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