17 March 2010

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Jonah and Nineveh in 2010 - Haiti President Replaces Mardi Gras Festival with Three Days of Fasting and Prayer

[2] Erskine College and Theological Seminary Files Lawsuit against Associate Reformed Presbyterian General Synod

[3] Cornerstone Ministries Investments Bankruptcy Liquidation Plan Administrator Selects Special Counsel to Pursue Claims Arising from “[US]$140 Million Ponzi Scheme”

[4] Evangelical Presbyterian Church Interim Committee on Women Teaching Elders Releases Report Ahead of June 2010 GA Meeting
[5] Muslim Clergyman from Falls Church, Virginia 9/11 Mosque Offers Invocation before Virginia General Assembly on 11 March 2010

[6] Morocco Deports Christian Foster Families of Thirty-Four Orphan Children

[7] Evangelical Reformed Church of Angola Holds HIV/Aids Seminar 12-14 March 2010 in Luanda, Angola

[8] Internal Revenue Service Agents Visit Sacramento, California, Car Wash 10 March 2010 about US$0.04 Tax Debt from 2006

[9] U.S. Department of Education Buying Twenty-Seven Remington Model 870 Police Shotguns

[10] Geneva College Faculty Openings

[11] Naphtali Press and The Confessional Presbyterian Spring Sale

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[1] Jonah and Nineveh in 2010 - Haiti President Replaces Mardi Gras Festival with Three Days of Fasting and Prayer

A 16 March 2010 ASSIST News Service article by Jeremy Reynalds titled “Haitian Mardi Gras Festival Replaced with Three Days of Prayer and Fasting” reports that in the wake of the 12 January 2010, 7.0-magnitude earthquake, Haiti’s president René Préval, for the first time in Haiti’s history, cancelled the internationally attended annual Mardi Gras Festival, and instead called for three days of fasting and prayer 12-14 February 2010.

An estimated 1 million people, more than ten percent of Haiti’s population, gathered each of the three days across from the earthquake-collapsed National Palace, where a Haitian Christian leader said: “In unity and humility we cried out to God. One can truly assert that God has visited Haiti during these three days and has poured his shower of blessing and forgiveness over our nation….We closed the three days with seven tours around the National Palace (like Jericho). It took us four hours to make it because of the density of the crowd.”

Reciprocal Ministries International (RMI) reports that more than 3000 people professed faith in Jesus Christ during the three days, including 120 Voodoo priests. Another church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital and the center of the earthquake, reported over 2000 professions of faith.

RMI said that President Préval had been asked by Christian leaders for three years to set aside a national day of prayer, but had always refused for fear of offending the Voodoo practitioners and Roman Catholics. When Préval was contacted after the earthquake, three days of prayer and fasting were declared in lieu of the Mardi Gras Festival.

Resolutions coming out of the three days of prayer and fasting included:

-- that 12 January be declared an annual National Day of Reflection and Thanksgiving;

-- that 14 February be declared an annual day of National Prayer and Fasting;

-- that the Bible should be adopted as the spiritual constitution of the new Haiti and should be taught in all Haitian schools;

-- and, that the Haiti president should finish all official speeches with the words, “God bless Haiti.”

A YouTube video of the three day services is available at: http://www.allaboutgod.net/video/haiti-3-days-of-prayer

For further information on the spiritual situation in Haiti prior to the earthquake, please see the 6 January 2010 Presbyterians Week article “[4] Poverty Drives 225,000 Haitian Children into Slavery.”

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

+ Reciprocal Ministries International, 5475 Lee Street, Suite 301, Lehigh Acres, Florida 33971, 239-368-8390, Fax: 239-368-8325, rmioffice.florida@rminet.org

[2] Erskine College and Theological Seminary Files Lawsuit against Associate Reformed Presbyterian General Synod

A 12 March 2010 article in The Aquila Report by Don K. Clements titled “Erskine College, Plaintiff, vs. General Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian General Synod, Inc., Defendant,” describes the eight-page lawsuit filed at the Abbeville, South Carolina, Courthouse 10 March 2010 by Erskine College against the Associate Reformed Presbyterian General (ARP-GS) Synod, Inc.

The lawsuit alleges facts including that the ARP-GS has “resolved to usurp control of the operation of Erskine College,” that the ARP-GS changes to the Erskine Board of Trustees (BT) structure “causes Erskine College immediate and irreparable harm,” and that the removal of fourteen members of the BT as the suit alleges “without due process,” has caused “immediate and irreparable harm to those threatened Trustees.”

The “Cause of Action” portion of the lawsuit seeks a “Declaratory Judgment that the General Synod has no authority to remove members of Erskine’s Board of Trustees, that any attempted removal is unlawful and void….and that the Interim Board……be disbanded immediately,” and declares a “Civil Conspiracy in that the General Synod,” of whose actions are “combined for the purpose of injuring Erskine,” are “intended to injure Erskine and damage its mission,” and “to lose its academic independence, to lose its standing and accreditation, to creating a perception of instability which would discourage and inhibit the effectiveness of the ongoing College presidential search committee, and allow [the ARP-GS] to control the presidential search process for their own gain.”

The “Cause of Action” further seeks “[a] declaration that the General Synod has no authority to remove members of Erskine's Board of Trustees,” and asks “[f]or an award of actual and punitive damages in an amount to be determined by a Jury;…[f]or an award of reasonable attorney's fees and costs;…and “[f]or such other legal and equitable relief the Honorable Court deems just and proper.”

The ARP Catawba Presbytery moderator, upon resolutions for communal prayer received from the sessions of the Tirzah ARP Church in York, South Carolina, and the First ARP Church in Lancaster, South Carolina, has called meeting of Presbytery for the purpose of communal prayer for the ARP-GS and Erskine College and Seminary issue, and the individuals involved, for 25 March 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Union ARP Church in Richburg, South Carolina.

+ The Aquila Report, c/o Metokos Press, 211 Main Street, Suite 108, Narrows, Virginia 24124, 540-726-8223, operations@theaquilareport.com

+ ARPTalk Blog, wilson6114@bellsouth.net

+ Erskine College and Theological Seminary, Post Office Box 668, Due West, South Carolina, 800-770-6936, gaston@erskine.edu

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

[3] Cornerstone Ministries Investments Bankruptcy Liquidation Plan Administrator Selects Special Counsel to Pursue Claims Arising from “[US]$140 Million Ponzi Scheme”

Glass Ratner Capital and Advisory Group, LLC, the plan administrator overseeing the liquidation of the Chapter Eleven bankrupted Cornerstone Ministries Investments (CMI) has selected the law firm of Reid Davis LLP (RDLLP) to handle the claims associated with the collapse of CMI, which RDLLP characterizes as a “[US]$140 million Ponzi scheme.”

Mr. Jason Collins of Reid Davis will be the lead lawyer for the claims litigation. Mr. Collins is an attorney and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who handles all types of complex business and financial litigation with a special emphasis on financial fraud cases, insolvency disputes, fiduciary duty, and professional liability matters, and cross-border financial litigation.

Additionally, Mr. Collins is a member of the American Bar Association, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and the State Bar of Texas. Mr. Collins’ accounting credentials include an M.S. in Finance and B.B.A. in Accounting from Texas A&M University, where he graduated summa cum laude, finishing as the top student in his class, and served as a Mays Business School Fellow.

For further background information on the CMI bankruptcy and related matters, please see the 23 July 2008 Presbyterians Week and the 26 August 2009 Presbyterians Week.

+ Glass Ratner Capital and Advisory Group, LLC, Lenox Overlook, 3391 Peachtree Road, Suite 110, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, 678-904-1990, Fax: 678-904-1991

+ Reid Davis LLP, 4301 Westbank Drive, Building B, Suite 230, Austin, Texas 78746, 512-647-6100, Fax: 512-647-6129

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

[4] Evangelical Presbyterian Church Interim Committee on Women Teaching Elders Releases Report Ahead of June 2010 GA Meeting

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) Interim Committee on Women Teaching Elders released a unanimous report on 3 March 2010 to be presented for approval to the EPC 30th General Assembly in June 2010 containing recommendations from the committee meetings that were charged with exploring “…ways to include those pastors and churches with conflicting positions on women teaching elders in the presbyteries of the EPC.”

The report states: “The issue of women’s ordination, particularly as it applies to clergy, has been a test of our genuine commitment to the EPC motto: “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things charity….Women’s ordination is a non-essential issue about which faithful believers may have honest differences of biblical interpretation and practice. One’s view of women’s ordination is not an essential element to the catholic faith, Evangelical Protestantism, or the Reformed Tradition. The EPC has always affirmed that women’s ordination is a matter of biblical interpretation, not biblical authority.”

The primary recommendation of the report is that a congregation desiring to call a woman teaching elder should be allowed to “transfer from its current presbytery to an adjoining one that does receive women teaching elders.” The report additionally proposes a procedure for churches coming from a transitional presbytery or from a non-EPC context be placed in an appropriate presbytery, and that the Mid-America Presbytery (MAP) be split into two distinct presbyteries where one would retain the current MAP policy forbidding women teaching elders and the other would allow for women teaching elders.

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

+ Mid-America Presbytery, moderator@presbyteryofmidamerica.org

[5] Muslim Clergyman from Falls Church, Virginia 9/11 Mosque Offers Invocation before Virginia General Assembly on 11 March 2010

Muslim clergyman Johari Abdul-Malik of the 9/11 Mosque in Falls Church, Virginia, who has defended several convicted terrorists connected to his mosque, offered the opening invocation before the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, Virginia, on 11 March 2010.

The Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force (VAST) led a protest of Abdul-Malik’s appearance, and urged Virginia lawmakers to speak out against or boycott the invocation. Twelve Virginia legislators chose to boycott the event.

VAST Chairman James Lafferty commented: “Every day, some of Virginia’s finest young men and women are among those Americans who patrol Iraq and Afghanistan to protect us from the violent terrorists like this imam. They risk their lives for America’s safety. The least these lawmakers in Richmond can do is get out of their chairs and object to this imam’s presence at the opening of the General Assembly. This is an outrage.”

+ Traditional Values Coalition, 139 "C" Street Southeast, Washington DC 20003, 202-547-8570, Fax: 202-546-6403, mail@traditionalvalues.org

+ Virginia Anti-Shariah Task Force, Fairfax, Virginia, 703-931-2324,
jameslafferty@usa.net

+ Virginia General Assembly, Capitol Square, Richmond, Virginia 23219, 804-698-1619, information@sov.state.va.us

+ Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, 3159 Row Street, Falls Church, Virginia 22044, 703-536-1030, Fax: 703-536-1035

[6] Morocco Deports Christian Foster Families of Thirty-Four Orphan Children

A 14 March 2010 article from ASSIST News Service by Janey L. DeMeo titled “Americans Deported from Morocco – Forced to Abandon Orphans” reports that on 6 March 2010, Christian foster parents from several countries including an American family that cared for thirty-four Moroccan orphans at a Village of Hope (VOH) orphanage were ordered to leave Morocco, abandoning thirty-four orphan children being raised by the foster families.

Ms. DeMeo reports: “The VOH compound was legal and legitimate. The missionaries had openly stated their standing as Christians, and had accepted the conditions placed on them by the Moroccan government. Those limitations included the requisite that the children were to learn about Islam as well as Christianity and to be well acquainted with the Muslim culture. The missionaries honored this stipulation to a tee, trusting that God would use their obedience and reveal Himself to the children.”

Ms. DeMeo continues: “So why were the workers ordered to leave without any proven misdemeanor? The Bible answers that question. We are in a spiritual battle. And the battle is worsening. Hostility towards Christians is increasing worldwide, and with it, hostility to children—particularly orphans. This is a time when we, the body of Christ, need to step up our prayer quota and stand in the gap for the children and the nations. Morocco’s children need our prayers more than ever—as do the children worldwide.”

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

[7] Evangelical Reformed Church of Angola Holds HIV/Aids Seminar 12-14 March 2010 in Luanda, Angola

A 15 March 2010 article on the Angola Press Society website reports on the HIV/Aids Workshop conducted by the Evangelical Reformed Church of Angola (ERCA) 12-14 March 2010 in Luanda, Angola. Discussions on the “History of HIV/Aids,” “ Contamination and Symptoms,” “ The Epidemiological Situation in the World and Angola,” and “HIV/AIDS in Biblical Context: Churches and Prevention Measures,” were included.

During closing ceremonies, the ERCA praised the efforts of the Angolan government in the fight against HIV/Aids. Workshop participants requested that the Angolan government publicize and enforce the law prohibiting requiring prospective employees to take an HIV/Aids test.

+ Angola Press Society, 16 Road Rei Katyavala, Luanda, Angola, 44-6771, Fax : 44-7336, angop@netangola.com

+ Evangelical Reformed Church of Angola, Rua Rainha Ginga 75; Andar 4, Apartment 1, 2 e 16, Caixa Postal 2594 C, Luanda, Angola, 244-222-39-4586, Fax: 244-222-39-4586, iera_cdg@yahoo.com.br

[8] Internal Revenue Service Agents Visit Sacramento, California, Car Wash 10 March 2010 about US$0.04 Tax Debt from 2006

A 13 March 2010 article titled “IRS Visits Sacramento Carwash in Pursuit of Four Cents” in Bob Shallit’s Business column in the Sacramento Bee reports that on 10 March 2010, two Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents paid a visit to Harv’s Metro Car Wash in Sacramento, California, to demand payment of a US$0.04 in delinquent taxes from 2006, which had grown to US$202.35 with penalties and interest.

The car wash owner described the IRS agents as “deadly serious, very aggressive, very condescending” and “rude,” and suggests that the IRS “may have a problem with priorities." Additionally, the car wash owner provided Mr. Shallit with a 22 October 2009 letter from the IRS that states Harv's "has filed all required returns and addressed any balances due."

+ The Sacramento Bee, 2100 Q Street, Sacramento, California 95816, 916-321-1000, Contact Page

+ Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20224, 202-622-5164, Fax: 202-622-8653

[9] U.S. Department of Education Buying Twenty-Seven Remington Model 870 Police Shotguns

The U.S. Department of Education issued an 8 March 2010 solicitation EDOOIG-10-000004 for the purchase of twenty-seven Remington Model 870 police, twelve gauge shotguns with fourteen-inch Parkerized choke, modified sight, and “ghost ring rear Wilson combat.”

The required delivery date is 22 March 2010.

+ General Services Administration, Federal Service Desk, 866-606-8220

+ U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue Southwest, Washington DC 20202, 202-401-2000

[10] Geneva College Faculty Openings

Faculty positions currently available at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, include:

-- Department of Business and Accounting Management

-- Electrical or Computer Engineering

-- Literacy/Reading Education Faculty

-- MA in Counseling Program Faculty

-- Reference Instruction Librarian

+ Geneva College, 3200 College Avenue, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania 15010, 724-846-5100, Fax: 724.847.6696, pr@geneva.edu

[11] Naphtali Press and The Confessional Presbyterian Spring Sale

The Confessional Presbyterian and Naphtali Press are having a 2010 Spring Sale with significant discounts on the James Durham and Robert L. Dabney Book Bundle, Westminster Larger Catechism Manuscripts, the Solemn League & Covenant Large Broadside, and Volumes I –V of The Confessional Presbyterian.

+ Naphtali Press, Post Office Box 141084, Dallas, Texas 75214, naphtali@naphtali.com

+ The Confessional Presbyterian, Post Office Box 141084, Dallas, Texas 75214