Presbyterians Week Headlines
[1] Correction - Scotti Semper Liberi, Almost, and Sometimes Presbyterian
[2] PCA Presbytery Consideration of Administrative Committee Funding BCO Amendments Begins
[3] Former United Church of Christ President Divorcing Wife and Pursuing Adulterous Relationship with Former National UCC Staffer
[4] Married Church of Scotland Minister Suspended for Relationship with Widow in Congregation whose Husband he Helped Bury
[5] Church of Scotland Minister Selected for Top Chaplaincy Post in the Royal Navy
[6] Free Church of Scotland Holds “Worship Wars” Conference to Debate Continuation of Unaccompanied Exclusive Psalmody
[7] Heidelberg Theological Seminary Moves to Sioux Falls, South Dakota
[8] László Megyeri, Secretary Treasurer of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America (HRFA), Decorated 20 August 2010 with the Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
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[1] Correction - Scotti Semper Liberi, Almost, and Sometimes Presbyterian
The editor has again tripped over Scotland’s Free Churches, again referencing the Free Church of Scotland instead of the correct reference to the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
The 18 August 2010 Presbyterians article “[6] Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, Urges Sheriffs and Judges to Consider Biblical Principles when Presiding over Court Cases” should have said that Lord Mackay is a former elder in the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
The editor again extends apologies to both august bodies and to Lord Mackay, and promises in the future to better proofread the Scots Free Church references.
The editor has additionally determined that if he ever gets to visit Scotland, that a pseudonym may be needed for protection (from embarrassment), and that the editor’s first and middle names might be appropriate to use, i.e., Robert Bruce.
+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org
+ 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
+ Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, c/o Rev. Donald A. Ross, Free Presbyterian Manse, Laide, Ross-shire IV22 2NB, Scotland, daross@donaldalexander.freeserve.co.uk
[2] PCA Presbytery Consideration of Administrative Committee Funding BCO Amendments Begins
Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) are beginning to consider the Book of Church Order (BCO) amendments approved at the 38th (2010) General Assembly regarding the Funding Plan for the Administrative Committee.
Blue Ridge Presbytery (BRP) will be hosting a discussion on 18 September 2010 in Roanoke, Virginia, on the proposed amendments at a non-stated meeting. Teaching Elder (TE) David Silvernail, a member of the Administrative Committee, will present reasons for voting in favor and TE Dominic Aquila will present reasons for voting against; each of whom will have twenty minutes to present. There will be questions from the floor. It is expected that the entire meeting will be audio recorded and that both twenty-minute presentations will be video recorded, and that these recordings will be made available for purchase with the BRP subsequently providing details.
A document titled “Reasons for Voting Against Amending BCO 14-1 (4) and 14-2:
The Funding Plan for the Administrative Committee” has been made available for TE’s and RE’s to study in advance of their presbytery’s consideration of the BCO amendments, and is reproduced here:
http://christianobserver.org/reasons-for-voting-against-the-funding-plan-for-the-pca-administrative-committee/
A majority vote of twenty-seven or more presbyteries for or against the BCO amendments is needed for their respective passage or rejection.
+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org
+ Blue Ridge Presbytery
[3] Former United Church of Christ President Divorcing Wife and Pursuing Adulterous Relationship with Former National UCC Staffer
A 20 August 2010 media advisory from the Biblical Witness Fellowship (BWF), a confessing movement in the United Church of Christ (UCC), states:
“Dr. John Thomas, who completed his final term as President of the [UCC] in September 2009, recently announced that he is living in an adulterous relationship with a fellow national UCC staff member and is consequently separated from and divorcing his wife. The duration of the adulterous relationship with his co-worker, engaged in while he served as President of the UCC in Cleveland, or whether she was a subordinate has not been revealed.”
The BWF responded to the news by saying:
"It is a great sadness for all of us that our former President John Thomas has broken his covenant commitment to marriage in exchange for an adulterous relationship. His action deepens the crisis of integrity in the UCC with consequences well beyond the tragic dissolution of his own family. During his administration, Dr. Thomas was a champion for the religious legitimization of sexual license and the redefinition of marriage. It now appears that his agenda may have been driven by personal justification of his own behavior rather than by any authentic conviction. The whole church is deeply hurt when our leaders fail to keep their vows and engage in this form of duplicity. It compromises the witness of all of us in the body of Christ. We understand that all of us sin and fall short of the glory of God, and call on our brother John Thomas to repent and seek restoration."
The UCC Collegium of Officers issued a 16 August 2010 statement titled “Collegium Underscores Denomination's Review Processes in Wake of Information from Former [General Minister President],” which underscored support for UCC processes in place to handle matters that can impact the wider church.
+ United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, 216-736-2100, ogm@ucc.org
+ Biblical Witness Fellowship, c/o Clifford & Associates, 4150 Belden Village Street Northwest, Suite 601, Canton, Ohio 44718, areformer@aol.com
[4] Married Church of Scotland Minister Suspended for Relationship with Widow in Congregation whose Husband he Helped Bury
A 24 August 2010 article in the Daily Express titled “Kirk Kicks Shamed Minister Out of Manse over Affair with Widow” reports that the Judicial Commission of the Church of Scotland, on 20 August 2010, suspended from the ministry for a minimum of two years married father of two the Rev. Michael Erskine for having an affair with a widow in the congregation whose husband he helped bury. Erskine has additionally been evicted from the manse of the Crail and Kingsbarns Church in Fife, Scotland, where he had been minister for almost eight years.
Details of the affair were first reported to the Presbytery of St. Andrews in March 2010.
Erskine is now separated from his wife Jill, and currently lives in Crail, Scotland, with his teenage son and daughter.
+ Daily Express, The Northern & Shell Building, Number 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN, England, 0871-434-1010, expressletters@express.co.uk
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722
+ Presbytery of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, Contact Page
[5] Church of Scotland Minister Selected for Top Chaplaincy Post in the Royal Navy
An 18 August 2010 article on AllScotlandMedia.com titled “Kirk Minister Selected for Top Chaplaincy Post in Royal Navy” reports that the Rev. Scott J. Brown, QHC Royal Navy, will assume the post of Chaplain of the Fleet and Director General Naval Chaplaincy Service on 1 November 2010, succeeding the Venerable John Green CB QHC.
+ AllScotlandMedia.com, Third floor, 44 Hanover Street, Edinburgh EH2 2DR, Scotland, 7710-721-478, info@allmediascotland.com
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722
[6] Free Church of Scotland Holds “Worship Wars” Conference to Debate Continuation of Unaccompanied Exclusive Psalmody
A 20 August 2010 Press and Journal article by Alex MacLeod titled “Free Church in ‘Worship Wars’ Dispute” reports that the Free Church of Scotland (FCS) held a 23-24 August 2010 conference in Dingwall, Scotland, to debate proposals to include musical instruments and hymns in worship services, contrary to the longstanding FCS policy of exclusive unaccompanied psalmody for use in worship services. Proponents of the changes believe that potential new members and Church of Scotland congregations disaffected by the Kirk’s appointment of a homosexual minister are more likely to choose the FCS if worship services are opened to musical instruments and hymns.
The FCS board of trustees will subsequently make a final recommendation regarding worship music that will be acted upon by a special FCS assembly in November 2010.
+ Press and Journal, Lang Stracht, Mastrick, Aberdeen AB15 6DF, Scotland, 01224-343311, pj.newsdesk@ajl.co.uk
+ 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
[7] Heidelberg Theological Seminary Moves to Sioux Falls, South Dakota
A 21 August 2010 article by Megan Luther in the Argus Leader titled “Reformed Church moves seminary to Sioux Falls” reports that Heidelberg Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in the United States has moved from Vermillion, South Dakota, to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and will begin classes the second week of September 2010 at the Trinity Reformed Church, which on 15 August 2010 dedicated a new US$520,000 building addition for seminary classes and Sunday school programs.
The move was undertaken to give students the support of a larger congregation, and to give them better access to jobs and housing.
+ Argus Leader, 200 South Minnesota Avenue, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104, 605-331-2200, Contact Page
+ Heidelberg Theological Seminary, 7301 South Louise Avenue, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57108, 309-657-1384, Contact Page
+ Reformed Church in the United States, Post Office Box 486, Eureka, South Dakota 57437
[8] László Megyeri, Secretary Treasurer of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America (HRFA), Decorated 20 August 2010 with the Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
On the 20 August 2010 Hungarian National Holiday at the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Washington DC, Ambassador of Hungary to the U.S. H.E. Mr. Béla Szombati decorated László Megyeri, Secretary Treasurer of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America (HRFA), with the Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary for his outstanding behavior during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, his promotion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership of Hungary, and his achievements among Hungarian Americans.
From 1982 to 1995, László Megyeri worked for different committees of the U.S. Congress. From 1995 to 2000, Megyeri primarily dealt with immigration cases as a lawyer. Starting in 2000, Megyeri began supporting Hungarian Americans as the legal advisor of the HRFA. Since 2003, Megyeri has been the secretary treasurer of the HRFA. He is a retired lieutenant colonel of the United States Army Reserve.
+ Embassy of the Republic of Hungary, 3910 Shoemaker Street Northwest, Washington DC 20008, 202-362-6730, Fax: 202-966-8135, ambassador.was@kum.hu
+ Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, 2001 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20036-1011, 202-328-2630, 202- 328-7984, hrfa@hrfa.org
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
25 August 2010
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
18 August 2010
Presbyterians Week Headlines
[1] At White House Ramadan Celebration, U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama Endorses Building Mosque Near Site of 11 September 2001 Attack on New York City by Muslim Terrorists that Killed More than 2000 People
[2] National Council of Churches President Dr. Michael Kinnamon Releases 13 August 2010 Statement to Support Building Mosque Near Site of 11 September 2001 Attack on New York City
[3] MEMRI Broadcasts “Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-Arifi: The Desire to Shed Blood, Smash Skulls, and Sever Limbs for the Sake of Allah Is an Honor for the Believer”
[4] Muslim Leaders in Bridgeport, Connecticut Seek to Ban Gospel of Jesus Christ from Vicinity of Mosques
[5] United Kingdom Ministry of Defense Moving toward Appointment of Humanist Chaplains for Atheist Members of Armed Forces
[6] Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, Urges Sheriffs and Judges to Consider Biblical Principles when Presiding over Court Cases
[7] Scottish Government and Church of Scotland Unveil Plans to Mark 450th Anniversary of the Scottish Reformation
[8] Outgoing Presbyterian Church of Ghana Moderator Tells General Assembly Delegates not to Depend on Tithes and Offerings
[9] Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa Moderator Takes Stand against Evolution
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[1] At White House Ramadan Celebration, U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama Endorses Building Mosque Near Site of 11 September 2001 Attack on New York City by Muslim Terrorists that Killed More than 2000 People
A 13 August 2010 article by Abby Phillip and Maggie Haberman in the Free Lance-Star titled “Obama Stands Up for Ground Zero Mosque” reports that at a 13 August 2010 Ramadan celebration at the White House, U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama endorsed plans to build an Islamic mosque near ground zero of the Islamic terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, that killed over 2000 people.
Obama commented: “But let me be clear: as a citizen, and as President, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.”
A 16 August 2010 The Daily Mail article titled “Obama Backtracks over Ground Zero Mosque after Furious 9/11 Families Label Him 'Insensitive And Uncaring'” reported:
“The U.S. President was hit by a furious backlash from victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks after he backed the highly controversial plans in a speech on Friday.”
Obama reacted to the barrage of criticism, saying:
“I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making a decision to put a mosque there I was commenting very specifically on the right that people have that dates back to our founding….[M]y intention was simply to let people know what I thought. Which was that in this country we treat everybody equally and in accordance with the law, regardless of race, regardless of religion.”
The White House subsequently insisted that Obama was not repudiating his initial comments.
+ The Free Lance-Star Publishing Co., 616 Amelia Street, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401, 540-374-5000, newsroom@fredericksburg.com
+ The Daily Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT, England, 020-7938-6000, news@dailymail.co.uk
+ The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20500, 202-456-1414, Fax: 202-456-2461, Contact Page
[2] National Council of Churches President Dr. Michael Kinnamon Releases 13 August 2010 Statement to Support Building Mosque Near Site of 11 September 2001 Attack on New York City
National Council of Churches (NCC) President Dr. Michael Kinnamon on 13 August 2010 released a statement endorsing plans to build an Islamic mosque near ground zero of the Islamic terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, New York, that killed over 2000 people.
Kinnamon commented: “It is that narrow-minded intolerance that has led to the outcry against the building of Cordova House and Mosque near Ground Zero. It is the same ignorance that has led many to the outrageous conclusion that all Muslims advocate hatred and violence against non-Muslims. It is the same ignorance that has led to hate crimes and systematic discrimination against Muslims, and to calls to burn the Qur'an.”
Kinnamon added: “Christ calls us to 'love your neighbor as yourself' (Matthew 22:39). It is this commandment, more than the simple bonds of our common humanity, which is the basis for our relationship with Muslims around the world.”
+ National Council of Churches, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 880, New York, New York 10115
[3] MEMRI Broadcasts “Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-Arifi: The Desire to Shed Blood, Smash Skulls, and Sever Limbs for the Sake of Allah Is an Honor for the Believer”
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has published on its website a film and transcript of the 19 July 2010 of Egyptian Al-Rahma TV broadcast “Saudi Cleric Muhammad Al-Arifi: The Desire to Shed Blood, Smash Skulls, and Sever Limbs for the Sake of Allah Is an Honor for the Believer.”
Excerpts of the broadcast include comments by Muhammad Al-Arifi such as:
“There is no doubt that a person whom Allah enables to sacrifice his soul, and to fight for the sake of Allah, has been graced with a great honor. The Prophet Muhammad said that the dust of battle for the sake of Allah and the smoke of Hell shall never meet in a man's nose…
“Devotion to Jihad for the sake of Allah, and the desire to shed blood, to smash skulls and to sever limbs for the sake of Allah and in defense of His religion, is, undoubtedly, an honor for the believer…
“Allah said that if a man fights the infidels, the infidels will be unable to prepare to fight [the Muslims]. By Allah, the infidel countries today – the US and its allies – dare to fight the Muslims, to rape their women and turn them into widows, and to inflict their corruption on Islam and the Muslims on a daily basis only because they see that the Muslims do not even consider fighting the infidels and conquering their countries…
“The Koranic verses that deal with fighting the infidels and conquering their countries say that they should convert to Islam, pay the jizya poll tax, or be killed. If the Muslims had implemented this, we would not have reached the humiliation in which we find ourselves today.”
+ Middle East Media Research Institute, Post Office Box 27837, Washington DC 20038, 202-955-9070, Fax: 202-955-9077, memri@memri.org
[4] Muslim Leaders in Bridgeport, Connecticut Seek to Ban Gospel of Jesus Christ from Vicinity of Mosques
Muslim leaders in Connecticut on 12 August 2010 held a press conference in the state capitol of Hartford, Connecticut, asking Connecticut legislators to censor the Gospel of Jesus Christ from the public forum around mosques. Operation Save America (OSA) held a press conference the following day on the public sidewalk in front of the Bridgeport Islamic Center.
An OSA statement said: “Islam is not a religion, nor a cult, but a total and complete one hundred percent system of life. It has religious, legal, political, economic, social, and military components. In all of the twenty-seven countries ruled by Islam, the church is the state! No other religion will be tolerated.”
OSA spokesman the Rev. Flip Benham added: “Islam presents a monstrous worldview, birthed in the pit of hell, which brings untold misery and murder upon precious people created in the image of God. Religion is its cover (its beard) by which it gains entrance into nations where the 'freedom of religion' is sacrosanct. It then takes this freedom afforded to it, and begins its insidious takeover.
“Like a python, slowly moving upon its prey with almost imperceptible and hypnotic movement, it begins to coil around its victim until it squeezes every last breath of air out of him. When dead, the victim is swallowed whole.
“The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, yet the Quran states in Sura 4:89, `Those who reject Islam must be killed. If they turn back (from Islam) take hold of them and kill them wherever you find them.’”
The OSA statement concluded: “The key difference between Islam and Christianity is that Islam believes that we are to lay the lives of others down to promote the cause of Allah. Christianity, on the other hand, believes that we are to lay down our own lives that others might live. There is a huge difference between a Christian martyr (laying his own life down) and a martyr for Islam (laying the lives of others down). One requires courage. The other is the supreme act of cowardice.”
+ Christian News Wire, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20006, 202-546-0054, newsdesk@christiannewswire.com
+ Operation Save America, Post Office Box 740066, Dallas, Texas 75374, 704-933-3414, 704-932-3361, orn@bigplanet.com
[5] United Kingdom Ministry of Defense Moving toward Appointment of Humanist Chaplains for Atheist Members of Armed Forces
A 15 August 2010 article by Marc [as spelled by The Scotsman – ed.] Horne in The Scotsman titled “MoD Open to Humanist Chaplains” reports that the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) is moving toward the appointment of humanist chaplains to “offer support and consolation to those with no spiritual beliefs.”
+ The Scotsman, Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS, Scotland, 131-620-8620
+ Ministry of Defence, Main Building, Whitehall, London SW1A 2HB, United Kingdom, 20-7218-9000, Contact Page
[6] Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, Urges Sheriffs and Judges to Consider Biblical Principles when Presiding over Court Cases
A 15 August 2010 article by Mark [as spelled by The Herald – ed.] Horne in The Herald titled “Law Chief Urges Scots Courts: Consult The Bible In Judgments” reports that Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, has asked sheriffs and judges that preside over court cases to become familiar with and to consider biblical principles when administering justice.
Lord Mackay is a former elder in the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society commented:
“What Lord Mackay is proposing could put the Sharia laws of the Middle East to shame. He and the [Scottish Bible Society] make absolutely no concessions to the progress of legal thought over the past two millennia. Killing witches and homosexuals and stoning adulterers are all clearly stated legal requirements in the Christian holy book. Are they seriously suggesting that Scottish sheriffs and judges should follow the Bible to the letter?...How would the Scottish seafood industry fare if the biblical ban on shellfish were to be enforced? Would Shetland’s knitwear industry flourish if there was a ban on garments made from two kinds of material, as required in the Bible? Thankfully, I’m sure the Scottish legal establishment is aware that the Enlightenment has occurred and will continue to dispense justice with mercy unconstrained.”
Sanderson made no comment as to whether he is enlightened about the difference between the Old Testament’s moral, judicial, and ceremonial laws, and their applicability or lack thereof during the last almost-2000 years of the New Testament administration.
+ The Herald, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, Scotland G2 3QB, 0141- 302-7000, Fax: 0141-302-7117, On-lineEditor@theherald.co.uk
+ Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, c/o Rev. Donald A. Ross, Free Presbyterian Manse, Laide, Ross-shire IV22 2NB, Scotland, daross@donaldalexander.freeserve.co.uk
+ National Secular Society, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL, England, 20- 7404-3126, 870-762-8971, enquiries@secularism.org.uk
[7] Scottish Government and Church of Scotland Unveil Plans to Mark 450th Anniversary of the Scottish Reformation
The Scottish Government and the Church of Scotland (CoS) on 16 August 2010 unveiled plans for celebrating the 450th anniversary of the Scottish Reformation, which will include a 3 November 2010 conference organized by the Joint Commission on Doctrine, followed by an ecumenical service at St. Giles' Cathedral, then an evening reception hosted by First Minister Alex Salmond in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle.
The day-long conference, 'The Scottish Reformation 1560: Marking the Legacy, Imagining the Future', will be opened by First Minister Salmond and addressed by Professor Tom Devine, the Rev. Dr. Alan Falconer, the Rev. Dr. Alison Peden, Professor Paul Murray, and the Very Rev. Dr. Sheilagh Kesting.
The CoS is also planning a touring exhibition, alongside the release of hundreds of years of CoS Session minutes which will provide a valuable insight into the CoS's development and a mine of information for historians and genealogists.
+ Scottish Government, St. Andrew's House, Regent Road, Edinburgh
EH1 3DG, Scotland, 131-556-8400, scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722
[8] Outgoing Presbyterian Church of Ghana Moderator Tells General Assembly Delegates not to Depend on Tithes and Offerings
A 10 August 2010 MyJoyOnline.com article titled “Presby Moderator: Church Offerings are Too Much” reports that Presbyterian Church of Ghana Moderator the Rt. Rev. Dr. Yaw Frimpong-Manso on 7 August 2010 addressed the opening ceremony of the Tenth General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG), telling the assembled delegates:
“I wish to restate that we move away from our over dependence on offerings and tithes in the light of current fatigue in giving and the poverty of most of our members….[W]e must-put in every effort and resource with the help of God to execute our resolve for viable investments and projects to sustain the financial base of this church….We must do away with apathy, particularly when it comes to the implementation of decisions of the General Assembly and Presbytery Councils and the payment of assessments, statutory contribution and the Millennium Development Fund and others….Let us build healthy relations between our church and state so as to have a great positive impact on our society and contemporary generations. Ghanaians have great hope in our church and we must not fail.”
A 12 August 2010 GhanaWeb article titled “Presbyterian Church Elects New Moderator” reports that on 11 August 2010 the delegates elected the Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Martey as the new PCG moderator. Dr. Martey is a professor of systematic theology, and is chairman of the Ga Presbytery.
+ MyJoyOnline.com, 3rd Floor Trust Towers, Farrar Avenue, Accra, Ghana, 233-21-226151, Fax: 233-21-233697, info@myjoyonline.com
+ GhanaWeb, Poederooienstraat 66, 1106 CK Amsterdam, Netherlands, 31-207700126, Fax: 1-815-6429100, akoto@ghanaweb.com
+ Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Post Office Box GP 1800, Accra, Ghana, 233-21-662511, Fax: 233-21-665594, pcghg@yahoo.com
[9] Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa Moderator Takes Stand against Evolution
An August 2010 article in Infobytes, a publication of Creation Ministries International, titled “Church Leader Takes Stand against Evolution!” reports:
“Church leaders tend to avoid publicly participating in the creation-evolution debate. Reasons for this reluctance may be that they consider the debate to be a topic for specialists, or perhaps they simply wish to avoid controversy or criticism. Hence it is of some encouragement when a church leader does speak out in opposition to evolution, and in favor of biblical creation.
“Prof. Piet Strauss, moderator of the Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk) in South Africa, was recently interviewed by JUIG! (Joy! – English), a leading Afrikaans Christian magazine. He had the opportunity to state the church’s viewpoint on evolution and its official position on the Bible as the infallible Word of God. The moderator made comments on evolution which drew considerable criticism directed at him, both in the electronic and printed media. These were that evolution is essentially a religion, even a superstition; that his ancestors were not apes; and that no authentic transitions exist between different kinds (types) of organisms.”
In response to Professor Strauss’ statement of faith in the Genesis account of creation, the NG Kerk periodical Die Kerkbode, in a 12 August 2010 article titled “NG Kerk sê nie ja óf nee vir evolusie [DR Church is not for or against evolution – English],” repudiated Professor Strauss’ statements, forthrightly halting the NG Kerk between two opinions:
“In the relationship (interface) between church and science, the NG Kerk supports the faith position that God is the Creator of heaven and earth, but is not competent to speak authoritatively on a scientific theory such as evolution. The NG Kerk feels that there in no need for conflict between theology and science and that both are particular expressions of God’s indescribable greatness and power. Teaching and education lie at the heart of the Reformed tradition. Part of the church’s calling is to additionally guide church members through awareness of the sciences to help them to stand even more in awe of God. The NG Kerk does not regard the Bible as a textbook making all sorts of scientific statements. How exactly creation came about and how it is sustained and functions within certain laws and parameters, believers can only stand in awe, recognizing that various scientific disciplines (and scientists) progressively unfold more and more of this to us.”
+ Creation Ministries International, Post Office Box 3349, Durbanville 7551, South Africa, Contact Page
+ Dutch Reformed Church, Posbus 13528, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa, 27-0-12-342-0092, Fax: 27-0-12-342-0380, mailto:%20algemenesinode@ngkerk.org.za
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
11 August 2010
Presbyterians Week Headlines
[1] Taliban in Afghanistan Murder Ten Medical Missionaries
[2] First Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Schenectady, New York, a Sponsor of the Murdered International Assistance Mission Medical Team
[3] Pregnant Afghan Widow Flogged over 200 Times, Then Shot Dead by Taliban for Sexual Misconduct
[4] Ghanaian Vice-President Urges Presbyterian Church of Ghana General Assembly to Support and Teach Nation Building Skills to Youth
[5] Ghanaian First Lady Addresses Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana Women on the Empowerment of Women
[6] South Carolina PCUSA Pastor Arrested for DUI and Child Endangerment
[7] Faith United Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) Dedicates Outdoor Labyrinth
[8] Renegade Golfers on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, Invade Golf Course Closed for the Sabbath
[9] Presbyterian Church in Canada Rebukes Church for Asking Lesbian Teen to Withdraw from Homosexual Pride Group
[10] Retired Geneva College Professor David Melville Carson Dies 5 August 2010
[11] August 2010 Reformation Voice Available for Download
[12] Reformation Translation Fellowship Changes Address for Contributions
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[1] Taliban in Afghanistan Murder Ten Medical Missionaries
A 7 August 2010 article Fox News article titled “US, British, German Aid Workers Killed By Taliban” reports that ten medical missionaries with International Assistance Mission were murdered in Afghanistan by Taliban forces who shot the missionaries as they tried to flee their captors. The ten included six from the U.S., one from Great Britain, one from Germany, and two Afghan translators.
The ten were a medical team providing eye care to Afghans located in remote areas of the country.
+ Fox News, 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036, 888-369-4762, Fax: 212-462-6127, yourquestions@foxnews.com
+ International Assistance Mission, hq@iamafg.org
[2] First Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Schenectady, New York, a Sponsor of the Murdered International Assistance Mission Medical Team
A 7 August 2010 article by Jennifer Gish in the Times Union titled “Violent End to Life of Caring” reports that First Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)) in Schenectady, New York, was one of the churches that sponsored the International Assistance Mission ministry of Tom and Libby Little in Afghanistan. Tome was among the ten medical missionaries murdered by the Taliban.
Mrs. Little, who normally would have been part of the medical team, stayed behind in her home in Kabul, Afghanistan, because the Little’s were expecting their first grandchild in the fall of 2010.
+ Times Union, Box 15000, News Plaza, Albany, New York 12212, 518-454-5694, ttyler@timesunion.com
+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org
[3] Pregnant Afghan Widow Flogged over 200 Times, Then Shot Dead by Taliban for Sexual Misconduct
A 10 August 2010 article by Jerome Starkey in The Scotsman titled “Taleban Judges Condemn Pregnant Woman to be Flogged and Shot Dead” reports that a pregnant widow named Bibi Sanubar in the Badghis province of Afghanistan for sexual misconduct was recently sentenced by three Taliban mullahs to be publically flogged more than 200 times then shot to death. Sanubar’s and her unborn child’s bodies were then dumped in an area controlled by the Afghan government.
Sanubar’s sentence reflects the Sharia verdicts handed down by Taliban courts when they controlled much of Afghanistan.
Adulterers and runaways are usually jailed for two to three years by Afghan courts, or are returned to their families where the women often face “honor killings.” Rape victims are normally sentenced to prison for having non-marital sex.
+ The Scotsman, Barclay House, 108 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AS, Scotland, 131-620-8620
[4] Ghanaian Vice-President Urges Presbyterian Church of Ghana General Assembly to Support and Teach Nation Building Skills to Youth
An 8 August 2010 GhanaWeb article titled “Vice President Urges Churches to Invest in the Youth” reports that the Tenth General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) opened in Takoradi, Ghana, the weekend of 7 August 2010, and that a speech by Ghanaian Vice-President John Dramani Mahama was read to the assembly by Western Regional Minister Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, where Mahama urged PCG churches in support of Ghana’s youths to establish income generating ventures such as rural banks; fruit processing companies; and the construction of guest houses, along with educational training centers where training on topical issues and social vices can be provided.
Vice-President Mahama additionally implored cooperation between all segments of Ghanaian society irrespective of political, religious, and ethnic differences, and the vice-president expressed concerns about undisciplined behavior, tribalism, lack of respect for political leadership and sabotage as problems adversely affecting the country.
Mahama concluded by urging Ghanaians to ensure that the Holy Spirit guided them to lead upright lives both outwardly and inwardly, to free from sins.
+ GhanaWeb, Poederooienstraat 66, 1106 CK Amsterdam, Netherlands, 31-207700126, Fax: 1-815-6429100, akoto@ghanaweb.com
+ Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Post Office Box GP 1800, Accra, Ghana, 233-21-662511, Fax: 233-21-665594, pcghg@yahoo.com
[5] Ghanaian First Lady Addresses Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana Women on the Empowerment of Women
An 8 August 2010 GhanaWeb article titled “Women Empowerment should Go beyond Slogans-Naadu Mills” reports that the First Lady of Ghana, Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills, addressed 36th Annual Conference of the West Volta Presbytery Women Class of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, the weekend of 7 August 2010, on the subject of empowering women.
Mrs. Naadu Mills said that the empowerment of women should go beyond slogans and advertisement, to daily participation in divine appraisal for women, so to enjoy natural and national benefits. The First Lady additionally decried the subjugation of women to mere menial and domestic tasks and said it was very important that the potential of every human was harnessed to the growth and development of communities and the nation.
The conference titled “Newness in Christ, the Ministry of Kindness and the Role of Women” is focusing on the role of women performing acts of kindness, to touch the lives of people, in bringing them to Christ or enriching their faith in Christ.
+ GhanaWeb, Poederooienstraat 66, 1106 CK Amsterdam, Netherlands, 31-207700126, Fax: 1-815-6429100, akoto@ghanaweb.com
+ Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, Post Office Box HP 18, Ho - Volta Region, Ghana, +233-91-26755, Fax: +233-91-28275, Epchurch@Ghana.Com
[6] South Carolina PCUSA Pastor Arrested for DUI and Child Endangerment
A 9 August 2010 WSPA Channel 7 video segment titled “Pastor Charged in DUI” reports that the Rev. Jake Young, pastor of North Anderson Community Church (Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)) in Anderson, South Carolina, was arrested for DUI (Driving Under the Influence) and Child Endangerment early on 7 August 2010 when he was stopped by the South Carolina Highway Patrol while transporting his daughter. Pastor Young is currently out on bond.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol was conducting their Sober or Slammer campaign in the Anderson area where 131 violations were given out. The campaign goal is to reduce the number of summer highway deaths in South Carolina, half of which involve drunk drivers.
+ WSPA Channel 7, 250 International Drive, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29303, 864-576-7777, Contact Page
+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005
[7] Faith United Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) Dedicates Outdoor Labyrinth
A 6 August 2010 article by Christie Campbell in the Observer-Reporter titled “Faith U.P. Members Dedicate Labyrinth Outside Church” reports that Faith United Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)) of Washington, Pennsylvania, in early August 2010 dedicated a labyrinth outside the church for use in prayer and meditation.
More than sixty tons of stone, coarse gravel, and fine gravel were used in the construction of the labyrinth, and church members were asked to bring to the dedication a stone from their own property to add to the rock aggregate as a way of connecting with the labyrinth.
A 6 December 2005 post on The Puritan Board by the Rev. Bruce Buchanan of the Chain-O-Lakes Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Central Lake, Michigan, describes the prayer labyrinth as “an occult path of the dead. Successful navigation of it led one to heaven; the lost wandered it forever in terror, ending up in the center pit from which there was no escape. Arcane knowledge (gnosis) of traversing it or a suitable guide, therefore, was [a] necessary part of pagan religion. In other incarnations, it serves a gnostic purpose of meditation…not the “inner-peace” type, but the “path”…to enlightenment.”
+ Observer-Reporter, 122 S. Main Street, Washington, Pennsylvania 15301, 724-222-2200, Fax: 724-225-2077, pburroughs@observer-reporter.com
+ The Puritan Board, Contact Page
+ The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 607 North Easton Road, Building E, Box P, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania 19090, 215-830-0900, Fax: 215-830-0350
+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005
[8] Renegade Golfers on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, Invade Golf Course Closed for the Sabbath
A 6 August 2010 article by David Sapsted in The National titled “Rebels without a Tee Time Take Over Church Course” reports that golfers on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland, upset with the Sabbath closure of the Stornoway Golf Club have taken to illegally invading the golf course on Sundays and playing golf for free.
The Sabbath-keeping Free Church of Scotland (FCS) is the dominent church on the Isle of Lewis. After a recent unsuccessful bid to have the golf course club house opened on Sundays to serve alcohol and host social events, FCS Presbytery Clerk Callum MacLean said: “Our primary concern is the desecration of the Sabbath Day, arising from a licence permitting the sale of alcohol.”
+ The National, Post Office Box 111434, Abu Dhabi, 971-2-4145328, newsdesk@thenational.ae
+ 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
[9] Presbyterian Church in Canada Rebukes Church for Asking Lesbian Teen to Withdraw from Homosexual Pride Group
A 5 August 2010 article byJennifer Saltman in The Province titled “New West Church Bucked Policy by Asking Lesbian Teen to Leave Pride Group” reports that The Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) has admonished the First Presbyterian Church in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada, for violating the PCC Social Action Handbook policy saying: “…the church does not limit the roles of its members on the basis of their sexual orientation. These roles include church school teachers, musicians, youth leaders, ruling elders, teaching elders and members of the Order of Diaconal Ministries.”
The church minister in June 2010 suggested the teen leave the Royal City Pride Society after the teen was featured in a newspaper story about the homosexual pride group. The teen and her parents then left the church.
PCC Presbytery of Westminster Moderator the Rev. Jim Smith commented:
The actions of First Presbyterian Church, as reported by The Province, seem contradictory to the decisions of the general assemblies as summarized in the Social Action Handbook. The [PCC] has never limited the activities of its members based on sexual orientation.”
+ The Province, 200 Granville Street, Suite #1, Vancouver, British Columbia
V6C 3N3, Canada, 604-605-2000, Fax: 604-605-2759, wmoriarty@theprovince.com
+ The Presbyterian Church in Canada, 50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1J7, 416-441-1111, Fax: 416-441-2825, skendall@presbyterian.ca
[10] Retired Geneva College Professor David Melville Carson Dies 5 August 2010
Retired Geneva College professor Dr. David M. Carson passed away 5 August 2010.
Dr. Carson served as the Samuel A. Sterrett Professor of Political Philosophy at Geneva College. His first college service was as a part-time instructor in 1946 while serving as the pastor of the Eastvale Reformed Presbyterian Church. He was appointed to the full-time faculty in 1951 and served until his retirement in 1992. He was awarded Emeritus status on his retirement. He was a graduate of Yale University and the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary. In 1964, he received his Ph.D. in History from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Carson is survived by his wife, Margaret, two daughters, Elizabeth “Betsy” Wilson and Christina Townsend and their husbands, three grandchildren, a brother, and a sister.
A memorial service for Dr. Carson was held on 9 August 2010 at in the John H. White Chapel on the Geneva College campus.
+ Geneva College, 3200 College Avenue, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania 15010, 724-846-5100, Fax: 724.847.6696, pr@geneva.edu
+ Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 7418 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-731-8690, Fax: 412-731-4834, info@rpts.edu
[11] August 2010 Reformation Voice Available for Download
The August 2010 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
[12] Reformation Translation Fellowship Changes Address for Contributions
The Reformation Translation Fellowship mailing address for contributions is changing from its Bloomington, Indiana, address to the following address:
Reformation Translation Fellowship
PO Box 2345
Terre Haute, IN 47802-2345
+ Reformation Translation Fellowship, Post Office Box 2345, Terra Haute, Indiana 47802, bill4rtf@gmail.com
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
4 August 2010
Presbyterians Week Headlines
[1] Christian Observer Highlights for July and August 2010
[2] REC News Exchange Publishes Final Issue
[3] Presbyterian Missionary Union Celebrates Twenty-Five Years of Service
[6] Christian Reformed Church Sponsors Prayer Vigil against Arizona Immigration Law
[8] URCNA Synod 2010 Strongly Rejects Federal Vision Theology
[9] Twelve Suspected Islamist Gunmen Murder Five Christians Leaving Church Building in Sukkar, Pakistan
[11] New Study Shows Homeschoolers Succeeding in College
---
[1] Christian Observer Highlights for July and August 2010
New articles in the Christian Observer for July and August 2010 include:
-- Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis Addresses Bruce Waltke Resignation – Answers in Genesis president Ken Ham discusses “conservative evangelical” Professor Bruce Waltke’s characterization of biblical creationists as a “cult” and the creation days of Genesis as “..metaphorical representations of a reality beyond human comprehension and imitation,” and points out that the majority of conservative evangelical institutions of higher education teach evolutionary theory or hybrid theories of creation that compromise the creation account in Genesis.
-- Why Don’t Many Christian Leaders and Scholars Believe Genesis? – by Dr. Terry Mortenson of Answers in Genesis – discusses the false assumption by many people that Bible scholars and other Christian leaders or educators who accept millions of years and hold to the gap theory or day-age view or framework hypothesis or a localized Noachian Flood do so because of careful attention to the Biblical text in the original languages.
-- Exposing a Fundamental Compromise – by Dr. Terry Mortenson of Answers in Genesis – discusses how in the process of defending the Christian faith, respected Christian leaders have unknowingly compromised with error; leaders including James Orr, Charles Hodge, B. B. Warfield, James Montgomery Boice, and Bruce Waltke.
-- The Global Cultural War and Education – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – discusses the influence of various world religions and cultures on how the religion and culture influence educational philosophy.
-- The Reformed Educational Influence in American Education – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – discusses the influence of Reformed doctrine on the development of education in the United States.
Plus, regular features including weekly Sabbath School Lessons and Westminster Shorter Catechism lessons by Christian Observer Assistant Editor Dr. Robert LaMay, and Daily Devotionals by T.M. Moore, dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe.
+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org
[2] REC News Exchange Publishes Final Issue
The final issue of the REC (Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC)) News Exchange, Volume 47, No. 6, June – July 2010, has been published, as the Reformed Ecumenical Council and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches merger into the World Communion of Reformed Churches continues to unfold.
The Christian Observer commends REC News Exchange Editor Richard L. van Houten and Contributing Editor Samantha Beuker, and their REC colleagues and predecessors who have published the REC News Exchange monthly since 1964, and wish them God’s blessings and direction as they begin other endeavors.
+ Reformed Ecumenical Council, 2050 Breton Road Southeast, Suite 102, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546, 616-949-2910, rvh@recweb.org
+ World Alliance of Reformed Churches, 150 route de Ferney, Post Office Box 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland, 41-22-791-6240, Fax: 41-22-791-6505, warc@warc.ch
+ World Communion of Reformed Churches, 150 route de Ferney, Post Office Box 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland, 41-22-791-6240, Fax: 41-22-791-6505, info@reformedchurches.org
[3] Presbyterian Missionary Union Celebrates Twenty-Five Years of Service
The Presbyterian Missionary Union in 2010 is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the worldwide missionary and church planting agency’s founding in Media, Pennsylvania, 15-16 January 1985.
+ Presbyterian Missionary Union, 1650 Love Road, Grand Island, New York 14072, 716-775-0442, office@presbyterianmissions.org
+ Bible Presbyterian Church
[4] The Trinity Review for July-August 2010 Publishes “The Sine Qua Non of Enduring Freedom” by John W. Robbins
The July-August 2010 issue of The Trinity Review features an essay by John W. Robbins titled “The Sine Qua Non of Enduring Freedom,” which discusses the four principle methods of defending a free society: economics, Natural Law, Utilitarianism, and biblical revelation, showing the fallacies of the first three methods while demonstrating that the Bible and the Hebrew Republic are the only real model for good government and the competent defense of a free society.
+ The Trinity Foundation, Post Office Box 68, Unicoi, Tennessee 37692, 423-743-0199, Fax: 423-743-2005, tjtrinityfound@aol.com
[5] First Covenanter Communion Service in New World to be Commemorated 21 August 2010 in New Kingstown, Pennsylvania
The first recorded Reformed Presbyterian communion service to be held in the Western Hemisphere occurred 23 August 1752 at the "Junkin Tent" on land owned by Joseph and Elizabeth Junkin in what is now New Kingstown, Pennsylvania. The service was conducted by Covenanter Minister John Cuthbertson, who had arrived 5 August 1751 after a forty-six day sea voyage from Derry Lock, Ireland. Cuthbertson was the first ordained Covenanter minister in the New World.
A celebration of the event will be held 21 August 2010 in New Kingstown, Pennsylvania, in an area behind the St.Stephen Lutheran Church, the original location of the "Junkin Tent," and will feature the dedication and unveiling of a Pennsylvania historical marker commemorating the communion service, and a speech titled "The Covenanters - Then and Now" by David A. Weir, Ph.D., Elder of the Ridgefield Park Reformed Presbyterian Church in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey.
For further information, please see:
http://www.newkingstownprojects.org/2010celebration.htm
+ New Kingstown Projects, c/o 130 State Road, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17050, 717-697-1441, info@newkingstownprojects.org
+ Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), 7408 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-731-1177, Fax: 412-731-8861
[6] Christian Reformed Church Sponsors Prayer Vigil against Arizona Immigration Law
A 27 July 2010 article in The Grand Rapids Press titled “Prayer Vigil Planned in Grand Rapids to Protest Arizona Immigration Law” reports that a prayer vigil in opposition to the Arizona immigration law was held 28 July 2010 in the Ah-Nab-Awen Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, one of the sponsors being the Office of Social Justice of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.
+ The Grand Rapids Press, 155 Michigan Street Northwest, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503, 616-222-5818, dgaydou@grpress.com
+ Christian Reformed Church in North America, 2850 Kalamazoo Avenue Southeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49560, 616-241-1691, Fax: 616-224-0803 crcna@crcna.org
[7] “Onward Christian Soldiers” Banned from Funeral by Church of Scotland Minister for Politically Incorrect War Theme
A 2 August 2010 Argyll News article titled “No Soldiers Marching Onwards in Kirn” reports that brother-in-law of the deceased William Thomas said that the Rev. Sarah Nicol, Minister at Kirn Parish Church near Dunoon in the Cowal peninsula of Scotland, at the funeral of Mrs. Agnes Thomas at the Greenock Crematorium in Greencock, Scotland, refused to allow the singing of the hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” because of the politically incorrect war theme of the hymn.
Mrs. Thomas had requested that the hymn, her favorite, be sung at her funeral - as it had been sung at her late husband’s funeral.
Ms. Nicol denies that she banned the singing of the hymn.
+ ForArgyll.com, Dunans Castle, Argyll PA22 3AD, Scotland, 870-255-5555, Fax: 870-255-5666, Contact Page
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722
[8] URCNA Synod 2010 Strongly Rejects Federal Vision Theology
The United Reformed Churches in North America Synod 2010, meeting in London, Ontario, Canada, 26-30 July 2010, on 30 July 2010 adopted the report of the Justification/Federal Vision Study Committee, with strengthening language added by the report’s advisory committee, “…rejecting Federal Vision and all of its associated points as error.”
+ URCNA Synod Reports (Not an official URCNA resource), URCNAReports@gmail.com
+ United Reformed Churches in North America, c/o Mr. Bill Konynenbelt, 5824 Bowwater Circle Northwest, Calgary, Alberta T3B 2E2, Canada, 403-286-0521, Fax: 403-286-0759, urcna@shaw.ca
[9] Twelve Suspected Islamist Gunmen Murder Five Christians Leaving Church Building in Sukkar, Pakistan
Twelve suspected Islamist masked gunmen murdered five Christians 15 July 2010 as they exited the Full Gospel Church in Sukkur, Pakistan.
Police arrived forty-five minutes later, and later an ambulance arrived to treat the one survivor who had been shot in the arm.
+ Compass Direct News Service, Post Office Box 27250, Santa Ana, California 92799, 949-862-0304, Fax: 949-752-6536, info@compassdirect.org
[10] Update - Change of Venue - Joe Morecraft to Speak on “God And Politics” at 3 September 2010 Institute on the Constitution's First Friday at the Gladway Farm in Bowie, Maryland
“God And Politics” is the subject of a lecture by the Rev. Joseph C. Morecraft III of the Chalcedon Presbyterian Church in Cumming, Georgia, at the 3 September 2010 First Friday 7:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time presentation at the Institute on the Constitution in Pasadena, Maryland. Joe Morecraft is a noted lecturer on contemporary political and historical trends in the United States and the world at large.
A picnic will begin at 5:30 p.m., with hot dogs, chips, and drinks provided, and guests if they want can bring a side dish or dessert.
Tickets to the event are free, and are available at:
http://www.iotconline.com/content.php?61-September-First-Friday
The lecture is additionally available as a live feed, accessible on the same web page.
+ Institute on the Constitution, 8028 Ritchie Highway Suite 211, Pasadena, Maryland 21122, 866-730-9796, Fax: 410-760-5642
[11] New Study Shows Homeschoolers Succeeding in College
An article in the Summer 2010 Journal of College Admission by Michael F. Cogan titled “Exploring Academic Outcomes of Homeschooled Students” reports major findings about home schooled students in college including:
-- Homeschoolers scored higher on the ACT (26.5) compared with the overall student body (25).
-- Homeschoolers earned more college credit (14.7) prior to their freshman year compared to the student body (6).
-- Homeschooled students earned a higher fall semester grade point average (GPA) (3.37) when compared to other freshman students (3.08).
-- Homeschooled students earned a higher first-year GPA (3.41) when compared to other freshman students (3.12).
-- Homeschooled students earned a higher fourth-year GPA (3.46) when compared to other freshman students who completed their fourth year (3.16).
-- Homeschooled students achieved a higher graduation rate (66.7 percent) when compared to the overall population (57.5 percent).
+ Home School Legal Defense Association, Post Office Box 3000, Purcellville, Virginia 20134, 540-338-5600
+ National Association for College Admission Counseling, 1050 North Highland Street, Suite 400, Arlington, Virginia 22201, 703/836-2222, 703/243-9375, info@nacacnet.org