sim faces. The mournful sound almost makes you smell the seaweed on the beaches of the Minch.”

Brown closes his column by citing the predictable dismissal of these evangelization efforts by Scottish Roman Catholic prelates, and quotes cartoon character Bart Simpson during an episode where he switched faiths as saying, “Why focus on the stupid little things that divide us when we can concentrate on the stupid big things that unite us?” Brown then adds his own “Amen” to Bart’s philosophical discourse.

+ The Sunday Times, 1 Virginia Street, London E98 1XY, England, 020-7782-5000, comment@thetimes.co.uk

+ Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), Rev John MacLeod, Free Church Manse, Portmahomack, Ross-shire, Scotland, principalclerk@fccontinuing.org


[6] Nearly 1000 Christian Families Flee Mosul, Iraq After Recent Attacks

Nearly 1000 Christian families have been forced to flee Mosul, Iraq to the northern and eastern fringes of the Nineveh province after attacks there since 28 September have killed at least eleven Christians.

At least three Christians homes in the Sukkar district of Mosul were blown up by unidentified attackers. This area is regarded by US and Iraqi security forces of one of the last urban bastions of the Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako says that more than 200 Christians had been killed and numerous Christian churches attacked since the US-led invasion in 2003, and added that one-third of the 800,000 Christians living in Iraq at the time of the invasion have fled the country.

Osama Al Najifi, a member of Iraq's parliament, a Sunni Muslim from Mosul, and a longtime defender of Iraqi minorities claimed 12 October 2008 that the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and the Kurdish Asayesh intelligence service are carrying out the attacks under the cover of the Iraqi military in order to Kurdify the city and change its demographic balance to serve Kurdish interests.

+ Assyrian International News Agency


[7] Calvin Synod Eastern Classis Meeting Date Change

The date of the Calvin Synod Eastern Classis Meeting has been changed from Saturday, 25 October to Sunday, 26 October, 2008.

+ Magyar Református Egyház

+ Calvin Synod, C/O Rt. Rev. Koloman K. Ludwig, Bishop, 7319 Tapper Avenue, Hammond, Indiana 46324, 219-931-4321, kkludwig@aol.com


[8] Calvin Synod Essay Contest Announced

The Calvin Synod announces an essay contest in commemoration of the 500^th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth, and solicits entries from local churches of the Calvin Synod to include: 1) essays or poems from lay members; and 2) sermons or academic studies from Pastors.

Topics are to be similar to: “What Does it Mean to Me to Be a Calvinist?” or “The Importance of Calvin in My Life.”

+ Magyar Református Egyház

+ Calvin Synod, C/O Rt. Rev. Koloman K. Ludwig, Bishop, 7319 Tapper Avenue, Hammond, Indiana 46324, 219-931-4321, kkludwig@aol.com


[9] Workington, England United Methodist and United Reformed Church Merger

On 5 October 2008, the Trinity Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church of Workington, England conducted a ceremony marking the merger of the two churches into the new United Church congregation.

Those attending included representatives of other local churches and several invited dignitaries.

The Rev. Nicola Reynolds, pastor of the new congregation said, “We were very grateful to Tony Cunningham MP and his family and the mayors of Allerdale and Workington who were with us. It was a wonderful time of peace and fellowship.”

+ Times and Star, 21-27 Oxford Street, Workington, CA14 2AN, England, 01900-607600, Fax: 01900-607601, letters@times-and-star.co.uk

+ United Reformed Church, 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT,
England, 020-7916-2020, Fax: 020-7916-2021, urc@urc.org.uk


[10] St. Andrew’s United Reformed Church of Roundhay, England Celebrates 100^th Anniversary

St. Andrew’s United Reformed Church of Roundhay, England celebrated the 100^th anniversary of its dedication on 6 October 1908.

St. Andrews currently has 50 community organizations that use its meeting rooms, and a big screen television where the community can watch World Cup football and Wimbledon tennis for free.

Additionally, St. Andrews has its own drama group and regularly stages special events – like a Harry Potter Day, Narnia Day and a gospel day.

+ Leeds Weekly News, Yorkshire Post Newspapers, Post Office Box 168, Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 1RF, England, 0113-2388637, sheila.holmes@ypn.co.uk

+ United Reformed Church, 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT,
England, 020-7916-2020, Fax: 020-7916-2021, urc@urc.org.uk


[11] Heidelberg Reformation Association Annual Meeting Audio Available

An MP3 audio of the message "Comforted or Comforter" given by Rev. Howard Sloan at the Second Annual Meeting of the Heidelberg Reformation Association in Bedford, Pennsylvania on 11 October 2008 is now available at the organization’s website.

+ Heidelberg Reformation Association, Rev. Howard Sloan, Secretary, 5543 Business 220, Bedford, Pennsylvania 15522

8 October 2008

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Archbishop of Canterbury Sends Greetings for Muslim Festival of Eid ul Fitr
[2] Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh Leaves Episcopal Church and Joins Argentine-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone
[3] Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa Moderator Resigns All Church Offices After Synod Debate on Homosexuality
[4] Presbyterian Church of Australia Declares Camberwell Church Cult Teachings to be Heretical
[5] McAdoo Cumberland Presbyterian Church to Celebrate Bicentennial
[6] Old Paint Lick Presbyterian Church Celebrates 225^th Anniversary
[7] The Rev. Douglas MacKeddie Named Free Church of Scotland Moderator Designate
[8] Magyar Presbyterian Church of Lackawanna, New York Closes After 101 Years
[9] First Hungarian Reformed Church of Homestead PA Turns 105
[10] Historic Week-Long Display of the Cross Continues at US Capital


[1] Archbishop of Canterbury Sends Greetings for Muslim Festival of Eid ul Fitr

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams recently sent congratulations to Muslim communities for the festival of Eid ul Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan.

Dr. Williams wrote, “The celebration of Eid provides opportunities for putting the past behind and for opening doors into a renewed future which is a constant task for all people of faith.”

Dr. Williams noted that there are matters of religious freedom in Muslim countries “that need to be challenged,” and stated that, “Christianity and Islam can do much, together with other religions, to encourage an openness to a better future for all in these and many other respects.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury added that, “I look forward in the year ahead to pursuing together the many opportunities that are open to us to change for the better some of the perceptions that have clouded the understanding of religion in general and of Christianity and Islam in particular.”

+ Episcopal Church Center 815 Second Avenue New York, New York 10017, 800-334-7626, cdawkins@episcopalchurch.org


[2] Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh Leaves Episcopal Church and Joins Argentine-based Anglican Province of the Southern Cone

The Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh on 4 October voted 240-102 to leave the Episcopal Church and then voted to join the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone, based in Argentina.

The new diocese announced that it will convene a special convention 7 November to elect a new bishop -- presumably former Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan, who was deposed two weeks ago by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori the day after the Episcopal Church House of Bishops at their 18 September meeting recommended that Bishop Duncan be fired.

+ Episcopal Church Center 815 Second Avenue New York, New York 10017, 800-334-7626, cdawkins@episcopalchurch.org


[3] Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa Moderator Resigns All Church Offices After Synod Debate on Homosexuality

The Rev. Dr. Allan Boesak, Moderator of and a minister in the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA), former president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and former Chairman of the African National Congress Western Cape Region, on 6 June 2008 announced his resignation from all church positions due to his conclusions that URCSA Synod delegates’ Bible reading is “deeply fundamentalist” and that “the Synod has a deep hatred and disgust for gay people.”

Rev. Dr. Boesak had expressed to the URCSA Synod that, based on the Belhar Confession, the church should fully accept homosexual members, should perform same-sex marriages, and should allow ministers in homosexual relationships to serve in the church.

Rev. Dr. Boesak’s resignations were precipitated when he was accused of abusing the Belhar Confession during a Synod debate on homosexuality.

+ News24, Post Office Box 2271, Cape Town 8000, South Africa, 27-21-468-8000, Fax: 27-1-468-8200

+ Uniting Reformed Churches , Private Bag X1, Belhar, Cape Town, Western Cape 7507, South Africa, 021-952-2151 Fax: 021-952-8638, pjadams@polka.co.za


[4] Presbyterian Church of Australia Declares Camberwell Church Cult Teachings to be Heretical

The Presbyterian Church of Australia (PCoA) on 30 September 2008 declared six teachings of a cult calling themselves the Fellowship that dominates the Trinity Presbyterian Church, Camberwell near Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, to be heretical, calling the six teachings contrary to the Bible, the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the beliefs of the PCoA.

The six rejected teachings are the acceptance of "feelings" as revelation from God equal to the Bible, that contact with non-Fellowship members leads to defilement, that the cult Fellowship claims higher loyalty than cult members' families, that Christians can be controlled by "generational curses" or evil spirits, and that God's forgiveness depends on confessing to other people or on personal holiness.

The Victorian PCoA assembly in 2006 excommunicated all the Camberwell church elders, but last year a special commission of the PCoA’s national Australian Assembly Commission (AAC) reinstated them on appeal and set up its own investigation.

The AAC’s May 2008 report suggested that the Presbytery of Melbourne East was also guilty of shunning, said that the Fellowship should be moved to the jurisdiction of a different presbytery, and that a booklet critical of the Fellowship should be removed. The Victorian PCoA assembly rejected most of the report.

The subsequent AAC declaration instructs that the subject heretical beliefs must not be taught in any congregation or by any Presbyterian office bearer and that the declaration must be read in every PCoA congregation by 31 October 2008.

+ The Age, Post Office Box 257C, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia, 61-3-9600-4211, Fax: 61-3-9601-2332, feedback@theage.com.au

+ Presbyterian Church of Australia, Post Office Box 2196, Strawberry Hills, New South Wales 2012, Australia, 02-9690-9333, Fax: 02-9310-2148, general@pcnsw.org.au


[5] McAdoo Cumberland Presbyterian Church to Celebrate Bicentennial

On 19 October 2008, the McAdoo Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Clarksville, Tennessee will celebrate its bicentennial with a service at 11:00 AM followed by a pot luck lunch.

The church was founded by early settlers to the area including James and Sarah Hutchinson who immigrated from Virginia in 1797. Petitions were sent two times to the Transylvania Presbytery, and in 1808 a licentiate named Finis Ewing was sent to preach.

The present church was constructed in 1950 eight years after a grass fire destroyed the previous building, which had replaced the original log structure church that was destroyed by an earlier fire.

Many of the current church members are descendents of the church’s founders, and McAdoo remains the epitome of a friendly small country church.

+ The Leaf-Chronicle, Post Office Box 31029, Clarksville, Tennessee 37040, 931-552-1808

+ Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 8207 Traditional Place , Cordova, Tennessee 38016, 901-276-4572, Fax: 901-272-3913


[6] Old Paint Lick Presbyterian Church Celebrates 225^th Anniversary

The Old Paint Lick Presbyterian Church in Garrard County, Kentucky celebrated its 225th anniversary the weekend of 2-3 August 2008.
The original church was a log structure on a four-acre tract built in 1782. The church was founded by the Rev. David Rice, a Presbyterian minister from Virginia.

A new brick church was built in 1830 across the highway from the location of the first church.

The church divided over issues related to the War Between the States, and remained divided after the war, with each group meeting separately in the church on alternate Sundays with its own minister.

The church reunited and built the current church in 1874. Today, Old Paint Lick Presbyterian Church has about 30 members.

+ Lexington Herald-Leader, 100 Midland Avenue, Lexington, Kentucky 40508, 859-231-3221, laustin@herald-leader.com

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005


[7] The Rev. Douglas MacKeddie Named Free Church of Scotland Moderator Designate

On 2 October 2008, the Rev. Douglas MacKeddie, minister of Maryburgh and Killearnan Free Church in Ross-shire, was named Moderator Designate and will become Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland in 2009.

The Rev. MacKeddie prepared nine years for ministry at Inverness Technical College, Edinburgh University and the Free Church College.

The Rev. MacKeddie was ordained to ministry and inducted into the Maryburgh church in 1982. In 2002, the Maryburgh church linked with the Killearnan church, and MacKeddie has been minister to both ever since.

Additionally, the Rev. MacKeddie serves the community of Maryburgh as an elected councilor, has previously served on the community’s school board, and currently serves on the school board’s successor parent council.

+ Ross-shire Journal, Dochcarty Road, Dingwall, Ross-shire IV15 9UG, Scotland 01349-863436, Fax: 01349-866741, editor@rsjournal.co.uk

+ Free Church of Scotland, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 2LS, 0131-226-5286, Fax: 0131-220-0597, catherine@freechurchofscotland.org.uk


[8] Magyar Presbyterian Church of Lackawanna, New York Closes After 101 Years

The Magyar Presbyterian Church in Lackawanna, New York held its final service 5 October 2008, 101 years after being founded by Hungarian immigrants in 1907.

With a remaining membership of four, the church had continued to be served since 1981 by lay minister Clayton L. Adams, but the five came to see that there was little chance for revival and that it was time to close the church.

The red brick church building was built in 1913 by church members who placed a five pointed star atop the spire to distinguish it from the nearby Catholic churches.

Membership in the church peaked in 1946 at about 146.

In the late 1950’s the church received more than a dozen refugee freedom fighters from the failed 1956 revolution against the Soviet occupation of Hungary.

The church’s last Hungarian-speaking minister, the Rev. Nicholas Wesley-Wesselenyi, came to the church in 1958 and died in 1992. Separate services in English and Hungarian were held each Sunday.

The church moderator, the Rev. William James Hardy, pastor of South Park United Presbyterian Church in South Buffalo, New York described the church members as “a very fiercely independent group of individuals,” and concluded, “Churches don’t close every day like this.”

+ The Buffalo News, Post Office Box 100, Buffalo, New York 14240, 716-849-4444, Fax: 716-856-5150

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005


[9] First Hungarian Reformed Church of Homestead PA Turns 105

On 19 October 2008, the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Homestead (Munhall), Pennsylvania celebrates its 105th anniversary with a special 10:00 AM worship service.

The congregation extends an invitation to all to attend the celebration, and more information can be obtained by phone at 412-461-1184.

+ Magyar Református Egyház

+ Calvin Synod, C/O Rt. Rev. Koloman K. Ludwig, Bishop, 7319 Tapper Avenue, Hammond, Indiana 46324, 219-931-4321, kkludwig@aol.com


[10] Historic Week-Long Display of the Cross Continues at US Capital

As the national Presidential elections approach, people of faith are reminding the United States of America through prayer and a week-long display of the Christian cross on the lawn of the US Capital that there are no political solutions for the problems facing the nation.

Reformed Presbyterian minister the Rev. Patrick. J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, states, "In times of great crisis and challenge Americans have always turned to God for guidance, comfort and mercy. Events over the past several weeks have reminded us all that we all stand just one day away from economic collapse and the nation's trust must not be in our economy, military or the political process. …our hope and strength must be centered in God.

We have come to the lawn of the Capitol not as democrats or republicans but as desperate people asking God to forgive our national sins and heal our land. As we gather in the shadow the cross, let us focus on the example of Christ which was one of sacrifice, love and humility."

+ Christian News Wire, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20006, 202-546-0054, newsdesk@christiannewswire.com

+ Christian Defense Coalition, 540-538-4741

1 October 2008

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Archbishop of Canterbury at Lourdes Embraces Mariolatry and Veneration of Saints
[2] Two Ministers Draft Theological Declaration Confronting PCUSA for Deviation from Orthodox Christianity
[3] Pastor’s Press Conference Highlights Virginia Government Order Not to Pray in Jesus’ Name
[4] World Alliance of Reformed Churches and Reformed Ecumenical Council Meet to Discuss Merger 6-10 October
[5] Laotian Village to Expel 55 Christians Refusing to Renounce Faith
[6] Dromara (Northern Ireland) Reformed Presbyterian Church Pastor Installed
[7] Mattoon Presbyterian Church USA Celebrates 130^th Anniversary
[8] Eastern Classis, Calvin Synod Meeting 25 October 2008 in New York City
[9] Pulpit Freedom Sunday Tests First Amendment Against Internal Revenue Service Regulations
[10] UCC Renewal Leader Called Upon WCC and Episcopal Church to Cancel Dinner for Iranian Dictator


[1] Archbishop of Canterbury at Lourdes Embraces Mariolatry and Veneration of Saints

After a recent visit to Lourdes, the first ever for an Anglican leader, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams asserted that the 18 visions of the Virgin Mary allegedly experienced by Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 were true, and by implication identified his personal acceptance of the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Immaculate Conception that is explicitly linked to the apparitions.

While there, Dr. Williams preached at a mass about Bernadette’s visions without qualifications.

“Only bit by bit does Bernadette find the words to let the world know; only bit by bit, we might say, does she discover how to listen to the Lady and echo what she has to tell us.”

Dr. Williams also praised the lives of the Roman Catholic saints, the veneration of saints being another distinctive of Roman Catholic theology.

Afterward, the Protestant Truth Society, a group of Anglicans and nonconformists committed to upholding the ideals of the Protestant Reformation, condemned the archbishop’s visit to Lourdes, their director the Rev. Jeremy Brooks saying, “Lourdes represents everything about Roman Catholicism that the Protestant Reformation ejected, including apparitions, mariolatry and the veneration of saints.”

“The archbishop's simple presence there is a wholesale compromise, and his sermon which included a reference to Mary as "the Mother of God" is a complete denial of Protestant orthodoxy.”

Rev. Brooks added: “At a time when our country is crying out for clear Biblical leadership, it is nothing short of tragic that our supposedly Protestant archbishop is behaving as little more than a papal puppet.”

+ The Daily Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT, England, 020-7938-6000, news@dailymail.co.uk

+ VirtueOnline, 1236 Waterford Road, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380

+ Church of England, Church House, Great Smith Street, Westminster, SW1P 3AZ, England, +44(0)20-7898-1000


[2] Two Ministers Draft Theological Declaration Confronting PCUSA for Deviation from Orthodox Christianity

The Rev. Albert Rhodes Stuart of Highland Presbyterian Church in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and Patrick McElroy of Park United Presbyterian Church in Zelienople, Pennsylvania have drafted for presentation to the Beaver-Butler Presbytery a theological declaration to the PCUSA to confront the denomination for its "deviation from orthodox Christian faith."

The deviations the ministers cite include the 2008 General Assembly’s approval of a $2 million legal defense fund to be used for property cases in civil courts, the failure to allow debate on an authoritative interpretation concerning the denomination's ordination standards; the adoption of an authoritative interpretation of the PCUSA constitution that would allow gay and lesbian candidates for ordination to conscientiously object to the current constitution’s fidelity and chastity standard; the approval of a resolution encouraging Presbyterians to converse with, celebrate holidays with, and worship together with Jews and Muslims; and the approval of an overture that commended a study of the Trinity for PCUSA congregations that suggested additional designations to the Trinity other than "Father, Son and the Holy Spirit," including, "Compassionate Mother, Beloved Child and Life-giving Womb," "Rock, Cornerstone and Temple," and "Sun, Light and Burning Ray."

+ The Christian Post, National Press Building, 529 14th Street Northwest, Suite 420, Washington DC 20045, 202-347-7734, info@christianpost.com

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005


[3] Pastor’s Press Conference Highlights Virginia Government Order Not to Pray in Jesus’ Name

86 Virginia pastors will gather on 1 October 2008 in Richmond Virginia to present a letter with all of their signatures to Governor Tim Kaine asking him to rescind his administration’s ban on public prayer in Jesus’ name that forced six State Police Chaplains to resign.

Depending on Gov. Kaine’s response to this letter, the Pastors are contemplating bringing a state-wide prayer-rally to honor the chaplains on 1 November at 10am at the Capitol Square Bell Tower in Richmond, just three days prior to election day.

Speakers at the 1 October press conference include Former Navy Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt who was court-martialed and removed from the US Navy for praying in Jesus’ name while in uniform at a White House rally.

+ Christian News Wire, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20006, 202-546-0054, newsdesk@christiannewswire.com

+ Persuade the World Ministries, Post Office Box 9226, Norfolk, Virginia 23505, chaplaingate@yahoo.com


[4] World Alliance of Reformed Churches and Reformed Ecumenical Council Meet to Discuss Merger 6-10 October

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council will meet together 6-10 October 2008 in Utrecht, The Netherlands to plan the merger of the two organizations into the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC).

The WCRC will represent 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide.

+ Christianity Today International, 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188, 630-260-6200, Fax: 630-260-0114, mwhite@christianitytoday.com

+ World Alliance of Reformed Churches, 150 route de Ferney, Post Office Box 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland, +41-22-791-6240, Fax: +41-22-791-6505, warc@warc.ch

+ The Reformed Ecumenical Council, 2050 Breton Road Southeast, Suite 102, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546, 616-949-2910, rvh@recweb.org


[5] Laotian Village to Expel 55 Christians Refusing to Renounce Faith

At a 19 September 2008 special community meeting called to resolve the “problem” of eight resident Christian families who have refused to give up their faith in Boukham village in Savannakhet province, Laos, plans were made to expel all 55 Christians living in the village.

Pastor Sompong Supatto, 32, and two eighteen-year-old believers from the village, Boot Chanthaleuxay and Khamvan Chanthaleuxay, are jailed in the nearby Ad-Sapangthong district police detention cell. Police have held the men in handcuffs and wooden foot stocks since their arrest on 3 August, causing numbness and infection in their legs and feet due to lack of blood circulation.

Authorities have said they will release the three if they will renounce their faith.

+ Compass Direct News Service, Post Office Box 27250, Santa Ana, California 92799, 949-862-0304, Fax: 949-752-6536, info@compassdirect.org


[6] Dromara (Northern Ireland) Reformed Presbyterian Church Pastor Installed

The Rev. Geoffrey Allen has been installed as the new minister of Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church in Dromara, Northern Ireland by the Eastern Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

The Reformed Presbyterian congregation of Dromara was formed in 1874 when a deputation of the congregation petitioned the Eastern Presbytery and subsequently a Committee of Presbytery met with the 269 people applying for membership.

After initially using a temporary wooden structure seating 600 people, in 1876 the church building and manse were erected under the leadership of the church’s first minister the Rev. Torrens Boyd. Rev. Boyd twice travelled to America to raise money for the buildings.

+ The Banbridge Leader, 25 Bridge Street, Banbridge, County Down BT32 3JL, Northern Ireland, 028406-62745

+ Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Church House, Belfast BT1 6DW, Northern Ireland, 028-9032-2284, Fax: 028-9041-7301, Info@PresbyterianIreland.org


[7] Mattoon Presbyterian Church USA Celebrates 130^th Anniversary

The Mattoon Presbyterian Church USA in Greenville, South Carolina celebrated its 130^th birthday 26-28 September 2008 with a memorial service for departed members, a banquet, and an address by Mattoon’s Pastor Brady Radford where he shared his vision for the future of the church.

Mattoon is a black church of 30 members that was organized in 1878 and has been in its present church building since it was constructed the previous year. The church is currently undergoing extensive restoration with the assistance of Greenville’s First Presbyterian Church.

The church ran a school for grades 1-9 until around 1939 when Greenville’s all-black school Sterling opened.

The church is named for its founder the Rev. Stephen A. Mattoon who was president of the college that was the forerunner to Johnson S. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina.

+ The Greenville News, 305 South Main Street, Post Office Box 1688, Greenville, South Carolina 29602, 864-298-4100

+ African American Historic Places in South Carolina

+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005


[8] Eastern Classis, Calvin Synod Meeting 25 October 2008 in New York City

The Rt. Rev. Jozsef Vasarhelyi, Dean of Eastern Classis and Auxiliary Bishop announces a meeting of the Eastern Classis on 25 October 2008 at the First Hungarian Reformed Church in New York City.

The meeting begins at 2:30 PM EDT with a presentation by Dr. Pasztori Istvan, Professor of the Kolozsvar Seminary about the Christian symbols on the Hungarian Holy Crown.

The classis meeting starts at 3:30 PM with a worship service to follow at 5:00 PM.

+ Calvin Synod, C/O Rt. Rev. Koloman K. Ludwig, Bishop, 7319 Tapper Avenue, Hammond, Indiana 46324, 219-931-4321, kkludwig@aol.com


[9] Pulpit Freedom Sunday Tests First Amendment Against Internal Revenue Service Regulations

Pulpit Freedom Sunday 28 September 2008 saw 31 pastors nationwide test their First Amendment rights by engaging in free speech from the pulpit by preaching about the moral qualifications of candidates seeking political office, contrary to federal tax regulations.

The Alliance Defense Fund who organized Pulpit Freedom Sunday say they are prepared to defend the First Amendment rights of pastors who engaged in free speech from the pulpit Sunday.

An amendment offered by then Texas Senator Lyndon Johnson in 1954 was subsequently enacted that can result in the removal of a church’s tax-exempt status if the pastor engages in what the Internal Revenue Service deems to be prohibited political speech.

Reformed Presbyterian pastor the Rev. Richard Bacon closed his 28 September sermon at Faith Presbyterian Church Reformed of Mesquite, Texas, with the words, "We must vote against the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama. Amen."

(Editor’s Note: The First Amendment to the US Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”)

+ Alliance Defense Fund, 15100 North 90th Street, Scottsdale, Arizona 85260, 800-835-5233, Fax: 480-444-0025

+ The Wall Street Journal, 200 Liberty Street, New York, New York 10281, 212-416-2000, onlinejournal@wsj.com


[10] UCC Renewal Leader Called Upon WCC and Episcopal Church to Cancel Dinner for Iranian Dictator

United Church of Christ (UCC) renewal leader David Runnion-Bareford, Executive Director of the confessing movement in the UCC and President of the Association for Church Renewal, on 24 September 2008 called for the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Episcopal Church to cancel their plans to host Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a celebrative dinner in New York City on 25 September.

"It is an outrage that Christian leaders would so abjectly sacrifice justice for peace by feting a known murderer, anti-Semite, and international criminal. There is documented evidence that Ahmadinejad is a holocaust denier who has supported the killing of innocent civilians in Israel, killed and tortured political opponents personally, executed children and sponsored legislation about to be finalized this week which will criminalize conversion to Christianity in Iran," Runnion-Bareford said. "Some of our mainline denominations such as the United Church of Christ, The United Methodists and the Presbyterian Church USA are already under indictment for entertaining anti-Semitic resolutions and ideologies promoted by opponents of Israel, this dinner only compromises our interfaith relationships even further," he added.

The dinner at the Grand Hyatt Hotel was the fourth in a series of "high-level bridge-building and reconciliation efforts that have helped to build mutual understanding between our peoples, nations and religious traditions." Last year’s WCC event on 27 September 2007 drew 140 people from across the U.S. including mainline denominational leaders.

+ Association For Church Renewal, Post Office Box 102, 182 High Street, Candia, New Hampshire 03034, 603-867-7711, Renewall.acr@gmail.com