30 December 2009

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Reformed Presbyterian Pastor and Christian Activist Asks Whether Presidential Candidate Barack Hussein Obama Misled Christians about His Christian Faith
[2] Danish Media Organ Claims Barack Hussein Obama Greater than Jesus Christ
[3] Presbyterian Church of Ghana Moderator, in Christmas and New Year Message, Urges Uprooting of What Hinders Ghana’s Development
[4] New Documentary on Hungarian Reformed Churches in the U.S. Includes Story of Darr Mine Explosion of 1907
[5] Calvin Synod Winter/Spring 2010 Central Classis Meeting Scheduled 13 February 2010 at First Hungarian Reformed Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
[6] Crowland Presbyterian Church Marks 175^th Anniversary
[7] Greyfriars Parish Church of Lanark, Scotland, Goes A’ Wassailing Christmas Eve at the Clydesdale Inn Pub
[8] Reformed Church in Hungary Bishop Gusztav Bolcskei Condemns Copenhagen Climate Change Summit for Lack of Action
[9] Lifeway Research Survey of 1000 Protestant Pastors Finds Two-Thirds Believe Islam to be a Dangerous Religion
[10] 1960 Christians Killed by Gunmen in Iraq Since U.S.-Led Invasion in 2003
[11] Islamic Terror Roots of Fort Hood Jihad Massacre Ignored by U.S. Left


[Note: This issue of Presbyterians Week is posted a day later than scheduled in order that several last-minute articles can be included.]


[1] Reformed Presbyterian Pastor and Christian Activist Asks Whether Presidential Candidate Barack Hussein Obama Misled Christians about His Christian Faith

In a 30 December 2009 news release, Reformed Presbyterian pastor and Director of the Christian Defense Coalition the Rev. Pat Mahoney points out that presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama attended church regularly during the 2008 presidential campaign, but since taking office as U.S. President, has neither attended church on a regular basis nor found a church home in Washington DC.

Mahoney asks whether or not integrity and honesty are demonstrated by a presidential candidate that makes involvement in a local church community with regular church attendance a key component of his campaign, but once elected has no relationship with a local church, and Mahoney says the resultant appearance is that the claimed importance of a church community to Obama’s family was not a deeply held core belief, but rather a crass political calculation to curry favor with the faith community.

Mahoney continues by listing Obama’s most egregious snubs of Christianity since becoming U.S. President, and addresses the U.S. President, saying: “….To portray yourself as person of deep Christian faith and very involved in the life of the local church during the campaign and then abandon that position after you are elected reduces faith to a commodity and religion to a political tool….[I]f your Christian faith and involvement with a local church means as much to you as you say it does, please find a vibrant local community for you and your family to worship Christ."

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

+ Christian Defense Coalition, Post Office Box 77168, Washington DC 20013, 202-547-1735, ChristianDefense@gmail.com


[2] Danish Media Organ Claims Barack Hussein Obama Greater than Jesus Christ

A 28 December 2009 editorial in Danish news website Politiken.dk declares that U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama is greater than Jesus Christ, calling Obama “the practical saviour of our times.”

+ Politiken.dk, Rådhuspladsen 37 1785 København V, Denmark, info@tgt.dk


[3] Presbyterian Church of Ghana Moderator, in Christmas and New Year Message, Urges Uprooting of What Hinders Ghana’s Development

The Daily Graphic and MyJoyOnline.com reported in a 25 December 2009 article that in his final Christmas and New Year message as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Yaw Frimpong-Manso urged Ghanians to make a high priority of uprooting activities that hinder Ghana’s national development. Activities including bribery, corruption, dehumanization and marginalization of people, political incorrectness, and greed were cited as hindrances.

Instead, Dr. Frimpong-Manso urged Ghanians to build up “…walls of fellowship, commonality and fellow-feeling to strengthen our welfare systems…and to contribute our quota towards the building of the political, social, economic, and religious walls of our nation."

+ MyJoyOnline.com, 3rd Floor Trust Towers, Farrar Avenue, Accra, Ghana, 233-21-226151, Fax: 233-21-233697, info@myjoyonline.com

+ Daily Graphic, Number 3 Graphic Road, Accra, Ghana, 233-21-684001-10, Fax: 233-21-684019, graphic@ncs.com.gh

+ Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Post Office Box GP 1800, Accra, Ghana, 233-21-662511, Fax: 233-21-665594, pcghg@yahoo.com


[4] New Documentary on Hungarian Reformed Churches in the U.S. Includes Story of Darr Mine Explosion of 1907

Frances Borsodi Zajac of The Herald-Standard reports in a 17 December 2009 article titled “Darr Mine Disaster Mentioned in New Overseas Documentary” that a new documentary on DVD, in Hungarian and in English, about the establishment of Hungarian Reformed churches in the United States.

Missionary to the United States for the Reformed Church in Hungary in Debrecen, Hungary, the Rev. Attila Kocsis of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, said: "The film is about Hungarian churches that were established in the United States and stopped to function in past decades because they lost their membership when people moved away for different reasons. It is in memory of those people who lived here, served here, were members of congregations, built churches, and became good citizens of the United States.''

Calvin Synod pastor the Rev. Alexander Jalso of Brownsville, Pennsylvania, is shown in the documentary leading a prayer for the victims of the Darr Mine explosion that occurred 19 December 1907, in Rostraver Township, Pennsylvania, which killed 239 miners, making the Darr Mine explosion the second worst in U.S. history and the worst ever in Pennsylvania history. Pastor Jalso commented: "It is a piece of history and very important. The tragedy is deep and we should not forget those who sacrificed their lives.''

The DVD documentary is available from Pastor Kocsis by telephone at 732-442-7799 or by email at attlkcss@hotmail.com.

+ The Herald-Standard, 8-18 East Church Street, Uniontown, Pennsylvania 15401, 724-439-7569, Fax: 724-439-7559, tsnead@heraldstandard.com

+ Reformed Church in Hungary, MRE Zsinata1146 Budapest, Abonyi u. 21., Hungary, 30-3361-666, info@reformatus.hu

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


[5] Calvin Synod Winter/Spring 2010 Central Classis Meeting Scheduled 13 February 2010 at First Hungarian Reformed Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Calvin Synod Winter/Spring 2010 Central Classis Meeting is scheduled for 13 February 2010 at the First Hungarian Reformed Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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


[6] Crowland Presbyterian Church Marks 175^th Anniversary

The Welland Tribune reported in a 26 December 2009 article that the Crowland Presbyterian Church (CPC) (Presbyterian Church in Canada) of Crowland Township in Welland County, Ontario, Canada, is celebrating its 175^th anniversary.

CPC traces its roots to 1834 when the Church of Scotland sent the Rev. Angus McIntosh, who served for several years between Fort Erie and Port Dalhousie, preaching at stated intervals in Cook's Mills and in Doan's Ridge. CPC has been served by the Rev. Maria Lallouet since 1994.

+ Welland Tribune, 228 East Main Street, Welland, Ontario, Canada
L3B 5P5, 905-732-2411, Fax: 905-732-3660, Contact Page

+ The Presbyterian Church in Canada, 50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1J7, 416-441-1111, Fax: 416-441-2825, skendall@presbyterian.ca

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


[7] Greyfriars Parish Church of Lanark, Scotland, Goes A’ Wassailing Christmas Eve at the Clydesdale Inn Pub

Trevor Grundy of Ecumenical News International, in a 23 December 2009 article titled “You Might Meet Jesus in a Pub, Says Scottish Minister,” tells of the members of Greyfriars Parish Church (Church of Scotland) in Lanark, Scotland, who gathered at the Lanark pub, The Clydesdale Inn, on Christmas Eve 2009 for a carol singing session for the pub patrons.

Additionally, the pub is serving a new brew called “Greyfriars Kirk Christmas Ale,” described as “a special beer brewed for those bursting with goodwill and festive song.”

+ Ecumenical News International, Post Office Box 2100, CH – 1211, Geneva 2, Switzerland, 41-22-791-6111, Fax: 41-22-788-7244, eni@eni.ch

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


[8] Reformed Church in Hungary Bishop Gusztav Bolcskei Condemns Copenhagen Climate Change Summit for Lack of Action

In a 27 December 2009 article titled “Reformed Church Head Condemns Climate Summit,” The Budapest Times reports that in a 25 December 2009 message at the Reformed “Great Church” (Református Nagytemplom) in Debrecen, Hungary, Reformed Church in Hungary Bishop Gusztav Bolcskei condemned the recent Climate Change Summit meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the lack of substantive action taken during the summit.

Bishop Bolcskei described the purpose of the Climate Change Summit as being “to leave a still habitable Earth to our children,” but lamented that the international representatives adjourned the summit with important tasks “left…undone….”

Bishop Bolcskei additionally remarked that Hungary continues to be in the same state of misery as was the country prior to the overthrow of communism twenty years ago, describing Hungary as “roaming in the wasteland just as before," concluding that Jesus Christ is what Hungary needs in order to be guided “to a place where we can settle and find peace.”

+ The Budapest Times, 1037 Budapest, Kunigunda útja 18., Hungary, 36-1-453-0752, editor@budapesttimes.hu

+ Reformed Church in Hungary


[9] Lifeway Research Survey of 1000 Protestant Pastors Finds Two-Thirds Believe Islam to be a Dangerous Religion

A recent survey of 1000 Protestant pastors by Lifeway Research finds that two-thirds of the pastors believe Islam to be a dangerous religion, forty-five percent agreeing strongly and twenty-one percent agreeing somewhat. Among evangelical pastors, seventy-seven percent agree strongly or somewhat, while among mainline pastors forty-four percent agree strongly or somewhat, and thirty-eight percent strongly disagree.

+ Lifeway Research, One Lifeway Plaza, Nashville, Tennessee 37234, 615-251-2000, Contact Page


[10] 1960 Christians Killed by Gunmen in Iraq Since U.S.-Led Invasion in 2003

A 26 December 2009 article in Aswat al-Iraq (Voices of Iraq) reports that head of the Chaldean Cultural Association for Peace, Hawal Ziqiya Masho, told Aswat al-Iraq that 1960 Christians in Iraq have been gunned down since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Masho further reports that the number of Iraqi Christians in Iraq since the 2003 invasion have dwindled from 2.1 million to 500,000. In the same time period, 500,000 Iraqi Christians have had their property confiscated, 200,000 Iraqi Christians have been forced to pay extortion money, and dozens of Iraqi Christians have been kidnapped, then released after a ransom is paid.

Masho reports too, that violence in Iraq against Christians is supported by an unnamed neighboring country, and concludes that: “There is a plan to flush all Christians out of Iraq.”

+ Aswat al-Iraq, 7706-510-546, aswat.info@gmail.com


[11] Islamic Terror Roots of Fort Hood Jihad Massacre Ignored by U.S. Left

FrontPage Magazine Editor Jamie Glazov’s 22 December 2009 City Journal article titled “Fort Hood Denial” lists the conclusive evidence that U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan’s Fort Hood Jihad Massacre was an act of Islamic terrorism, including that:

-- Major Hasan described, to colleagues, non-Muslims as infidels, condemned to hell, that should be beheaded and have boiling oil poured down their throats.

-- Major Hasan exchanged eighteen email messages with al-Qaida recruiter Anwar al-Awlaki.

-- Major Hasan shouted “Allahu akbar” (God (Allah) is great) as he began shooting U.S. troops at Fort Hood.

Glazov additionally lists rationalizations being used by U.S. leftists to deny the Islamic terrorist jihadist roots of Hasan’s massacre including:

-- Hasan was insane.

-- Hasan was stressed by U.S. military service.

-- Hasan experienced anti-Islamic discrimination

Glazov goes on to describe characteristics of the leftist worldview, the peer-pressure among leftists to tow the party line [political correctness, Cultural Marxism, ed.], and predicts more of the same denial “with all of its irrationality and disregard for human life.”

In related matters, the Jihad Watch website has published two new articles related to the attempted bombing on 25 December 2009 of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 titled “Two Al-Qaeda Top Dogs Behind Flight 253 Jihad Plot were Released from Gitmo” and “Obama Ignores Flight 253 Jihadist's Ties to Al-Qaeda and Fort Hood Imam, Calls Him "Isolated Extremist."

+ Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, New York 10017, 212-599-7000, Fax: 212-599-3494, hmartone@manhattan-institute.org

+ FrontPage Magazine, Post Office Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, California 91499, Contact Page

+ Delta (Northwest) Airlines Inc., Post Office Box 20706, Atlanta, Georgia 30320, 404-715-2600, Contact Page

23 December 2009

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Christian Observer Marks 20^th Anniversary of Freedom in Romania
[2] Church of Scotland Asks Forgiveness of Bethlehem Innkeeper while John MacArthur Exegetes Luke 2
[3] Church of Scotland Appoints New Principal Clerk
[4] Presbyterian Church of Wales (PCOW) Ministers Produce New Bilingual Hymnbook
[5] South Bound Brook, New Jersey, United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter Cake Walk Benefits South Bound Brook Reformed Church Food Bank
[6] Twelve Chicago, Illinois, PCUSA Churches Open Dialog with Six Islamic Centers
[7] Kelso, Washington, PCUSA Church Christmas Party Slightly Delayed by Dynamite Find
[8] U.S. Forces and Civilians in Northern Iraq Subject to Punishment for Pregnancy or Impregnation of Another
[9] 2010 Winter Conference at Ligonier Academy Scheduled 22-23 January 2010
[10] Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Spring Theology Conference Scheduled 9-11 March 2009
[11] Cloture Vote on Health Care Bill Described as “Ugly, Partisan, and Dangerous”


[1] Christian Observer Marks 20^th Anniversary of Freedom in Romania

The Christian Observer on 19 December 2009 published an Editor’s Message titled “Two Godly Men for Our Season” in honor of the 20^th anniversary of the overthrow of the communist Ceausescu regime in Romania, which began on 15 December 1989 when Hungarian Reformed congregation members in Timisoara, Romania, surrounded the home of their pastor to prevent the pastor and his pregnant wife from being evicted by the police from their home, and ended five days later on 20 December 1989 with the overthrow of the Ceausescu regime, the subsequent trial, conviction, and execution by firing squad of Ceausescu and his wife for the genocide of 60,000 Romanians, and the beginning of twenty years of freedom for Romania.

+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org

+ Romanian Reformed Church, 410210 Nagyvárad(Oradea), Kálvin János utca 1. Szám, Romania, 259-453-286, partium@rdsor.ro


[2] Church of Scotland Asks Forgiveness of Bethlehem Innkeeper while John MacArthur Exegetes Luke 2

Deadline Press and Picture Agency reporter Cara Sulieman writes in a 20 December 2009 article titled “Kirk Urges Parishioners to “Forgive” Innkeeper,” writes that Church of Scotland (COS) pastor the Rev. James Martin wrote an article in the December 2009 issue of the COS magazine Life and Work, asking that the Bethlehem innkeeper that put Mary and Joseph in the stable be given the benefit of the doubt, as the innkeeper did the best that he could under the trying circumstances of having his inn fully booked.

John MacArthur’s 21 December 2009 “Grace to You” radio broadcast titled “Who Were the Wise Men?,” approaches the subject from the standpoint of exegeting Luke 2 in its grammatical-historical context, in order to avoid preaching what MacArthur calls Christmas card message-writer theology vs. biblical theology.

MacArthur explains that Mary and Joseph would have likely sought lodging in Bethlehem at the home of a relative of Joseph’s. The relative’s home would have had a first floor area into which the animals were brought at night, a second floor living quarters, and a guest area on the roof. Additionally, the Greek word kataluma, translated “inn,” more accurately translates into “guest-chamber” or “guestroom,” so the likely explanation of Luke 2:7 is that Mary and Joseph were lodged on the first floor of the house where they sought shelter, and that Jesus was laid in a manger because that was the best alternative to a crib.

+ Deadline Press and Picture Agency, 29 Breadalbane Street, Edinburgh, EH6 5JW, Scotland, 131-561-2233, Fax: 0131-554-4340, info@deadlinescotland.co.uk

+ Grace to You, Post Office Box 4000, Panorama City, California 91412, 800-554-7223, Fax: 661-295-5871, letters@gty.org

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


[3] Church of Scotland Appoints New Principal Clerk

A 16 December 2009 article in The Scotsman titled “Capital Minister Ready to Take Step up” announces that former minister of Palmerston Place Church at the West End (Church of Scotland) in Edinburgh, Scotland, the Rev. John Chalmers, will become the principal clerk of the Church of Scotland when the current principal clerk, the Very Rev. Dr. Finlay Macdonald, retires in the summer of 2010.

Mr. Chalmers currently serves as a pastoral adviser in the ministry department at the Church of Scotland headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland.

+ The Scotsman, Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS, Scotland, 131-620-8620

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


[4] Presbyterian Church of Wales (PCOW) Ministers Produce New Bilingual Hymnbook

PCOW ministers the Rev. Colin Gordon-Farleigh, pastor of St. John's Welsh Presbyterian Chapel, Runcorn, England, and the Rev. Eirlys Gruffydd, retired pastor of several churches in the Wrexham and Mold areas of England, have collaborated to produce a new bilingual hymn booklet called Clod i Dduw! (Praise the Lord!), which is available from Sheer Joy Music.

+ Presbyterian Church of Wales, Tabernacle Chapel, 81 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff CF14 1DD, Wales, 44-0-29-20627465, swyddfa.office@ebcpcw.org.uk

+ Sheer Joy Music, 33 Balfour Street, Runcorn, Cheshire, England WA7 4PH, 01928-589210, orders@voicepublications.com


[5] South Bound Brook, New Jersey, United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter Cake Walk Benefits South Bound Brook Reformed Church Food Bank

Somerset Reporter writer Frank Mustac in an 18 December 2009 article titled “Daughters of the Confederacy Doing the Cake Walk,” describes the 5 December 2009 Christmas dinner meeting of the Isaac W.K. Handy Chapter 2658 of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, held at the Abraham Staats House in South Bound Brook, New Jersey. Donations were collected and a cake walk was conducted, with proceeds going to the food bank operated by the South Bound Brook Reformed Church (SBBRC) (Reformed Church in America).

SBBRC pastor the Rev. Martin Winters commented: “In today’s harsh economic climate, food banks everywhere are in need with more clients than ever. We appreciate the help of local organizations.”

+ The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, New Jersey 07102, 973-392-4161, garwady@starledger.com

+ United Daughters of the Confederacy, 328 North Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia 23220, 804-355-1636, Fax: 804-353-1396, hqudc@rcn.com

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


[6] Twelve Chicago, Illinois, PCUSA Churches Open Dialog with Six Islamic Centers

Representatives from twelve Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) congregations in the Chicago Presbytery and six Islamic Centers in the Chicago, Illinois, area have begun a one-year cooperative program of what is termed “interaction and introspection.”

At the 25 October 2009 organizational meeting, Muslim and PCUSA leaders made presentations on their histories, traditions and experiences, including the Rev. Mary Mikhael, president of the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon, who emphasized that personal relationships between Muslims and Christians, rather than books, are the most effective resource for interfaith understanding.

Zaher Sahloul, chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations (CAIR) of Greater Chicago, commented on the Islamic communities’ gratitude for the PCUSA’s advocacy of peace and stability in the Middle East.

At the conclusion of the event, both groups signed an agreement declaring “2009/2010 a time of Muslim/[PCUSA] dialogue for the expansion of understanding and relationship, of friendship and discovery between our two religious communities.”

The CAIRwatch website documents CAIR’s extensive ties to worldwide Islamic terrorism.

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

+ Council of Islamic Organizations (CAIR) of Greater Chicago, 231 South State Street, Chicago, Illinois 60604, 312-506-0070, Contact Page

+ CAIRwatch, 1440 Coral Ridge Drive #404, Coral Springs, Florida 33071, info@americansagainsthate.org


[7] Kelso, Washington, PCUSA Church Christmas Party Slightly Delayed by Dynamite Find

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported in a 17 December 2009 article that the Christmas party at the First Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)) in Kelso, Washington, was delayed (as it turned out) for only two minutes after earlier in the day, church pastor the Rev. Hanna Peterson found a stick of dynamite on a church bookcase, which most likely originated in a box of old items donated for a May 2009 church garage sale and was unknowingly placed on a bookshelf during the sorting process.

Ms. Peterson had a difficult time convincing emergency dispatchers that she had found a stick of dynamite and not a prescription bottle of nitroglycerine tablets. After two phone calls, a bomb squad from Portland, Oregon, was dispatched to safely dispose of the explosive.

As Strother Martin, the prison chain gang captain in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke said, “What we got here is failure to communicate.”

+ Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 101 Elliott Avenue West Suite 540, Seattle, Washington 98119, 206-448-8000, citydesk@seattlepi.com

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


[8] U.S. Forces and Civilians in Northern Iraq Subject to Punishment for Pregnancy or Impregnation of Another

Stars and Stripes writer Teri Weaver, in a 19 December 2009 article titled “U.S. Personnel in Iraq could Face Court-Martial for Getting Pregnant,” reports that Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo III, commander of Multi-National Division-North, including Balad, Kirkuk, Tikrit, Mosul, and Samarra, Iraq, on 5 November 2009, issued a new policy for soldiers and civilian workers that prohibits becoming pregnant or impregnating another applicable soldier or civilian that results in the redeployment of the pregnant soldier. The order also applies to a married couple where both are in Gen. Cucolo’s command.

Gen. Cucolo on 23 December 2009 clarified the order, saying that violators will not be subject to jail or to court martial, but only to administrative discipline.

+ Stars and Stripes, 529 14th Street Northwest Suite 350, Washington DC 20045, 033-404-9428, 033-408-8936, information@stripes.osd.mil


[9] 2010 Winter Conference at Ligonier Academy Scheduled 22-23 January 2010

The 2010 Winter Conference at Ligonier Academy in Orlando, Florida, is scheduled for 22-23 January 2010, and features speakers R.C. Sproul and Derek Thomas speaking on the conference theme “Suffering and the Sovereignty of God.”

Registration is US$59 through 8 January 2010 and US$69 thereafter, and is available by calling 800-435-4343, or by accessing http://www.ligonier.org/events/2010-winter/register/.

+ Ligonier Ministries, 400 Technology Park, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, 407-333-4244, Fax: 407-333-4233


[10] Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Spring Theology Conference Scheduled 9-11 March 2009

Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary has scheduled a Spring Theology Conference for 9-11 March 2010 at the Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church in America) in Simpsonville, South Carolina, on the conference theme “The Nature and Sufficiency of Scripture.” Speakers include Doctors Benjamin Shaw, Chad Van Dixhoorn, David Murray, Tony Curto, Mark Herzer, James White, and Joseph Pipa.

Registration is available at: http://www.gpts.edu/conference/src/registration.php, and costs vary depending on several factors.

+ Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 200 East Main Street, Post Office Box 690, Taylors, South Carolina, 29687, 864-322-2717, Fax: 864-322-2719, info@gpts.edu

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


[11] U.S. Senate Cloture Vote on Health Care Bill Described as “Ugly, Partisan, and Dangerous”

Cybercast News Service Senior Editor Senior Editor Susan Jones, in a 21 December 2009 article titled “Senate Health Care Bill 'Ugly, Partisan and Dangerous,' Conservatives Say,” describes the reactions of conservative leaders to the U.S. Senate cloture vote on the Health Care Bill after the defections of supposedly pro-life Senators Robert Casey of Pennsylvania and Ben Nelson of Nebraska, including Family Research Council President Tony Perkins describing the U.S. Senate’s middle –of-the-night cloture vote as an "ugly, partisan and dangerous process."

Reformed Presbyterian pastor and Director of the Christian Defense Coalition the Rev. Pat Mahoney said: Simply stated the Nelson compromise is not pro-life and will allow for abortions to be paid for with public money. It appears that Senator Nelson has sold out his pro- life principles and America's children for millions in subsidies to help Nebraska pay its Medicare and Medicaid costs….For the first time, a federally funded and managed health care plan will cover elective abortions. Let it be clear, Senator Ben Nelson can no longer claim to be champion for America's unborn children or pro-life hero. In the end, he sold America's children for a promised pot of gold. The pro-life community will work with greater passion to see that not one penny of public money is spent to pay for abortions in this healthcare legislation.

Faith and Action in the Nation’s Capital President Rob Schenck commented: “…[T]he pro-abortion, child-killing, anti-family juggernaut continues to swallow up politicians in its blood-soaked agenda to force all Americans to pay for abortions—in the guise of health care reform. The latest to cave in is Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska. His “deal” with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid not only signed death warrants for untold numbers of the yet-to-be-born, it also provided a stimulus package for the least regarded of the medical trade, abortion-for-hire.”

+ Cybercast News Service, 325 South Patrick, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 703-683-9733

+ Family Research Council, 801 G Street Northwest, Washington DC 20001, 202-393-2100, Fax: 202-393-2134, Contact Page

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

+ Christian Defense Coalition, Post Office Box 77168, Washington DC 20013, 202-547-1735, ChristianDefense@gmail.com

+ Faith and Action in the Nation’s Capital, 109 Second Avenue Northeast, Washington DC 20002, 202-546-8329, Fax: 202-546-6864, Info@FaithAndAction.org

[Clarification] Presbyterians Week for 16 December 2009 article [7] PCA SJC Instructs Pacific Northwest Presbytery to Prepare Indictment and Conduct Case against Teaching Elder Peter Leithart for Federal Vision Views

A Presbyterians Week reader correctly pointed out that proposed decision in the Leithart case referenced in the 16 December 2009 Presbyterians Week article [7], was written by a panel of the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC) of the Presbyterian Church in America, and will be considered for adoption by the SJC at their next meeting in March 2010.

The SJC panel’s proposed decision is available at http://www.exile-pc.org/docs/SJC%20Decision.pdf.

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

16 December 2009

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Pentecostal Televangelist and University Founder Oral Roberts, 91, Dies 15 December 2009
[2] Ecumenical Edinburgh 2010 Summit Celebrates 100^th Anniversary of 1910 World Missionary Conference
[3] Church of Scotland Endorses Legislated Minimum Prices on Alcoholic Beverages
[4] University of Edinburgh to Display 11^th Century Psalter in Latin
[5] U.S. Covenanter-Seceder Merged Church Returns to Scotland to Plant Churches
[6] Scots Highland Ecumenical Christmas Special Service to Air Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on BBC Alba
[7] PCA SJC Instructs Pacific Northwest Presbytery to Prepare Indictment and Conduct Case against Teaching Elder Peter Leithart for Federal Vision Views
[8] PCUSA Presbytery of Cincinnati Bans Minister Upholding G-6.0106b and Closes Church that Called the Minister
[9] Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) Protests Canadian Government Funds Cutoff to KAIROS
[10] Pennsylvania and Nebraska Senators being Reminded Vote for Health Care Bill Cloture is a Vote for Taxpayer Funded Abortion


[1] Pentecostal Televangelist and University Founder Oral Roberts, 91, Dies 15 December 2009

Pentecostal televangelist, author, and university founder Granville Oral Roberts, 91, died 15 December 2009, in Newport Beach, California, from complications of pneumonia.

Roberts founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1947, and in 1955, began broadcasting faith healing services on television that drew millions of viewers. In 1958, Roberts established the Abundant Life Prayer Group to provide prayer partners by telephone, twenty-four hour a day, and currently receives as many as 3000 calls per day.

Roberts established Oral Roberts University in 1963 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and served as university president until 1993. Roberts founded the City of Faith Medical and Research Center in 1981, which closed in 1989. Roberts authored more than 130 books and other inspirational material, including a seventy-four CD set titled “Oral Roberts Reading the New Testament with His Personal Commentary.”

Roberts was preceded in death by his wife Evelyn, eldest son Ronald, daughter Rebecca, and a grandson. Roberts is survived by son Richard and daughter Roberta Potts. No funeral or memorial arrangements have yet been announced, though the family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Oral Roberts Ministry Healing Missions Fund.

+ Oral Roberts Ministries, Post Office Box 2187, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74102, 918-591-2000

+ Examiner.com, 555 17th Street, Suite 700, Denver, Colorado 80202, contactus@examiner.com


[2] Ecumenical Edinburgh 2010 Summit Celebrates 100^th Anniversary of 1910 World Missionary Conference

A 9 December 2009 article in Ekklesia describes Edinburgh 2010, which will bring together 250 Christian leaders from around the world 2-6 June 2010, at the Church of Scotland (COS) Assembly Hall on the Mound and at the University of Edinburgh’s Pollock Halls on Holyrood Park Road, both in Edinburgh, Scotland, for a summit to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the 1910 World Missions Conference. The Church of England's Archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, is expected to deliver a keynote address.

Edinburgh 2010 General Council Chairman, the Rev. Andrew Anderson, pastor of Edinburgh’s Greenside Parish Church (COS), commented: “This is a unique project bringing together in an unprecedented way the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Anglican, and Evangelical Protestant Christians from around the world to work out a common vision for mission in the 21st century. All eyes will be on Scotland and Edinburgh next June, which is a huge honour for us, and a great opportunity to do something of lasting good as together we witness to Christ today.”

+ Ekklesia, 2nd Floor, 145-157 St. John Street, London EC1V 4PY, England, 0845 056 5445, press@ekklesia.co.uk

+ Edinburgh 2010, Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225 5722, 0131-226-6121, jadam@cofscotland.org.uk

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

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


[3] Church of Scotland Endorses Legislated Minimum Prices on Alcoholic Beverages

Writing in the 11 December Christian Today, Jenna Lyle reports that the Church of Scotland has endorsed provisions in the Alcohol Bill before the Scottish Parliament that would establish minimum retail prices on alcoholic beverages, thus making retailers’ buy-one-get-one-free offers illegal.

+ Christian Today, 200 Great Dover Street, London SE1 4YB, England, 020-7378-5705

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

+ The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh EH99 1SP, Scotland, 0131-348-5000, sp.info@scottish.parliament.uk


[4] University of Edinburgh to Display 11^th Century Psalter in Latin

Fiona Macleod, in an 11 December 2009 article in The Scotsman, reported that an 11^th century handwritten and illuminated Psalter went on display for the first time since 1967 at the University of Edinburgh’s newly refurbished exhibition room, and will be on exhibit there through 14 March 2010.

The Psalter is the oldest known book residing in Scotland, and was most likely produced by monks on the island of Iona, Scotland. The book has illuminations in vivid green, red, purple, and gold, and the Latin script remains bold and clear.

The exhibition of rare books includes a copy of Romeo and Juliet, printed during Shakespeare’s lifetime, and is the first book ever printed in Scots Gaelic.

+ The Scotsman, Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS, Scotland, 131-620-8620

+ University of Edinburgh, Old College, South Bridge, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, Scotland, 0131-650-1000, Fax: 0131-650-2147, communications.office@ed.ac.uk


[5] U.S. Covenanter-Seceder Merged Church Returns to Scotland to Plant Churches

227 years ago, Scots immigrants to the U.S. from the Covenanter Presbyterian Church and the Associate (Seceder) Presbyterian Church found their differences not applicable in the New World, and came together in 1782 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to form what is currently the Associate Reformed Presbyterian (ARP) Church.

On 1 December 2009, the first of a planned five-in-five years church plants in Scotland began in the Leith area of Edinburgh, pastored by Scotland-native the Rev. Athole Rennie. The church plant is a joint effort between the ARP First Presbytery, a commission from which ordained Rennie in Scotland on 3 November 2009, and Reformission Scotland, a group of Scots from several denominations wanting to separate from the theological liberalism prevalent in the Church of Scotland, and to “[plant] new, missional churches committed to the doctrines of grace” in Scotland.

The Fall 2009 issue of the ARP Board of Outreach North America’s Outreach Newsletter contains two articles of interest about the church plants, an article by Rennie titled “Church Planting in Scotland,” and another article titled “What is Reformission Scotland?”, by Ivor MacDonald, Chairman of Reformission Scotland.

Another Leith church was highlighted on the History of Leith blog in a 15 December 2009 article titled “St. Columba’s Church-Edinburgh,” inviting people to find out more about this Free Church of Scotland congregation described as “…evangelical in the reformed Presbyterian tradition,” with the goal of “bring[ing] glory to God and good to our neighbours and community by living out the Christian faith in life and worship. Christ has transformed our lives forever!”

+ Associate Reformed Presbyterian Center, 1 Cleveland Street Suite 110, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601, 864-232-8297, Fax: 864-271-3729

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

+ Reformission Scotland

+ History of Leith Blog, c/o John Arthur, 12-3 Craigmillar Castle Road,
Edinburgh, Scotland EH16 4AR, 0131-620-1545, Contact Page

+ 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


[6] Scots Highland Ecumenical Christmas Special Service to Air Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on BBC Alba

A 14 December 2009 article on the Ileach blog titled “Nollaig Bhon Ghàidhealtachd – A Highland Christmas on BBC Alba” announces an ecumenical Christmas service to be broadcast on BBC Alba on 24 December 2009, again on 25 December 2009, and as a radio broadcast on Radio nan Gàidheal on 25 December 2009.

The service is being held in the Ness Bank Church of Inverness, Scotland, and will be led by the Rev. K.D. MacLeod (Church of Scotland). Readings and prayers will be offered from the Rev. Ronnie Morrison (Free Church of Scotland) and Father James MacNeil (Roman Catholic).

Scheduled broadcast times and other details are available in the Ileach blog article.

+ Ileach Ltd., Main Street, Bowmore, Isle of Islay, Scotland PA43 7JH, 01496-810355, ileach@ileach.co.uk

+ BBC, 201 Wood Lane, London W12 7TS, England, Fax: 020-8008-2398

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

+ 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

+ The Vatican

[7] PCA SJC Instructs Pacific Northwest Presbytery to Prepare Indictment and Conduct Case against Teaching Elder Peter Leithart for Federal Vision Views

The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)’s Standing Judicial Commission (SJC), on 9 December 2009, issued a proposed decision in Judicial Case 2009-6 –- Complaint of [Teaching Elder] TE Jim Bordwine et al vs. Pacific Northwest Presbytery [PNW], concerning the PNW’s handling of reports from the PNW Study Committee appointed to examine TE Peter Leithart’s fitness to continue as a PCA TE in light of Leithart’s embrace of views commonly associated with what are termed Federal Vision (FV), New Perspective (NPP), and Auburn Avenue (AAT) theologies; said views declared to be out of accord with PCA Standards by the PCA 35^th General Assembly, adopting recommendations of the Ad Interim Committee on NPP, AAT, and FV.

The proposed SJC decision sustains the complaint, stating that PNW erred in its handling of reports from the PNW Study Committee appointed to examine TE Peter Leithart’s fitness to continue as a PCA TE, and sends the case back to PNW with instructions to institute process and appoint a prosecutor to prepare an indictment of TE Leithart and to conduct the case per BCO 31-2.

The PNW Study Committee, in October 2008, issued a majority report recommending that Leithart’s views be judged not out of accord with the fundamentals of PCA doctrine, while a minority report was issued with the opposite conclusion.

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


[8] PCUSA Presbytery of Cincinnati Bans Minister Upholding G-6.0106b and Closes Church that Called the Minister

Edward Terry of The Layman Online posted a 4 December 2009 article titled “Presbytery Bans Minister, Dissolves Church,” describing ordained for twenty-two years minister the Rev. Ian Lamont’s call to Seventh Presbyterian Church (SPC) in Cincinnati, Ohio, the subsequent vote of the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) Presbytery of Cincinnati (POC) to deny the call, and the 27 September 2009 final service at financially strong SPC prior to its October 2009 dissolution by the POC.

Terry’s article describes the concerns drafted by the POC used to deny Lamont’s call to SPC, and describes Lamont’s responses to the negative conclusions implied by the POC list, including a boost to the money paid to Lamont by Lamont’s previous church, of which several church members objected and one filed a complaint with the presbytery; the POC interpreting Lamont’s actions as Lamont describes, “…that I was doing something funny with the books – embezzling.” Lamont was not afforded the opportunity to officially defend himself from any of the POC concerns.

Lamont relates how the only theological questions asked during interviews with the POC were about his stances on women’s ordination and homosexuality, to which Lamont affirmed his adherence to the PCUSA Constitution and Confessions. Lamont believes that the POC’s perception of his theological conservatism is the real reason for his rejection by the POC.

Lamont recently had a scheduled telephone interview with a North Carolina church’s search committee cancelled abruptly with no explanation the day before the scheduled interview.

+ Presbyterian Lay Committee, Post Office Box 2210, Lenoir, North Carolina 28645, 828-758-8716, Fax: 828-758-0920, laymanletters@layman.org

+ Presbytery of Cincinnati, 1323 Myrtle Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206, 513-221-4850, Fax: 513-221-6601, mail@cpresby.org

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


[9] Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) Protests Canadian Government Funds Cutoff to KAIROS

The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) has sent a letter to the Canadian government protesting its decision to cut off funding to KAIROS, a church based non-governmental organization that includes seven of Canada’s largest denominations.

In the letter, the CRCNA calls on the Canadian government to reverse its decision as well and to improve communication between the government and KAIROS, an ecumenical partnership that works to promote human rights, justice and peace, viable human development, and ecological justice.

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

+ KAIROS Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, 310 Dupont Street, Suite 200, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5R 1V9, 416-463-5312, Fax: 416-463-5569, mcorkery@kairoscanada.org


[10] Pennsylvania and Nebraska Senators being Reminded Vote for Health Care Bill Cloture is a Vote for Taxpayer Funded Abortion

Christian Defense Coalition Director and Reformed Presbyterian pastor, the Rev. Pat Mahoney, and pro-life leaders from Pennsylvania, began on 15 December 2009, a two week campaign to remind U.S. Senate members Robert P. Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania and Ben Nelson of Nebraska that a vote for cloture on the Health Care Bill is actually a vote for taxpayer funded abortion. Cloture ends U.S. Senate debate on a bill and moves to an immediate vote on the matter, requiring sixty votes to invoke cloture.

The campaign began 15 December 2009 with a “pray-in” at Senator Casey’s U.S. Capitol office, and will continue over two weeks at events in Pennsylvania to encourage Senator Casey to not vote for cloture on the U.S. Senate health care legislation.

Mahoney commented: "The pro-life community wants to make it clear to Senator Casey and Senator Nelson that a vote for cloture is a vote for abortion. Since the United States Senate has enough votes to pass health care reform in it's final version, a cloture vote is a final vote…to support the bill. Even if Senator Casey and Senator Nelson vote against the bill in it's final passage, they cannot make the claim that they are pro-life….It is hard to imagine that Senator Casey and Senator Nelson would sponsor an amendment prohibiting public money from being use to pay for abortions and then…vote for cloture which guarantees that the health care bill would include taxpayer funded abortions….You cannot vote for cloture and consider yourself pro-life."

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

+ Christian Defense Coalition, Post Office Box 77168, Washington DC 20013, 202-547-1735, ChristianDefense@gmail.com

9 December 2009

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Ohio Supreme Court Rules Church Administrative Offices Taxable, Contrary to Prior Rulings that Non-Religious, Non-Profit Administrative Offices are Tax-Exempt
[2] Travis County, Texas, Property Taxes Fund Almost US$500,000 Per Year for Abortions
[3] Presbyterian Coalition Urges Presbytery Action in Preparation for PCUSA 219^th General Assembly in July 2010
[4] Michigan Abortion Clinic Chain Advertises Abortion as “Sacred Work”
[5] U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in Constituents Letters, Tells of Opposition to Abortion While Simultaneously Pressing Health Care Bill with Government Funded Abortion
[6] PCUSA’s John Knox Presbytery Paying for Congregational Annual Subscriptions to The Presbyterian Leader
[7] PCUSA Missionaries Serve with Reformed Church in Hungary Refugee Office
[8] Biblica Celebrates 200 Years of Translating and Distributing God’s Word Around the World
[9] Protestant Church in the Netherlands Synod Meeting Addresses Government, Church-State, and Baptism Issues
[10] Presbyterian Church in Taiwan Taichung Presbytery and Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand Auckland Presbytery Ink Partnership Agreement
[11] Church of Scotland to Experiment with “Locally Ordained Ministers” to Reduce One-in-Six Pulpit Vacancies
[12] Reformed Churches Weighing Necessity of Membership
[13] Dan Wooding of ASSIST News Service Interviews Robert A. and Donna Schuller in “Leaning into God: When Life Is Pushing you Away”
[14] Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Inaugural Lecture Posted on SermonAudio.com


[1] Ohio Supreme Court Rules Church Administrative Offices Taxable, Contrary to Prior Rulings that Non-Religious, Non-Profit Administrative Offices are Tax-Exempt

In a ruling filed 30 November 2009, the Ohio Supreme Court (OSC), in a four-to-three ruling, deemed that the administrative offices of a religious denomination can be assessed real estate taxes, even though the OSC has ruled in the past that administrative offices for other non-profit organizations including the Girl Scouts of America and the Visiting Nurses Association of America are exempt from real estate taxes.

The Alliance Defense Fund on 30 November 2009 filed a motion for reconsideration with the OSC, asking the court to apply the laws exempting non-profit organizations’ administrative offices from real estate taxes not be applied differently to religious organizations.

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


[2] Travis County, Texas, Property Taxes Fund Almost US$500,000 Per Year for Abortions

A 2 December 2009 report by Fox 7 in Austin, Texas, reports that for each of the past five years, almost $US500,000 of Travis County, Texas, property tax revenue was used by the Travis County Health Care District to pay for abortions.

+ Fox 7, 119 East 10th Street, Austin, Texas 78701, 512-476-7777, Contact Page

+ Travis County Health Care District, 1111 East Cesar Chavez Street, Suite B, Austin, Texas 78702, 512-978-8000, Fax: 512-978-8156, Contact Page

[3] Presbyterian Coalition Urges Presbytery Action in Preparation for PCUSA 219^th General Assembly in July 2010

In preparation for the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) 219^th General Assembly (GA) scheduled for 3-10 July 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, The Presbyterian Coalition (TPC) is urging PCUSA presbyteries to join TPC’s Renewal Team to serve in various capacities at the 219^th GA, to elect biblically faithful commissioners to represent the presbyteries at the 219^th GA, and to work in the presbyteries to send up or to concur with existing overtures in the following subject areas:

-- Civil Union & Christian Marriage
-- New Form of Government
-- Authoritative Interpretation
-- G-6.0106b
-- Heidelberg Catechism
-- Belhar Confession
-- Christian-Muslim Relations

TPC warns that attempts to remove the "fidelity and chastity" requirement for ordination in G-6.0106b, an effort to change the PCUSA definition of marriage from "a man and a woman" to "two persons," and an effort to adopt a new Form of Government that would provide for a radical inclusivity, in which "all persons or groups" -- regardless of what they believe or how they behave -- are guaranteed full participation and representation in church ...governance...., will all be undertaken at the 219^th GA, and that opposition to these proposed actions needs to be organized and undertaken immediately.

+ 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


[4] Michigan Abortion Clinic Chain Advertises Abortion as “Sacred Work”

A 4 December 2009 LifeSiteNews.com article by James Tillman titled: “Michigan Abortion Facility Advertizes Abortion as "Sacred Work,"” describes how the Northland “Family Planning Centers” of Michigan are advertising their services with a video titled "Every Day, Good Woman Choose Abortion," which describes abortion as “sacred work.”

One of the Northland video assertions says that "to have an abortion is a normal experience," and is a good decision; continues, saying "Goodness is courage, honesty, wisdom, risking for what you believe is right for you, making choices that are good for yourself;" and concludes, saying "Goodness is not perfection, it is not obedience, and it is not martyrdom."

The video goes on to say that the Northland staff believes in the “essential goodness” of abortion, and describes a sign in the abortion clinic that says "We do sacred work that honors women and the circle of life and death. When you come here, bring only love."

Tillman describes Northland as part of a group of abortionists called the “November Gang” that feature pre- and post-abortion counseling sessions that mimic pro-life groups like “Project Rachael,” with some abortuaries engaging in such bizarre practices as baptizing and praying over a baby's bloody remains, or admitting that abortion kills but anticipating God's forgiveness before the fact. Tillman additionally describes part of the Northland website that advises mothers aborting their unborn to write a letter "to the spirit of the child inside of them."

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

+ Northland Family Planning Center, 24450 Evergreen Road, Suite 220,
Southfield, Michigan 48075, 248-559-0590


[5] U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in Constituents Letters, Tells of Opposition to Abortion While Simultaneously Pressing Health Care Bill with Government Funded Abortion

A 3 December 2009 CNSNews.com article by Karen Schuberg titled “Harry Reid Responds to Critics of Abortion Funding in Senate Health Care Bill by Saying He Opposes Abortion” reports that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is answering letters sent by constituents in opposition to government funded abortion in the Health Care Bill by telling constituents that the senator is opposed to abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger.

Simultaneously, Reid is pressing through the U.S. Senate the Health Care Bill Reid released 18 November 2009 which contains provisions allowing the public option to include abortion coverage, permitting federal subsidies to go to private insurance plans that cover abortion, and mandating that the secretary of health and human services make certain that at least one insurance plan is available in the insurance exchange where people can buy insurance with federal subsidies that cover abortion.

+ Cybercast News Service, 325 South Patrick, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 703-683-9733

+ United States Senate, Washington DC 20510, 202-224-3121, ahazen@aoc.gov


[6] PCUSA’s John Knox Presbytery Paying for Congregational Annual Subscriptions to The Presbyterian Leader

The Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)’s Presbyterian Publishing Corporation has created The Presbyterian Leader, a new website providing leadership, worship, and doctrinal resources for PCUSA congregational leaders, with the full website access annual subscription rate of US$99.

The PCUSA’s John Knox Presbytery (JNP) recently announced that annual subscriptions for each congregation in the JNP will be provided by the JNP. The PPC then responded by offering a free trial subscription to all PCUSA presbytery and synod officials.

Subscription and ordering information is available at: https://www.thepresbyterianleader.com/ProductDetails.aspx?txtProductID=576

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

+ John Knox Presbytery, 1289 West Seminary Street, Richland Center, Wisconsin 53581, 608-647-8828, Fax: 608-647-3386, jkp@jknox.org

+ Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 800-227-2872, Fax: 800-541-5113, vpatton@presbypub.com


[7] PCUSA Missionaries Serve with Reformed Church in Hungary Refugee Office

The Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) News Office, on 3 December 2009, republished the Horizons article “Learning the Language of Love:
Hungary Missionaries Help Immigrants Adapt” by Carol Somplatsky-Jarman, which describes the work performed by PCUSA missionaries Joe and the Rev. Kathy Andress-Angi for the Reformed Church in Hungary’s refugee office.

Refugees from more than fifty countries are drawn to Hungary because of the ease of getting a Hungarian visa, but once in Hungary, the refugees face language barriers and the weakest economy in eastern Europe. Joe and Kathy Angi work with St. Columba’s Scottish Church in Budapest, Hungary, in the areas of jobs, housing, language acquisition, and community-building and support.

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

+ Reformed Church in Hungary, info@zsinatiiroda.hu


[8] Biblica Celebrates 200 Years of Translating and Distributing God’s Word Around the World

Biblica, the new name for the merged-in-2007 International Bible Society (IBS) and Send the Light, is celebrating the 200^th anniversary of the founding of the New York Bible Society (later renamed IBS) in December 1809.

Biblica in 1810 contributed US$1000 to William Carey for the project to translate the Bible into India’s Bengali language, and has since printed and distributed Bibles in almost seventy languages. In the coming year, Biblica plans to launch three new translations into African languages and one new translation into the Indian language Hindi.

+ Biblica, Post Office Box 35901, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80935, 719-488-9200, Contact Page


[9] Protestant Church in the Netherlands Synod Meeting Addresses Government, Church-State, and Baptism Issues

Writer Richard van Houten of the Reformed Ecumenical Council reports in a 4 December 2009 article titled “PKN Synod Affirms Constitutional State and Commemoration of Baptism,” that the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN) Synod met in mid-November 2009, and discussed what constitutes good state government, church-state relations, and received and approved a new handbook on baptism.

The PKN Synod concluded that the democratic, constitutional state is the best form of government, and affirmed desirable government values and values shared by both church and government. Church-state relations were discussed including such issues as whether or not the government should tax the church or support Christian schools.

The PKN Synod’s new handbook on baptism states that a person can only be baptized once, that the baptism of children and infants remains important, and a church ritual that commemorates and remembers one’s baptism and renews one’s commitment to live out one’s baptism, does not constitute a second baptism, but is an appropriate and tangible experience of remembrance.

The PKN has the largest membership of any protestant church in the Netherlands, and since 1 May 2004, is the continuation of three former churches, the Netherlands Reformed Church, the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

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

+ Protestant Church in the Netherlands, Postbus 8504, 3503 Utrecht, Netherlands, 880-18-80, 880-18-80, info@pkn.nl


[10] Presbyterian Church in Taiwan Taichung Presbytery and Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand Auckland Presbytery Ink Partnership Agreement

Li Hsin-ren and Lydia Ma, in the 30 November – 6 December 2009 issue of Taiwan Church News (TCN), report that on 10 November during a 9-20 November 2009 visit by Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) Taichung Presbytery Moderator Chen Bing-shiun’s and Assistant Moderator Lai Shin-sung’s to New Zealand, a partnership agreement was signed between the PCT Taichung Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Auckland Presbytery leaders. The PCT visitors additionally invited Auckland Presbytery leaders to attend the Taichung Presbytery’s 80th anniversary celebrations and the PCT General Assembly Meeting, both scheduled in 2010.

The TCN reporters point out that : “Because Taiwan and New Zealand share many geographical and demographical similarities, New Zealand churches are very eager to hear about and learn from the experiences of Taiwanese churches and their ministries.”

+ Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, 334 Youth Road, Tainan City, 70144 Taiwan, 886-6-235-6277, Fax: 886-6-237-8882, enews@pctpress.org

+ Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, Level 1, Terralink House, 275-283 Cuba Street, Post Office Box 9049, Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand, (04)-801-6000 Fax: (04)-801-6001, info@presbyterian.org.nz


[11] Church of Scotland to Experiment with “Locally Ordained Ministers” to Reduce One-in-Six Pulpit Vacancies

The Scotsman reporter David Leask writes in a 6 December 2009 article titled “Kirk Members to be 'Guinea Pig' Ministers,” that the Church of Scotland, in an effort to deal with pulpit vacancies in one of six COS churches, has begun an experiment to create “locally ordained ministers,” who would be ordained after eighteen months of training in their churches, normally located in the remotest areas of Scotland.

Five volunteers from the county and presbytery of Caithness, Scotland, will begin the experiment. Caithness has three ordained COS ministers for its fourteen churches.

+ The Scotsman, Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS, Scotland, 131-620-8620

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


[12] Reformed Churches Weighing Necessity of Membership

Holland Sentinel writer Peter Daining, in a 5 December 2009 article titled “Is Church Membership Meaningful?,” interviews Western Theological Seminary Vice-President of Advancement and Communication, Ken Neevel, about the declining importance of church membership, especially in new, independent churches.

Two of the four Holland, Michigan, ministers interviewed in the article included Victory Point Ministries (Christian Reformed Church in North America) pastor the Rev. Steve Rusticus, who questioned the necessity of church membership and the common attitude that church membership is something that you obtain like a gym membership, and Messiah's Independent Reformed Church pastor the Rev. Ken Anema, who believes that church membership helps foster strong ties to a particular church in a culture where many people continually move from church to church.

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

+ Western Theological Seminary, 101 East 13th Street, Holland, Michigan 49423, 800-392-8554, Contact Page

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

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


[13] Dan Wooding of ASSIST News Service Interviews Robert A. and Donna Schuller in “Leaning into God: When Life Is Pushing you Away”

Dan Wooding of ASSIST News Service has made available Wooding’s audio interview of Robert A. and Donna Schuller at:

http://www.assist-ministries.com/FrontPageRadio/DanWoodingInterviewwithRobertandDonnaSchullereditedMono.mp3

As reported in the 29 October 2008 Presbyterians Week article [7] Rev. Robert A. Schuller Removed as Senior Pastor of the Crystal Cathedral by Rev. Robert H. Schuller, the Rev. Robert H. Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral (RCA) in Garden Grove, California, announced 25 October 2008 that son, the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, was being removed from the position of preacher for the “Hour of Power.” The younger Schuller was reported to have begun preaching from the Bible on the “Hour of Power.”

The senior Schuller explained Robert A. Schuller’s dismissal, 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.”

+ Assist USA, Post Office Box 609, Lake Forest, California 92609, 949-380-1558, danjuma1@aol.com

+ 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(RCA), 4500 60th Street Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512, 800-968-6065, questions@rca.org


[14] Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Inaugural Lecture Posted on SermonAudio.com

Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Professor of Homiletics Dr. John Carrick on 4 December 2009 presented an Inaugural Lecture titled “The Extemporaneous Mode of Preaching,” which has been posted on SermonAudio.com:

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=124092165410

+ Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 200 East Main Street, Post Office Box 690, Taylors, South Carolina, 29687, 864-322-2717, Fax: 864-322-2719, info@gpts.edu