25 June 2008

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Death of Clement John
[2] Termination and Eviction Over Art With a Scripture Reference Results in Federal Lawsuit
[3] PCA Disaster Team Responds in Iowa
[4] Robert Wodrow's 1828 Edition History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland Reprint Now Available
[5] Pastors Seminar in India Attacked, Police Refuse to Take Action
[6] Church of Scotland Minister to Give Sermons in Norman Oklahoma


[1] Death of Clement John

Jerry L. Van Marter reports that Clement John, a Pakistani lawyer who worked for the World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia, died 2 June at his home in Minnesota. He was 67. Less than a week before he died, John had announced he had accepted a post as associate with the Christian Study Center in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

John was born in Peshawar, in what is now Pakistan, in 1941. He completed his schooling at Sindh, and took his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Law degrees from the University of Karachi, where he specialized in labor law.

John was a member of the board of directors of the YMCA of Karachi, and of its Technical Institute. He was also a founding member of a joint Anglican-Roman Catholic committee for justice and peace, formed by the Karachi diocese of the Church of Pakistan and the Catholic Church of Pakistan. He was long active in both student and legal organizations in Pakistan.

In 1983, he took up a post in Hong Kong as executive secretary for international affairs with the Christian Conference of Asia, where he became the first general secretary of both the Asian Human Rights Commission and the Asian Legal Resource Center. In 1993, John joined the staff of the WCC, specializing in human rights and the Asia-Pacific region. By the time of his retirement from the WCC in 2006, he was serving as director of the organization's Commission of the Churches on International Affairs.

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

+ Presbyterian News Service, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228 x5493


[2] Termination and Eviction Over Art With a Scripture Reference Results in Federal Lawsuit

On 20 June, a couple who worked and lived at Thornwood Terrace Apartments in Lake City, , a government-subsidized facility owned and operated by The Hallmark Companies and Hallmark Management, filed suit in federal court against Hallmark after they were terminated and evicted for displaying artwork referencing a Scripture verse in their office. Daniel Dixon was manager and lead maintenance technician at the apartment complex where he lived with his wife, Sharon, who was also a manager.

Liberty Counsel represents Daniel and Sharon Dixon in the case of Dixon v. Hallmark Companies. Hallmark owns and manages an apartment complex, which contains units that are government-subsidized by the USDA Rural Development program. Under the USDA program, Hallmark is required to comply with federal employment and housing antidiscrimination laws.

The Dixons were granted unemployment compensation over the objection of Hallmark, because Hallmark did not substantiate its claims of misconduct by the Dixons. The Dixons’ suit claims violations of Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (the Fair Housing Act) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibit discrimination in housing and employment on the basis of religion. The lawsuit requests punitive damages against Hallmark for reckless indifference to the federal laws.

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


[3] PCA Disaster Team Responds in Iowa

The recent floods and tornadoes in the Midwest have impacted many Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) congregations. Mission to North America’s (MNA) Disaster Response has been invited to coordinate the reply to this latest round of disasters and is establishing worksites in Iowa. The initial relief efforts will be focused on the Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Des Moines areas.

“God is not caught off guard by tragedy, He plans it. And He will use this latest disaster for His glory and for our good,” said Arklie Hooten, director of MNA’s Disaster Response Department. “At this point we are confident that our response will be long-term, and we anticipate that we will begin mobilizing volunteers very soon, as soon as we can ensure access and safety.”

To learn more about forming a volunteer relief team, visit the MNA volunteer registration site here.

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

+ byFaith Online, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1005

+ Mission to North America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 101, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043-8143, 678-825 -1200, Fax: 678-825-1201, mna@pcanet.org


[4] Robert Wodrow's 1828 Edition History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland Reprint Now Available

E. Calvin Beisner, Ph.D. recently corresponded about the first-time reprint of an important church history book. Dr. Beisner pointed out that he has no financial interest in the sale of this reprint.

Beisner wrote, “I want to make you aware of a great opportunity to acquire a tremendous resource for the study of Scottish and wider British and even Continental church and political history of the sixteenth and especially seventeenth centuries at a tremendous discount. Solid Ground Christian Books is reprinting Robert Wodrow's History of the Sufferings of the Church of Scotland, from the 4-volume annotated edition of 1828.”

“The work has not been reprinted since then, but it is without doubt the most important published source on Scottish church history from 1660 to 1689, the time of the Stuart Restoration and the persecution of Scottish Covenanters and other Presbyterians. Wodrow (1679-1734) was an incredibly careful, thorough historian in his own right. (The Scottish National Library has a special collection comprising his papers and related materials.) Not only did he narrate the history himself, but also he inserted the full text of hundreds and hundreds of primary documents--governmental and ecclesiastical as well as personal--into his text.
The work has hitherto been available almost exclusively to professional historians.”

“…Order before [1 July] and mention my name, you can get it for $129.95. Call toll free, 1-866-789-7423 to order at the special price, mentioning my name, or order online at http://www.solid-ground-books.com/detail_478.asp, and, in the comments section, ask for “The Beisner Discount Offer.””

+ Staff


[5] Pastors Seminar in India Attacked, Police Refuse to Take Action

James Varghese reports that On 17 June, a Christian training meeting attended by about 70 pastors from all over Karnataka was attacked by Hindu radicals.

The series of meetings between 16-18 June were organized in Varna village near Mysore, by Rev. Paul, a South Korean missionary. On 16 June, a Hindu radical group named Bajrang Dal (Monkey Brigade) learned about the meeting, and about 100 members went to where the pastors were having lunch together.

The pastors asked the Hindus why they had come, and were told that there were illegal conversions occurring at the meetings. They then verbally abused meeting attendees, and demanded that the event and the alleged forced conversions be stopped.

A story on the website www.persecution.in reported that the radical Hindus then became violent, resulting in two pastors being injured. The meetings then stopped. Fearing for their lives, some pastors ran to get a bus to take them back to their homes.

Following the attack, a few pastors remained to pray. Police arrived, and the ministers were reportedly ordered not to pray or have any sort of Christian gathering. The police seized a Bible, a song book and an English devotional book from the meeting hall, and wrote down the names of the pastors who were at the meeting.

The superintendent of police said he had no comment, other than that the meeting organizers did not ask permission to hold the event.

+ Crosswalk.com, Salem Communications, 4880 Santa Rosa Road, Camerillo, California, 805-987-0400

[6] Church of Scotland Minister to Give Sermons in Norman Oklahoma

A Church of Scotland minister will deliver a series of sermons and lectures 29 and 30 June at McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church.

The Rev. J. Philip Newell, also a scholar, author and poet, will give the sermons at the 8:30 and 10:55 AM Sunday services and lead a 10 AM adult Sunday school forum. Newell will speak again at 7 PM Sunday and at 11 AM and 7 PM on Monday.

Newell is writer/theologist for the Scottish Cathedral of the Isles and companion theologian for the American Spirituality Center of Casa del Sol in New Mexico. Canadian by birth, he lives in Edinburgh.

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

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

20 June 2008 Special Edition

Presbyterians Week - Special Edition

2008 GA, Synod, and Denominational Meetings

[1] PCA General Assembly Rejects Deaconess Study Committee
[2] Three Challenge PCUSA Stated Clerk Committee Nominee Gradye Parsons
[3] CRCNA Synod Changes Name of The Back to God Hour
[4] Synod of the West of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria Decries Rising Corruption, Crime
[5] RCA has 'Turned the Page' on Declining Numbers, Synod Speaker Says
[6] SBC Elects Johnny Hunt President

[1] PCA General Assembly Rejects Deaconess Study Committee

On 11 June, the Presbyterian Church in America’s (PCA) General Assembly (GA) voted to reject an overture that recommended forming a study committee to discuss the issue of women deacons.

“This is not a new area of study,” said Fred Greco, who served as the chair of the Overtures Committee (OC), which recommended that the GA dismiss the deaconess overture. “There is plenty of existing material on the subject, and our Book of Church Order is clear [that ordained church officers are to be men].”

Greco also expressed concern that further study of this issue would polarize advocates on either side—causing deepening division in the church.

“We have to listen to one another,” said Bryan Chapell, who serves as president of Covenant Theological Seminary and who presented the minority report. “We have to be willing to talk about difficult things without fear of demoralizing the church. We must get people together in the same room to talk about [difficult issues] in an atmosphere that’s not highly charged.”

The minority report recommended that a committee comprised of theologians on both sides of the issue—including Tim Keller, Phil Ryken, Ligon Duncan, and Jimmy Agan—meet together over the coming year to come to a Scriptural understanding of deaconesses.

In the end, a majority voted to follow the recommendation of the OC to answer in the negative Overture 9 (submitted by the Philadelphia Presbytery, recommended that the GA “erect a study committee on deaconesses”).

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

+ byFaith Online, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1005

[2] Three Challenge PCUSA Stated Clerk Committee Nominee Gradye Parsons

Jerry L. Van Marter reports that three challengers have stepped forward to stand for stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) General Assembly (GA) against the Stated Clerk Nominating Committee’s choice, the Reverend Grayde Parsons.

One of the four will succeed the Reverend Clifton Kirkpatrick — who declined to seek a fourth four-year term. The election will take place 27 June during the upcoming 218th PCUSA General Assembly in San Jose, California. Nominations for stated clerk will formally be made on the second day of the Assembly, Sunday 22 June.

The candidates standing against Parsons — who as Director of Operations for the Office of the GA has for the past eight years served as one of Kirkpatrick’s top deputies — are the Reverends Edward H. Koster, stated clerk of Detroit Presbytery; the Winfield “Casey” Jones, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Pearland, Texas; and William P. Tarbell, pastor of Saluda, South Carolina Presbyterian Church.

Information on the candidates for GA stated clerk is available in the 2008 Stated Clerk Candidates Handbook.

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

+ Presbyterian News Service, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228 x5493

[3] CRCNA Synod Changes Name of The Back to God Hour

On 17 June, the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) Synod 2008 approved changing the name of The Back to God Hour, the media outreach ministry of the CRCNA, to Back to God Ministries International.

The change brings the name more in line with the actual work that the CRCNA agency does in countries around the world, said Reverend Robert Heerspink, the agency’s director.

Speaking to delegates before the vote, Heerspink said the The Back to God Hour name goes back nearly 70 years when the ministry consisted of one radio program on a station in Chicago.

“The identification of the entire ministry with the single English-language broadcast has impeded the agency’s ability to communicate its full mission and vision,” Heerspink said.

“This difficulty especially relates to the word ‘hour’ in the present name,” says the report of the advisory committee that recommended the name change to synod.

Additionally, on Monday night 15 June, delegates meeting at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, declared 48 men and five women to be candidates for ministry of the Word in the CRCNA.

Synod discussed the issue of churches holding a second service on Sunday evenings, highlighting an ongoing debate about how congregations should do ministry in various contemporary settings.

On Saturday 14 June, the Reverend Thea Leunk, pastor of Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, made CRCNA history when she was elected as the first woman vice president of a Synod meeting.

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

+ MLive.com, 339 East Liberty Street, Suite 210, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, 734-997-7083

[4] Synod of the West of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria Decries Rising Corruption, Crime

Synod of the West of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria has lamented the high level of crime, violence and corruption in Nigeria in spite of the proliferation of churches.

It attributed this to the collapse of religious, social and moral values in the face of poverty and mass unemployment.

Rising from its 13th Annual Synod meeting held at its Divine Parish, Lome, the Republic of Togo, the Synod called on all religious organizations to pay more attention to the teaching of religious values in order to reduce to the barest minimum, incidents of crime, violence, corruption and indiscipline.

The Synod expressed concern over the worsening situation in the Niger Delta vis-à-vis the kidnapping of toddlers, women and workers and appealed to the people of the area to embrace the culture of dialogue in addressing and resolving their issues. On the part of government, the Synod called for the immediate implementation of the Niger Delta Development Master Plan to reduce the tension in the area.

The Synod of the West comprises Presbyterian churches in Lagos, Ogun, Oshun, Oyo, Bendel and Delta States as well as The Republics of Benin and Togo.

+ The Presbyterian Church Of Nigeria, 26 Ehere Road, Post Office Box 2635, Aba, Abia, Nigeria, 082-234-780

+ allAfrica.com

[5] RCA has 'Turned the Page' on Declining Numbers, Synod Speaker Says

Matt Vande Bunte reports that stemming the tide of declining membership was the focus of the Reformed Church in America's (RCA) annual meeting, which convened 7-10 June at Hope College.

At the midpoint of a 10-year growth goal, the president of the 202nd General Synod told delegates in his report Friday that the church is advancing. The Reverend John Ornee, pastor of Peace Reformed Church in Zeeland, cited 1,488 adult baptisms in 2006 and more new RCA church starts than ever before, adding an estimated 10,000 people to the church.

About 400 people, including 250 ministers and elders from RCA churches across the country, conducted church business and shared stories of church growth. Seated in groups of five around tables on the floor of DeVos Fieldhouse, delegates heard from Ornee that the RCA "is growing and prospering in new and innovative ways" and "persevering in old tried and true ways."

Additionally, Synod continued efforts launched in past years to make the church more inclusive. Recommendations include tracking the racial and ethnic makeup of congregations in order to gauge progress toward becoming a more diverse church.

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

+ MLive.com, 339 East Liberty Street, Suite 210, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104, 734-997-7083

[6] SBC Elects Johnny Hunt President

Johnny Hunt, pastor of First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia, was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) 12 June on the first ballot.

Hunt was nominated by Ted Traylor, pastor of Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.

Traylor said he was nominating Hunt because of his "heart for the nations" and his "heart for the next generation." Hunt will unite the convention and "forge a hopeful future" focused on the Gospel and connected to local churches, Traylor said.

Traylor’s assessment of Hunt’s ability to unite the SBC and to focus on the Gospel is not a unanimous one within and without Baptist circles.

Hunt for several years has been on the forefront of widespread efforts within the SBC to condemn Reformed doctrines of grace and to marginalize Reformed Baptist pastors and congregations in the SBC.

At a Pastor’s Conference sermon preceding the 2005 SBC annual meeting, Hunt ridiculed the biblical doctrine of election and indulged in compound logical fallacy by setting up the straw man of a false dichotomy between election and Christ’s command in Matthew chapter 28 to preach the Gospel to everyone. Additional examples of Hunt’s and others’ campaign against Reformed doctrine can be found through key word searches at the Alpha & Omega Miniseries Blog.

+ Southern Baptist Convention, 901 Commerce Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37203-3699, 615-244-2355

+ The Baptist Press, 901 Commerce Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37203-3699, bpress@sbc.net

+ Alpha & Omega Ministries, 3805 North 12th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85014, 602-264-7223, Email

+ Locusts and Wild Honey, 6028 Lakeshore Road, Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi 39520, elbourne@lakeshorebaptist.net

18 June 2008

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] School Drops Pledge of Allegiance from Promotion Ceremony

[2] Ex-Lesbian Mother Loses Appeal to Keep Former Civil Union Partner Away from Daughter

[3] South Canterbury Presbyterian Church Overcoming Shortage of Ministers

[4] California Bishop Urges All Couples to Seek Civil Union First, Then Church Blessing

[5] Reformed Theology Leaders Encouraged

[6] Tribunal Quashes Ex-Pastor's Right to Free Speech

[1] School Drops Pledge of Allegiance from Promotion Ceremony

The principal of Capitol Hill Elementary School in Portland Oregon excluded the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and its use of the words “under God” from the school’s end-of-year promotion ceremony for the fifth graders in order to promote diversity and to not offend the families of the Muslim students that attend the school.

The Portland School District said there had been no prior complaints about the pledge.

The students instead memorized and sang the Preamble to the Constitution.

+ KATU, 2153 North East Sandy Boulevard, Portland, Oregon 97232, 503-231-4222, thedesk@katu.com

[2] Ex-Lesbian Mother Loses Appeal to Keep Former Civil Union Partner Away from Daughter

Peter J. Smith reports that a mother trying to retain sole parental rights over her biological child from her former lesbian lover has lost her appeal in the Virginia Supreme Court, even though the state has a constitutional amendment banning same-sex civil unions.

The Virginia high court on 6 June agreed with the state appeals court ruling, which stated a Virginia trial court had overstepped its bounds by invalidating a Vermont trial court's orders that mandated Lisa Miller allow her former lesbian partner, Janet Jenkins, visitation rights to Miller's biological child Isabella.

David Corry, a lawyer with the Liberty Counsel, told media he hopes the US Supreme Court will agree to hear the case. "It's an important issue as to whether citizens from one state can have another state decide custody of their children that were not born in that state and, as citizens of Virginia, they weren't even entitled to enter into a civil union."

The Liberty Counsel released a statement saying, "Lisa is the fit, biological mother of a five-year-old daughter, with whom Janet has neither a biological nor an adoptive relationship."

"Same-sex unions disrupt the traditional family structure and pit one state against another. Children are the collateral damage of those pressing the same-sex union agenda."

The Liberty Counsel expects to argue the case in Virginia in April.

+ LifeSiteNews.Com, Incorporated, Post Office Box 25382, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15220-3514, 866-787-9947, lsn@lifesitenews.com

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

[3] South Canterbury Presbyterian Church Overcoming Shortage of Ministers

Graeme Stilwell reports that the Presbyterian Church in South Canterbury, New Zealand has been labeled courageous and innovative by the church's national leader as it adopts a team approach to overcome a shortage of full-time, ordained Presbyterian ministers in the district.

The ministries have become vacant through natural attrition.

However, the parishes have not suffered unduly, the newly appointed moderator for the Presbyterian Church in South Canterbury, the Reverend Ian Hyslop, of Geraldine, says.

‘‘These days there are a variety of ways to offer ministry. The transitional team approach is one model and it works well in South Canterbury.”

Options within the transitional team concept included a mix of visiting ordained and lay preachers, and parishioners.

‘‘The way forward does not necessarily rest in any one model, but in a tailored resource that encompasses a variety of approaches. Teams supported by the wider church resource were but one.''

Hyslop said to remain relevant, a church needed to move with the times. He had embraced technology in delivering his key messages of faith.

‘‘In one of my recent church services, for example, we showed a DVD clip. We have electronic presentation equipment for the congregation.”

‘‘We also send emails of support and encouragement every week to tertiary students we know of around the world.''

+ Otago Daily Times, 52 Stuart Street, Post Office Box 517, Dunedin, New Zealand, +64 3 477 4760, corporate@alliedpress.co.nz

[4] California Bishop Urges All Couples to Seek Civil Union First, Then Church Blessing

Pat McCaughan reports that Bishop Marc Andrus of the Diocese of California is encouraging all couples, regardless of sexual orientation, to obtain secular marriages before seeking the church's blessing, as a way to support same-gender couples and "our continued witness to God's inclusive love."

Andrus also said he intends to serve as a deputy marriage commissioner, and urged clergy and lay Episcopalians also to "be deputized" and volunteer to preside at same-gender marriages, which are slated to begin 17 June.

Andrus also said he opposes a 4 November ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to limit marriage to a man and a woman. If passed, it would overrule the California Supreme Court decision, which struck down an eight-year-old ban on gay marriage. The court on 6 June refused to stay its decision, paving the way for same-sex couples to legally marry starting 17 June.

Proponents of the November 4 ballot initiative hope to add California to the list of 26 states that have approved constitutional amendments banning same-gender marriage. If passed, it is unclear how the measure would affect the status of marriages performed prior to November 4.

+ Episcopal Life Online, 815 Second Avenue, New York, New York 10017, 212-716-6000, news@episcopalchurch.org

[5] Reformed Theology Leaders Encouraged

Christie Campbell reports that Charles Burge, executive director of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, says that the future of reformed Christian theology is a positive one.

Burge spoke Saturday to those attending the committee's Faith and Life Conference at Waynesburg University. The committee is a conservative watchdog of the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA).

Burge is encouraged by reports that young people are discovering reformed theology. Many, he noted, are moving away from mainline denominations, tired of worship services that focus on men, not God.

Burge pointed to Passion Conferences in which between 10,000 and 15,000 college students regularly attend. The renewed interest also is being led by elders. He cited Timothy Keller's book, "The Reason for God," which is on The New York Times best-seller list and the works of Baptist minister John Piper.

Also speaking during the State of the Church report was the Reverend Parker Williamson, editor emeritus.

Williamson said when the General Assembly of the PCUSA meets 18 June in San Jose, Calif., at stake is how $2 billion in donor-designated contributions to the church will be used. Williamson said the Presbyterian Foundation is the fiduciary authority of those funds and they should not be used by the General Assembly Council, as has been proposed.

"I think it's the most important issue that's coming to this General Assembly,” Williamson said.

+ The Observer Reporter, 122 South Main Street, Washington, Pennsylvania, 15301, 724-941-7725, pburroughs@observer-reporter.com

[6] Tribunal Quashes Ex-Pastor's Right to Free Speech

Deborah Gyapong reports that an Alberta Human Rights Commission panel has ordered a former Christian youth pastor to apologize in the pages of the Red Deer Advocate for a 2002 letter to the editor he wrote opposing homosexual activism.

In a 30 May decision, AHRC panelist Lori Andreachuk also ordered Stephen Boissoin, 41, to request The Advocate publish her judgment against him.

She has also imposed a lifetime ban on ever speaking or writing "disparagingly" about homosexuals - in the media, on the Internet, in speaking engagements or in emails. She also ordered him to take down any "disparaging" remarks from his website.

Catholic Civil Rights League president Phil Horgan compared the forced apology to a "re-education program" one might find in a totalitarian state. He called Andreachuk's decision "highly problematic," "intrusive" and "frankly unworkable."

Boissoin stands by every word he wrote, even though he has been branded a hatemonger on the front pages of his local paper and said he has been refused the opportunity to effectively rebut accusations against him.

"I will never apologize," Boissoin said. "The only way I will pay the money is if it prevents me from appealing."

Boissoin has been left penniless by the six-year legal battle.

+ Western Catholic Reporter, 8421-101 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T6A 0L1, Canada, 780-465-8030, wcr@wcr.ab.ca

11 June 2008

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Three Churches Demand Drastic Action from South African Government
[2] California Court Won't Delay 'Gay Marriages'
[3] American Bible Society Investigates President
[4] Presbyterian Church in Canada Commissioner Calls for Help from Churches
[5] Embattled Pro-Life Prosecutor Seeks Re-Election
[6] Ecclesiastical Trial Reveals Dramatic Testimony of Sexual Abuse

Quick Links

[1] In Memoriam: Mrs. Edmund P. (Jean) Clowney
[2] Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies Offers Courses
[3] Reformed Theological Seminary Chancellor’s Surgery Successful


[1] Three Churches Demand Drastic Action from South African Government

Three Reformed churches in South Africa have sent a strong letter to their government, declaring that South Africa was in a crisis that required drastic action from the government. They cited several areas that were driving South Africans citizens to despair and fear, including Violence, crime and corruption, Shortcomings in security and infrastructure, racism, agriculture and food provision, and the Zimbabwe crisis.

The three churches declared that innocent people in the land were living in fear and that rape, child molestation and large-scale corruption were becoming daily occurrences. Most people had the perception that the land was taking rapid strides backwards. They noted the country was losing many persons with necessary social skills to emigration.

The letter said that the failure of South Africa President Mbeki to take a clear standpoint in the Zimbabwe crisis against the immoral and undemocratic conduct of the ruling party, and its accompanying violation of human rights, created the impression that this could also happen in South Africa.

The Dutch Reformed Church (NGK), the Netherdutch Reformed Church of Africa (NHKA) and the Reformed Churches of South Africa (GKSA) were the signatories of the letter.

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


[2] California Court Won't Delay 'Gay Marriages'

The California Supreme Court turned back pro-family groups June 4 by refusing to delay its "gay marriage" decision from going into effect, giving the green light for same-sex couples statewide to get "married" 17 June.

The 4-3 margin ruling -- identical to its earlier decision -- came without comment and was a serious blow to social conservatives who had hoped the justices would stay their ruling until citizens consider a proposed constitutional marriage amendment on the November ballot.

Two Christian legal groups, the Alliance Defense Fund and Liberty Counsel, had filed legal briefs requesting the delay.

+ The Baptist Press, 901 Commerce Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37203-3699, bpress@sbc.net


[3] American Bible Society Investigates President

Rusty Leonard and Warren Cole Smith report that a board member of the American Bible Society (ABS) confirmed that a forensic accounting firm will probe the organization's financial records. The investigation comes after ABS suspended its two top executives following embarrassing revelations in The New York Times that linked ABS president Paul Irwin to a technology company, Exciting New Technologies (ENT), with ties to the internet-pornography and gambling industries.

Founded in 1816, ABS is one of the nation's oldest and best-endowed charities, with nearly $693 million in cash and investments on its balance sheet at the end of 2007. But ABS had a $72.8 million operating deficit in 2003 and operating deficits totaling more than $160 million between 2002 and 2006.

When the story of Irwin's and the Bible Society's association with ENT was laid out in the 4,000-word Times exposé, the ABS board acted quickly, suspending with pay CEO Irwin and Chief Financial Officer Richard Stewart. ABS spokesperson Roy Lloyd said the suspension was "without prejudice," meaning that there is no assumption of guilt on the part of either Irwin or Stewart. However, said Lloyd, "We want to deal with any hint of impropriety." Lloyd also said ABS has terminated all ties with Exciting New Technologies.

Ironically, before these recent revelations, it appeared that some of Irwin's innovations at ABS had been working. In 2007, the organization saw a dramatic rebound in revenue, to $120 million, much of the increase coming in the form of increased donations.

+ World Magazine, 85 Tunnel Road, Suite 12, Asheville, North Carolina 28805, 800-951-4974, mailbag@worldmag.com

+ American Bible Society, 1865 Broadway, New York, New York 10023-7505, 212-408-1200, rlloyd@americanbible.org


[4] Presbyterian Church in Canada Commissioner Calls for Help from Churches

Andrew Thompson reports that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into Indian residential schools has begun its work with a call to Canada's largest churches for help in healing decades-old wounds.

Commissioner Claudette Dumont-Smith, a nurse, writer, and member of the Kitigan Zibi Algonquin community near Maniwaki, told about 300 Presbyterians yesterday that Canada needed to "fill blank pages and move forward as a nation" through a "truth-sharing process."

Formerly a senior health adviser with the Native Women's Association, Ms. Dumont-Smith made her first public remarks as a commissioner to the Presbyterian Church in Canada's 134th General Assembly at Carleton University.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission officially opened on 9 June with a five-year mandate. It resulted from the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement implemented last September between former students, churches, the federal government and aboriginal groups after the largest class-action settlement in Canadian history.

The last residential schools, run by churches on behalf of the federal government, were closed in the 1970s. Thousands of aboriginal and Métis children attended the schools, where they were not allowed to speak their languages or practice their culture. Many students reported physical, psychological and sexual abuse while in the schools.

The Presbyterian Church has agreed to provide documents and take part in commission events. The commission hopes its presence at the General Assembly will carry over to other denominations.

A public confession and apology issued by Presbyterians in 1994 was repeated yesterday, followed by a lengthy prayer for truth and forgiveness.

The Presbyterian General Assembly concludes 10 June.

+ The Ottawa Citizen, 1101 Baxter Road, Box 5020, Ottawa, OntarioK2C 3M4, 613-829-9100, ottawae-mails@reachcanada.com

+ The Presbyterian Church in Canada, 50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1J7, 800-619-7301, fhogg@presbyterian.ca


[5] Embattled Pro-Life Prosecutor Seeks Re-Election

Tom Hess reports that Phill Kline, the Kansas City-area district attorney who’s waging a court battle over allegations that Planned Parenthood violated state law, announced late Monday to family and friends that he’s running for re-election.

Pro-life leaders in Kansas applauded his decision.

“I’m elated, because he won’t let Planned Parenthood off the hook,” said Pat Adair, Kansas director for Women Influencing the Nation. “The rule of law is what this campaign will be about. The law is broken here in Kansas.”

Kline filed 107 charges in Johnson County last October against Planned Parenthood over allegations of falsified reports and illegal late-term abortions. If he leaves office, the case likely would die.

Kline’s opponent in the Republican primary on Aug. 5 is Steve Howe, one of seven assistant prosecutors Kline fired when he took office. Howe and the others then sued Kline.

Kline told CitizenLink he and his wife and daughter prayed for months before making the decision.

“I’ve been a prosecutor for quite some time now, and I’ve never seen a greater threat to the rule of law, such a powerful interest to purchase positions in government,” he said. “For a long, long time, I’ve been an advocate for the mentally disabled, the elderly, those who are particularly vulnerable and exploited by people with more power.”

Kline will ask the Kansas Supreme Court in Topeka on Thursday to reject demands by Planned Parenthood that he surrender records that he says show evidence of the abortion provider’s criminal activity.

+ Focus on the Family Action, Incorporated, 8605 Explorer Drive Colorado Springs, Colorado 80920, 866-655-4545, citizenlink@family.org


[6] Ecclesiastical Trial Reveals Dramatic Testimony of Sexual Abuse

David W. Virtue reports that on the first day of the ecclesiastical trial of Pennsylvania Bishop Charles E. Bennison, victim Martha Alexis told a hushed court of five bishops, two clergy and two laity that Bishop Bennison stumbled in on his brother John's sexual activity with her… turned on his heel in the church office and walked away.

The then 14-year-old victim described to the court and some 60 persons at the Marriott Hotel in Philadelphia, how she was repeatedly sexually abused by the Rev. John Bennison, describing his acts as "persistent, intense and frequent" as many as "three or four times a week, for four years."

Alexis, now 50, and the mother of three, said that what occurred in 1973 between herself and Bennison was "unspeakable perversion and too horrific to name."

Alexis said Charles Bennison witnessed two occurrences of his sexual behavior in the summer of 1973. The second occasion occurred when she was 15 (Bennison was married to Margaret Bennison and 25). Charles was the priest of St. Mark's Church in Upland, California in the Diocese of Los Angeles.

Other testimony at the trial included June Alexis, Martha's mother and Andrew "Andy" Alexis her brother, both of whom testified that Charles Bennison knew about the sexual abuse and that he did nothing about it.

Church attorney White said, in his opening statement, that the church took no pleasure or relish in this trial, but that he was clear that Bennison had committed acts unbecoming a member of the clergy and should be deposed under Title IV.5 of the Church canons.

+ VirtueOnline, 1236 Waterford Road, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380, david@virtueonline.org


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4 June 2008

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Eritrean Authorities Jail 34 More Christians In House Church Raid

[2] EPC's Meet with the Roman Pontiff

[3] Youth Essay Contest

[4] Douwe Visser is WARC's New Theology Secretary

[5] Free Church of Scotland General Assembly Moderator's Address

[6] Baghdad Presbyterian Church Council

[1] Eritrean Authorities Jail 34 More Christians In House Church Raid

Eritrean security police cracked down on more Christians again last week, arresting 34 evangelicals gathered for prayer and fellowship in a local home in Keren.

The police raid on 28 May targeted members of the Berhane Hiwet (Light of Life) Church in Keren, Eritrea's third largest city 124 miles northwest of the capital Asmara.

All 24 men and 10 women present were taken to prison, with their children left behind.

The Keren raid was the second round of arrests last week in Eritrea, where the oppressive regime has outlawed all independent Protestant churches since 2002, closing their buildings and banning gatherings in private homes.

Worshippers caught disobeying the blanket restrictions are arrested and tortured for weeks, months or even years. They are never allowed legal counsel or brought to trial.

The new arrests followed a spate of unconfirmed reports that began circulating throughout the capital of Asmara last week, indicating that several leading Protestant pastors jailed for four years without charges may soon face trial for treason.

Full Gospel Church leaders Dr. Kifle Gebremeskel and Haile Naizghi and Pastor Tesfatsion Hagos of the Rema Evangelical Church have been imprisoned since May 2004. Their exact whereabouts remain unknown, with their families and church members refused any access to them.

The government recognizes only the Eritrean Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran churches as legal religions, in addition to the traditional Islam practiced by half of the population.

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

[2] EPC's Meet with the Roman Pontiff

Moderator-elect Allen Roes represented the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) at a prayer meeting hosted by Pope Benedict XVI on 18 April 2008 in New York City.

The EPC was invited by the Archbishop of New York, Edward Cardinal Egan. There were leaders from many Christian denominations and organizations. EPC Teaching Elder Steve Hass, Vice President of World Vision and a member of the Presbytery of the West was also there.

In his address, the Pope spoke of Christ as the only Hope we have for unity in our world. Following the service and dinner, the Pope's book Jesus of Nazareth was given to each attendee as a parting gift.

+ Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 17197 N. Laurel Park Drive, Suite 567 Livonia, MI 48152, 734-742-2020, webmaster@epc.org

[3] Youth Essay Contest

Fundamental Presbyterian Publications is once again sponsoring a Youth Essay Contest. This year the contest is for three groups: ages 10-12, 13-17, and 18-21.

ESSAY SUBJECT for the 10-12 and 13-17 age groups.

Explain one of the Shorter Catechism questions that deals with the subject of Creation. These are Shorter Catechism questions 9 and 10. The essays should be 800 to 1,000 words.

ESSAY SUBJECT for the 18-21 age group.

Develop the theme "The Biblical Basis for God's Creation of Man." The essays should be 1,000 to 1,500 words.

FORMAT

All essays should be typed double-spaced. Handwritten entries will be accepted, if written neatly. The judges will disqualify any entries which they deem to be illegible. In addition to the printed copy, if possible, provide your essay (as a text file) on a computer disk, or send it via e-mail. All quotes must be properly footnoted from primary sources.

INCLUDE

Your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and your photograph.

DEADLINE

10 June 2008. All entries must be postmarked or e-mailed no later than 12:00 midnight, Tuesday, 10 June 2008, Eastern Daylight Savings time.

PRIZES

Age groups 10-12 and 13-17: $100 cash, plus Christian books.

Age group 18-21: $200.00 cash, plus Christian books.

The winning essays will be published and distributed by Fundamental Presbyterian Publications.

Typed entries and computer files will become the possession of Fundamental Presbyterian Publications and will not be returned.

SEND ALL INQUIRIES AND ENTRIES TO:

Fundamental Presbyterian Publications

P. O. Box 26164

Charlotte, NC 28221-6164

704-596-9000

FPP@bpc.org

+ Bible Presbyterian Church

[4] Douwe Visser is WARC's New Theology Secretary

Dutch theologian and pastor Douwe Visser, 54, is the new Executive Secretary for Theology and Ecumenical Engagement for the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC). He joins the Geneva secretariat on 2 June 2008.

Visser replaces Odair Pedroso Mateus who left WARC for a position at the World Council of Churches (WCC) in May 2007. Visser is a minister in the Protestant Church in the Netherlands at Rotterdam-Overschie and the former president of the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC).

WARC and REC have agreed to merge in 2010 to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). Visser resigned as president of REC to join the WARC staff team.

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

[5] Free Church of Scotland General Assembly Moderator's Address

The Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland, the Rev Kenneth M. Ferguson, has chosen the theme of holiness for his Address to the General Assembly.

Ferguson says: 'There are many who would describe holiness as a bleak kind of doctrine: an unattractive, outdated, discouraging concept that is in essence, either a series of prohibitions against sin, or a framework of legalistic rules, so that those who claim success in living this way invariably adopt a "holier than thou", intolerant attitude to others.'

But Ferguson insists that such attitudes are not the result of true holiness but of a judgmental, legalistic lifestyle like that of the Pharisees, whom our Lord condemned for their hypocrisy. 'Holiness on the other hand is not hypocritical but beautiful - it beautifies a person's life because God Himself is the Author of it. His gracious presence and blessing adorn His people's lives. Those who are most holy are most Christ-like.'

In the pursuit of such Biblical holiness Ferguson recommends the Shorter Catechism and quotes the philosopher John Stuart Mill, who said in his essay On Liberty: "The Shorter Catechism and study of the Bible have sharpened the wits of Scotsmen, as to make them stand foremost in the ranks of mental philosophy", and adds 'Maybe it is time for our Nation to re-discover the treasure that is the Westminster Shorter Catechism!'

Ferguson quotes the Anglican writer, John Stott, who said that we, Christ's followers, are sent into the world as His witnesses, 'In order to penetrate other people's worlds, as He penetrated ours; the world of their thinking, their misunderstandings of the Gospel, the world of their feeling, their pain, and the world of their living.'

Yet, this involvement with the world is to be undertaken, says Mr. Ferguson, while at the same time maintaining untarnished the standards of Jesus Christ, and not compromising our own Christian integrity. In fact, He says 'True holiness is a Christ-likeness that is lived out in the real world.'

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

[6] Baghdad Presbyterian Church Council

The following is a letter, edited for clarity, from Yousif Al-Saka, General Secretary of the Presbyterian Churches in Iraq:

"Please distribute this message to all brothers and sisters in churches which have an interest in the Baghdad Presbyterian Church."

"We are pleased to inform our brothers in all of the churches that the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Baghdad convened on the morning of Friday 30 May 2008 in accordance with the church constitution in order to elect a new church council for two year terms."

"The election was carried out in a brotherly democratic manner. The required reports were presented by the outgoing president of the council, and by the cashier - concerning church accounts, which is reviewed by a legal auditor assigned for this purpose. The reports were discussed and approved."

"The church council election results were announced:

1- Elder Yousif J. Al-Saka President of Church Council

2- Elder Mazin D. Kaia Vice President of Church Council

3- Elder Jalal Salomy Cashier of the Church

4- Elder Kasi Kabas Council secretary"

"Additionally, five brothers were elected as Church Council members."

"Elder Yousif Al-Saka remained in his post as General Secretary of the Presbyterian Churches in Iraq, which is headquartered in the Church of Baghdad."

"We thank the Lord for this arrangement, as we believe that any management in the church is from the Lord and by His direction. Pray with us that the Lord may keep these brothers safe and give them strength and power in their work for the service of the Church. Amen."

+ Yousif Al-Saka, General Secretary, Presbyterian Churches in Iraq

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