11 February 2009

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] U.S. Senate Votes to Require Higher Education Institutions Receiving Federal Stimulus Funds to Oust Religious Groups from Campus Facilities
[2] Bill Introduced in U.S. House of Representatives to Establish Network of FEMA Camps on Military Reservations to House U.S. Civilians in the Event of a National Emergency
[3] California Federal Judge Rules San Diego State and Long Beach State Christian Groups Cannot Limit Membership to Christians and Proponents of Exclusive Biblical Sexuality
[4] PCUSA Committee Appointed to Study Civil Union and Christian Marriage
[5] PCUSA Leaders Attend Inaugural Prayer Service
[6] Christian Defense Coalition Calls on President Obama to Withdraw Consideration of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for Secretary of Health and Human Services
[7] Association for Church Renewal to Meet 9-10 March 2009 in Arlington, Virginia
[8] New Wineskins/Evangelical Presbyterian Church Transitional Presbytery Commission Withdraws Affinity Presbytery Proposal
[9] Conway Celebration Church of Conway, Arkansas Assists Reformed Church of Nepal
[10] February 2009 Reformation Voice Available for Download
[11] Reformed Presbyterian Witness is 125 Years Old


[1] U.S. Senate Votes to Require Higher Education Institutions Receiving Federal Stimulus Funds to Oust Religious Groups from Campus Facilities

The economic stimulus bill currently under consideration by the U.S. Senate contains provisions requiring that higher education institutions receiving federal stimulus funds deny access to religious groups desiring to use the institutions’ facilities.

An amendment put forward by Senator Jim DeMint to invalidate the discriminatory provisions of the bill was defeated on 5 February 2009 by a vote of forty-three in favor, fifty-four against, and two not voting.

The American Center for Law and Justice promises to challenge these discriminatory provisions in federal court if the they remain in a stimulus package passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by U.S. President Barrack Hussein Obama.

+ American Center for Law and Justice, Post Office Box 90555, Washington DC 20090, 757-226-2489, Fax: 757-226-2836


[2] Bill Introduced in U.S. House of Representatives to Establish Network of FEMA Camps on Military Reservations to House U.S. Civilians in the Event of a National Emergency

U.S. Representative Alcee L. Hastings, a former federal judge who was by the U.S. Congress impeached, convicted, and removed from the federal bench for corruption and perjury before being elected a representative, has introduced the National Emergency Centers Act (HR 645), a bill that authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to set up a network of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) camp facilities on military reservations to be used to house U.S. citizens in the event of a national emergency.

The proposed legislation establishes the camps to provide “temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and families dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster,” and to “provide centralized locations to improve the coordination of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts of government, private, and not-for-profit entities and faith-based organizations.”

HR 645 additionally provides that the camps can be used to “meet other appropriate needs, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security,” which is feared could mean the forced detention of U.S. citizens in the event of disorder after a national emergency or in the case of total economic collapse.

The bill appears to delegate authority to the U.S. President, as detailed in the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, to declare an emergency and take over the direction of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments unilaterally, without consultation with the U.S. Congress.

+ Centre for Research on Globalization, 11 Notre-Dame Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 4A7, Canada, crgeditor@yahoo.com


[3] California Federal Judge Rules San Diego State and Long Beach State Christian Groups Cannot Limit Membership to Christians and Proponents of Exclusive Biblical Sexuality

U.S. District Judge Larry A. Burns of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, appointed by U.S. President George W. Bush in 2003, ruled on 6 February 2009 that San Diego State and Long Beach State Universities can prohibit Christian student organizations, fraternities, and sororities from limiting their membership to professing Christians and those who believe in exclusive biblical sexuality.

In his Every Nation Campus Ministries v. Achtenberg ruling, Burns said that the schools’ nondiscrimination policy was intended to regulate conduct, not speech or association, and stated that this policy “burdens Plaintiffs’ [Every Nation Campus Ministry’s] expressive activity, if at all, only incidentally, while at the same time furthering a legitimate interest in providing all students with the opportunity to participate in the full range of student activities supported by the university.”

A spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund said that the decision would likely be appealed.

+ First Amendment Center, 1207 18th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, 615-727-1600, info@fac.org

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


[4] PCUSA Committee Appointed to Study Civil Union and Christian Marriage

Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) Moderator of the 218th (2008) General Assembly (GA218), the Reverend Bruce Reyes-Chow, has appointed thirteen members to the GA218-chartered Special Committee to Study Issues of Civil Union and Christian Marriage.

The committee is to study the history of the laws governing marriage and civil union, including current policy debates; how the theology and practice of marriage have developed in the Reformed and broader Christian tradition; the relationship between civil union and Christian marriage; the effects of current laws on same-gender partners and their children; and the place of covenanted same-gender partnerships in the Christian community.

A report of the committee’s findings will be presented to the 219^th General Assembly, scheduled for the summer of 2009 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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


[5] PCUSA Leaders Attend Inaugural Prayer Service

Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) leaders Gradye Parsons, stated clerk of the General Assembly, Bruce Reyes-Chow, moderator of the 218th General Assembly, and Linda Valentine, executive director of the General Assembly Council attended the 56th Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service held 21 January 2009 at the National Cathedral in Washington DC.

Representatives from other Protestant denominations as well as representatives from Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Hindu faiths were among those in attendance, and they all sat together at the service. Valentine stated, “Just to see three or four rows of all these religious leaders from so many religious expressions was really an inspiring sight. There was just a real sense of reverence.”

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


[6] Christian Defense Coalition Calls on President Obama to Withdraw Consideration of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for Secretary of Health and Human Services

The Christian Defense Coalition on 10 February 2009 called upon President Barrack Hussein Obama to withdraw consideration of Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) due to her close ties to late-term abortionist George Tiller, her veto of a Kansas bill that would have reduced late-term and coerced abortions, and because Sebelius’ appointment would open the door for taxpayer funded abortions which was a strong part of the Presidents’ healthcare plan during his campaign.

Reformed Presbyterian pastor and Director of the Christian Defense Coalition the Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney said, “On the campaign trail, President Obama talked about his desire to reduce the number of abortions. This was especially true in his talks with faith groups and organizations. However, President Obama's policies put him in direct conflict with his promises.”

"The Christian Defense Coalition and other groups warned Americans if Barack Obama were elected he would become 'The Abortion President.' This became a reality when only days into his Presidency, Mr. Obama reversed the Mexico City Policy which will greatly expand abortions worldwide. It is tragic to consider that the first promise President Obama broke in office was his promise to reduce abortions.”

"Now he is considering appointing one of the most radical pro-abortion politicians in the country as the HHS Secretary. It is difficult to imagine that on the campaign trail President Obama talked about unity and the danger of extremism.”

+ Christian Defense Coalition, 540-538-4741


[7] Association for Church Renewal to Meet 9-10 March 2009 in Arlington, Virginia

The Association For Church Renewal (ACR) will meet at the Holiday Inn – Rosslyn Key Bridge in Arlington, Virginia 9-10 March 2009.

In conjunction with that meeting, ACR leaders are prayerfully considering a joint statement to the press and the church, "Declaring a state of Crisis in the North American Church and a call for Repentance and Renewal".

Meeting registration and other information can be obtained by email at Renewall.acr@gmail.com or by phone at 603-867-7711.

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


[8] New Wineskins/Evangelical Presbyterian Church Transitional Presbytery Commission Withdraws Affinity Presbytery Proposal

The New Wineskins/Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) Transitional Presbytery Commission is withdrawing its earlier Affinity Presbytery proposal, which would have gone to the EPC 2009 General Assembly for consideration, and called for the creation of a permanent, non-geographic affinity presbytery.

+ New Wineskins Association of Churches, 8800 Peebles Road, Allison Park, Pennsylvania 15101, 888-754-9693, info@newwineskinsassociation.org

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


[9] Conway Celebration Church of Conway, Arkansas Assists Reformed Church of Nepal

Pastor Cary Cox and Elder Steve Wingo of Reformed Baptist Conway Celebration Church in Conway, Arkansas, recently traveled to Nepal to meet with church planter since 1980, Ram Nepal, and the Himalayan country’s President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, who was elected in 2008 following the abdication of the country’s king.

Pastor Cox said that church planter Nepal was born in Nepal into a Hindu family, became a Christian at an early age, and planted 300 churches in his home country while Christianity was still illegal. Cox tells how church planter Nepal was imprisoned several times, and while imprisoned met several politicians that had been imprisoned for their faith. When persecution of Christians in Nepal reached the point where church planter Nepal was receiving death threats, Nepal fled the country and came to Dallas, Texas where he founded a church for Asian immigrants called International Christian Fellowship and established another church in Washington DC.

Cox goes on to describe how church planter Nepal’s family and orphans Nepal had raised kept the churches going in his absence and planted other churches. After the Hindu Yadav became Nepal’s first democratically elected leader, freedom of worship was given to Nepali Christians.

All of the churches planted by Ram Nepal are organized under the name Reformed Church of Nepal (RCN), and church planter Nepal has assembled a group of U.S. pastors to help train RCN pastors. The RCN churches additionally sponsor orphanages and schools for the orphans and for children in the church’s communities.

+ The Log Cabin Democrat, 1058 Front Street, Conway, Arkansas 72032, 501- 327-6621, Fax: 501-327-6787, scott.morrissey@thecabin.net

+ Reformed Church of Nepal, G. Post Office Box 3230, Kathmandu, Nepal, 977-1-5528320, Fax: 977-1-5534885, reformednepal@wlink.com.np

+ Association of Charismatic Reformed Churches, 695 Eagles Nest Drive, Austin, Arkansas 72007, 501-982-7756, kirkandliz@gmail.com


[10] February 2009 Reformation Voice Available for Download

The February 2009 Reformation Voice is available for download at the Heidelberg Reformation Association website.

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


[11] Reformed Presbyterian Witness is 125 Years Old

The January 2009 issue of Reformed Presbyterian Witness (RPW) marks the 125^th anniversary of the publication, and contains several articles about Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America publications and the RPW under the direction of various editors during the publication’s history.

+ Crown & Covenant Publications, 7408 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-241-0436, info@crownandcovenant.com

+ Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), 7408 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-731-1177, Fax: 412-731-8861