29 September 2010

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Bankruptcy Settlements Proposed re: Cornerstone Ministries Investments US$142 Million Liabilities to 3500 Investors (Extended Article)

[2] Presbyterian Mutual Society Meets to Discuss Investors Unable to Access their Assets since Bankruptcy in October 2008

[3] Reformed Church in America Pastor Teaches Series about Relationship of Science and Theology, Denying Literal Creation and Fall Accounts in Genesis Chapters 1-3

[4] Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa Outreach Group Delivers Clothing to Orphans in Mantabeni, Swaziland

[5] President of the Independent Presbyterian Church in Bolivia to Speak 30 September 2010 at Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church in Swannanoa, North Carolina

[6] Trinity Foundation Publishes E-Book – Freedom and Capitalism: Essays on Christian Politics and Economics by John W. Robbins

[7] Harmony of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms by Morton Smith Available from Presbyterian Press

[8] “Athanasius Against the World” Conference Videos Available Online

[9] Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Removes Two Leaders at Trinity University of San Antonio, Texas, for Noncompliance with Biblical Standards of Leadership

[10] Maine Public Schools being Pressured by Maine Human Rights Commission to Let Boys Use Girls’ Restrooms

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[1] Bankruptcy Settlements Proposed re: Cornerstone Ministries Investments US$142 Million Liabilities to 3500 Investors (Extended Article)

Motions for authority to settle and compromise claims arising from the Cornerstone Ministries Investments (CMI) 10 February 2008 Chapter Eleven bankruptcy (US$142 million liability to 3500 investors) were submitted to the United States Bankruptcy Court – Northern District of Georgia – Gainesville Division, between 23 July and 7 September 2010, for the following defendants, for the following viable claims and causes of action asserted by the Settling Plaintiffs’ Representative, for the following amounts:

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Estate of Cecil A. Brooks, the Covenant Family Trust UAD, and Jane C. Brooks

RE: Debtor’s estate - “…for, inter alia, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, negligent misrepresentation and fraudulent conveyances…,” and RE: Private Actions Trust, “…for fraudulent conveyances, violations of state and federal securities laws, and fraudulent and/or negligent misrepresentations to the CMI bondholders that assigned their claims to the Private Actions Trust.” – US$1,350,000.

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Cornerstone Capital Advisors, Inc. And Wellbrook Properties, Inc.

RE: Private Actions Trust - “…breach of fiduciary duty, procurement of a breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, securities fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and fraudulent transfer claims….” - US$140,000 and a bond issued by Fishers of Men Christian Fellowship Church with a face amount of US$500,000.

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Robert C. Covington

RE: Private Actions Trust - “…procurement of a breach of fiduciary duty….” - US$15,000.

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Berman, Hopkins, Wright & Laham, CPAs and Associates, LLP

RE: Private Actions Trust - “…professional malpractice, negligence, and negligent misrepresentation….” - US$1,290,000.

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John T. Ottinger, Jr., Julie Ottinger, Jack R. Wehmiller, and Jayme S. Sickert

RE: Private Actions Trust, “…breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, securities fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and fraudulent transfer….” - US$4,330,000; of which US$1,350,000 to be paid by John T. Ottinger, Jr. and Julie Ottinger, and the remaining US$2,980,000 to be paid by RUSI Indemnity Company from a liability insurance policy for Cornerstone Investments Inc. for the period 29 August 2007 to 29 August 2008, less US$20,000 to remain available to RUSI Indemnity Company for payment of approved defense expenses provided to those insured by the policy, i.e. John T. Ottinger, Jr., Jack R. Wehmiller, Jayme S. Sickert, and the estate of Cecil Brooks.

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Several churches and one general synod among the 3500 investors include:

-- Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church General Synod – US$127,151.97.

-- Christ The King Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)), Indian Shores, Florida – US$136,558.51.

-- Faith Baptist Church, Gainesville, Georgia – US$152,582.36.

-- First Presbyterian Church (PCA), Aliceville, Alabama – US$167,771.02.

-- First Presbyterian Church (PCA), Gadsden, Alabama – US$258,948.60.

-- Linden Presbyterian Church (PCA), Linden, Alabama – US$599,295.88.

-- Marion Presbyterian Church (PCA), Marion, Alabama – US$307,562.03.

-- Mason Memorial Church of God in Christ, Norfolk, Virginia – US$1,015,781.10.

The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church General Synod was additionally included in the list of CMI stockholders with equity of US$19,230.97, which is not included in the proposed settlements.

According to the motions, Reid Collins & Tsai LLP, the law firm hired by CMI’s Plan Administrator to investigate and pursue certain claims associated with the collapse of CMI, agreed to accept a reduced contingency fee of twenty percent of gross recoveries for matters settled prior to any lawsuits being filed, as compared to its normal contingency fee rate of forty percent of gross recoveries that would apply to any matters in which litigation is commenced. The motions explain that the law firm carefully considered the available assets of each settling defendant in connection with recommending the proposed settlements, and that the Plan Administrator believes that the proposed settlements provide CMI’s creditors with a significantly higher rate of recovery than would be realized through filing suit and prosecuting claims against such defendants based upon their available assets and the higher fee applicable under those circumstances.

For further background information on the CMI bankruptcy and related matters, please see the 23 July 2008 Presbyterians Week article [1] PCA-Affiliated Cornerstone Ministries Investments (CMI) Files for Bankruptcy, the 26 August 2009 Presbyterians Week article [1] Cornerstone Investment Ministries Bankruptcy Investigated by World Magazine Reporter Ken Walker, and the 17 March 2010 Presbyterians Week article [3] Cornerstone Ministries Investments Bankruptcy Liquidation Plan Administrator Selects Special Counsel to Pursue Claims Arising from “[US]$140 Million Ponzi Scheme”.


+ Reid Collins & Tsai 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

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


[2] Presbyterian Mutual Society Meets to Discuss Investors Unable to Access their Assets since Bankruptcy in October 2008

A 23 September 2010 4NI (For Northern Ireland) article titled “Presbyterian Leader Seeks Savers' Patience” reports that Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Stafford Carson, after the latest meeting of the Presbyterian Mutual Society (PMS) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, commented upon the joint efforts of a Working Group which includes the PMS, Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mark Hoban, and Northern Ireland Office Secretary of State Owen Paterson, saying:

"The Secretary of State said that the Working Group was equally serious about both options and it is important that we stay patient for the next few weeks.

"Clearly the Spending Review next month is a deadline that the Ministerial Working Group is very aware of, and there is an urgency to their work."

Secretary of State Owen Paterson commented after the meeting:

"We know that PMS members are keen to know more about the options we have been working on, and we hope to be able to offer more insight in the near future.

"We will meet again in two weeks."

For further background information on the PMS bankruptcy and related matters, please see the 19 November 2008 Presbyterians Week article [1] Presbyterian Church in Ireland Publishes Insolvency Statement from the Directors of the Presbyterian Mutual Society, the 3 June 2009 article [13] Presbyterian Mutual Society Losses to be Main Topic at Presbyterian Church in Ireland General Assembly, the 20 January 2010 article [4] United Kingdom Treasury Committee Visits Belfast, Northern Ireland, to Investigate Presbyterian Mutual Society Financial Collapse, the 24 February 2010 article [2] UK Parliament Committee Reports Government Failures in Presbyterian Mutual Society Insolvency, and the 14 April 2010 article [1] Presbyterian Church in Ireland to Pay UK£1 Million towards Bailout of Presbyterian Mutual Society.


+ 4NI (For Northern Ireland), Flagship E-Commerce Ltd., 48 - 50 York Street, Belfast, BT15 1AS, Northern Ireland, 028-9031-9008, Fax : 028-9072-7800, info@flagshipmedia.co.uk

+ Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Church House, Belfast BT1 6DW, Northern Ireland, 028-9032-2284, Fax: 028-9041-7301, Info@PresbyterianIreland.org

+ Presbyterian Mutual Society, Glengall Exchange, Glengall Street,
Belfast BT12 5AB, Northern Ireland, 028-9031-1232, Fax: 028-9031-1441, mailto:pms@arthurboyd.co.uk/


[3] Reformed Church in America Pastor Teaches Series about Relationship of Science and Theology, Denying Literal Creation and Fall Accounts in Genesis Chapters 1-3

A 25 September 2010 article by Margaret DeRitter in the Kalamazoo Gazette titled “Kalamazoo Pastor Explores Relationship of Science and Theology” reports that the Rev. Jacques Nel, pastor of the Trinity Reformed Church (Reformed Church in America) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on 26 September 2010, began a series of presentations at the 11:30 a.m. service on the relationship of science and theology, which will include information on the origins of the universe and on evolution.

Pastor Nel told the Kalamazoo Gazette: “By insisting that we use the creation and fall accounts in Genesis 1-3 as a literal scientific description of the way and order in which things happened, we are doing a disservice to both the book of Genesis and the people we hope to reach for Christ.”

Pastor Nel added that he is working on a proposal for his doctoral thesis at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa that will involve “strategies for moving away from the conflict between science and theology.”


+ Kalamazoo Gazette, 401 S. Burdick Street, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007,
269-345-3511, jstephanak@kalamazoogazette.com

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


[4] Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa Outreach Group Delivers Clothing to Orphans in Mantabeni, Swaziland

A 27 September 2010 article by Sibonginkosi Mamba in the Swazi Observer titled “Clothes for the Needy from SA” reports that thirty-eight members of an outreach group from the Klipfontein (South Africa) Church of the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa, on 25 September 2010, delivered donated clothing to 148 orphans in Mantabeni, Swaziland, cared for by Harvest Evangelism Care.

The outreach group plans to continuing helping Harvest Evangelism Care with whatever resources are needed to care of the orphans.


+ Swazi Observer, Observer House, West Street, Post Office Box A385, Swazi Plaza, Mbabane, Swaziland, 404-9600, Fax: 404-6463, info@observer.org.sz

+ 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


[5] President of the Independent Presbyterian Church in Bolivia to Speak 30 September 2010 at Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church in Swannanoa, North Carolina

A 28 September 2010 article in the Asheville Citizen-Times titled “Activist to Speak about Peacemaking in Bolivia at Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church” reports that the Rev. Rev. Luis Perez Alanoca, president of the Independent Presbyterian Church in Bolivia, will be speaking at 7:00 p.m. on 30 September 2010 at the Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)) in Swannanoa, North Carolina, about working for peace in Bolivia by addressing issues of gender equality, water and air pollution, fair trade, and poverty.

Pastor Alanoca is appearing as part of the International Peacemakers program, which is a part of the PCUSA’s Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.

Warren Wilson Presbyterian Church is on the campus of Warren Wilson College (WWC). WWC opened in 1894 as the Asheville Farm School on land purchased the prior year by the Presbyterian Church home missions board, became a four-year college in 1967, and entered into a covenant relationship with the Presbyterian Synod of the South in 1972.


+ Asheville Citizen-Times, 14 O. Henry Avenue, Asheville, North Carolina 28801,
828-252-5610, news@citizen-times.com

+ Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa, North Carolina 28778, 828-298-3325, Fax: 828-298-1440, benjand@warren-wilson.edu

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


[6] Trinity Foundation Publishes E-Book – Freedom and Capitalism: Essays on Christian Politics and Economics by John W. Robbins

The Trinity Foundation has published the E-book, Freedom and Capitalism: Essays on Christian Politics and Economics by John W. Robbins.

Freedom and Capitalism is available for download in MOBI (Kindle compatible) and ePub (most other electronic readers) electronic formats for US$20.


+ The Trinity Foundation, Post Office Box 68, Unicoi, Tennessee 37692, 423-743-0199, Fax: 423-743-2005, tjtrinityfound@aol.com


[7] Harmony of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms by Morton Smith Available from Presbyterian Press

Presbyterian Press has published a new reprint of Morton Smith’s Harmony of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms, which is available for $US20 plus shipping.


+ Presbyterian Press, c/o 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


[8] “Athanasius Against the World” Conference Videos Available Online

Four of the six presentations from the 11 September 2010 “Athanasius Against the World” Conference are available for viewing at the Life Reformation website:

-- Avoiding Chronological Snobbery: The Bible on History - William Boekestein

-- A Professional Rebel: the Life and Times of Athanasius - Dr. Carl Trueman

-- The Art of Christian Biography: Athanasius and the Story of Anthony - Dr. Carl Trueman

-- Once and future Faith: The Importance of the Ancient Creeds Today - Dr. Carl Trueman

Audio of the last two presentations, by Mike Conroy and Dr. Tedd Tripp, will be available in the near future.


+ Life Reformation, 47 South Church Street, Carbondale, Pennsylvania 18407, info@lifereformation.org


[9] Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Removes Two Leaders at Trinity University of San Antonio, Texas, for Noncompliance with Biblical Standards of Leadership

A 25 September 2010 article titled “InterVarsity Forces Two Leaders to Step Down Due to Conflict of Beliefs” in the Trinitonian, a student publication of Trinity University of San Antonio, Texas, reported that two leaders of the Trinity chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) were removed from their leadership positions in the spring of 2010 due to noncompliance with the Trinity IVCF chapter’s Biblical Standards of Leadership, which was created by and for the Trinity IVCF chapter.

One of the students was demoted for dating a non-Christian, while the other student was removed for no longer believing in hell.


+ InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, 6400 Schroeder Road, Madison, Wisconsin 53707, 608-274-9001, Fax: 608-274-7882, information@intervarsity.org

+ Trinity University, One Trinity Place, San Antonio, Texas 78212, 210-999-7011, pr@trinity.edu


[10] Maine Public Schools being Pressured by Maine Human Rights Commission to Let Boys Use Girls’ Restrooms

A 23 September 2010 article by Catherine Snow on the CITIZENLink website titled “Maine Public Schools Under Pressure to Let Boys Use Girls’ Restrooms” reports that the Maine Human Rights Commission (MHRC) ruled the week of 26 September 2010 that Orono Middle School in Orono, Maine, discriminated against a sixth-grade male student who wants to live as a female by only offering the student access to a gender-neutral bathroom.

The MHRC said it will work with the state education commissioner to add rules pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity, as it pertains to education, in the Maine Human Rights Act.


+ Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80995, 800-232-6459

22 September 2010

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Erskine Board and Alumni Drop Lawsuit against ARP General Synod, ARP General Synod Drops Appeal of Preliminary Injunction Arising from Lawsuit

[2] PCA Stated Clerk Responds to Funding Plan Critics

[3] Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) of Lexington, Virginia, Breaks Ground on New Church Building

[4] Bishop of Calvin Synod, the Rt. Rev. Bela Poznan, Ordained 18 September 2010 in Fairfield, Connecticut

[5] Proposal Made to Teach Environmental Studies and Climate Change in Presbyterian Church in Cameroon Primary Schools

[6] Evangelical & Reformed Historical Society to Celebrate 300 Years of Reformed Church Presence in the U.S. on 23 October 2010 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

[7] Wellesley, Massachusetts, Sixth-Graders Taken on Field Trip to Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center Mosque Where They Joined Muslims in Prostrated Prayer

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[1] Erskine Board and Alumni Drop Lawsuit against ARP General Synod, ARP General Synod Drops Appeal of Preliminary Injunction Arising from Lawsuit

A 17 September 2010 article in the Anderson Independent Mail titled “Erskine Lawsuit Ends” reports that the Erskine College and Theological Seminary Board of Trustees and the Erskine Alumni Association have dropped their lawsuit against the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP) General Synod (GS) resulting from the ARP GS’s March 2010 vote to replace the Erskine board. The ARP GS dropped its appeal of the temporary injunction against the ARP GS, which forbade the replacement of Erskine board members.

In a curious turn of events, the official ARP GS publication “The ARP News Update” announced the Erskine developments with a press release from lawsuit plaintiff the Erskine Alumni Association’s president and president-elect.


+ Anderson Independent Mail, 1000 Williamston Road, Anderson, South Carolina 29621, 864-260-1244, williamsde@independentmail.com

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

+ Erskine College and Theological Seminary, 2 Washington Street, Due West, South Carolina 29639, 864-379-2131, 864-379-2167, norman@erskine.edu


[2] PCA Stated Clerk Responds to Funding Plan Critics

In a 17 September byFaith Magazine article titled “Stated Clerk Responds To Funding Plan Critics,” Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) Stated Clerk L. Roy Taylor responded in general to critics of the Funding Plan for the Administrative Committee (FPAC) approved by the PCA 38th General Assembly currently being considered and voted upon by the PCA presbyteries. PCA Stated Clerk Roy Taylor further took Dr. Dominic Aquila to task by refuting many of Dr. Aquila’s arguments against presbyterial adoption of the FPAC, and criticized Dr. Aquila for not bringing up Aquila’s FPAC objections earlier in the deliberative process.

Dr. Aquila on behalf of those against adoption of the FPAC, and the Rev. Dr. David Silvernail on behalf of those for the FPAC, spoke at an 18 September 2010 unofficial meeting of the Elders of the PCA Blue Ridge Presbytery (BRP) in Roanoke, Virginia, in order to assist the BRP in making its voting decisions at the upcoming 8 October 2010 stated meeting in Winchester, Virginia. DVDs and CDs of the 18 September meeting are available through Barker Media at:

http://www.barkerproductions.net/shop.asp?action=cat&catID=21494.

A detailed article by Don Clements about the BRP informational meeting was published 18 September 2010 in The Aquila Report:

http://theaquilareport.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2970:blue-ridge-presbytery-hosts-qaa-forum-on-proposed-changes-to-pca-book-of-church-order-chapter-14&catid=50:churches&Itemid=133

As of 20 September 2010, four PCA presbyteries have voted against the FPAC and one presbytery has voted in favor. A total of twenty-seven presbyteries voting against the FPAC are required to defeat the proposal.


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

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


[3] Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) of Lexington, Virginia, Breaks Ground on New Church Building

Pastor Paul Carter of Grace Presbyterian Church (GPC) (Presbyterian Church in America) in Lexington, Virginia, led a service of dedication the afternoon of 19 September 2010 for the congregation’s new church facilities to be built three miles north of the current church facilities located in downtown Lexington.


Photograph by Janis Wilbur


Planning for the new GPC structure began in earnest ten years ago as the congregation and its ministries began to outgrow the capacity of the current church structure and limited downtown parking.

GPC actively ministers to the students of Washington & Lee University (W&L) and Virginia Military Institute (V.M.I.), and currently conducts two Sunday morning services during the school year.

GPC supports a Reformed University Fellowship ministry at W&L led by the Rev. Jon Talley, a Navigators small group Bible study led by V.M.I. chemistry professor LTC Daren Timmons, and a church family “adopt-a-cadet” program for V.M.I. students.


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

+ Reformed University Fellowship, 1700 North Brown Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30043, 678-825-1070, Contact Page

+ Navigators, Post Office Box 6000, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80934, 719-598-1212, Fax: 719-260-0479, questions@navigators.org


[4] Bishop of Calvin Synod, the Rt. Rev. Bela Poznan, Ordained 18 September 2010 in Fairfield, Connecticut

The Rev. Albert W. Kovacs reported 20 September 2010 that the Rt. Rev. Bela Poznan was ordained Bishop of the Calvin Synod - a United Church of Christ (UCC) Conference - on 18 September 2010, in Fairfield, Connecticut. The sermon, in English, was offered by the Rev. Geoffrey Black, General Minister and President of the UCC. The Rev. Dr. John Deckanback, Central Atlantic Conference Minister, presided over the service and presented the Conference Ministers' Medallion of office to Bishop Poznan.

The Rt. Rev. Louis Medgyesi officiated in the administration of the rite of ordination, assisted by the Rt. Rev. Koloman K. Ludwig, both bishops emeriti of the Calvin Synod. The Reformed Church of Hungary was represented by the Rev. Dr. Zsolt Kadar, Superintendent and General Secretary of the Collegium Doktorom, Reformed Church in Hungary, in Debrecen, Hungary.

Many pastors from Hungarian Reformed churches participated in the ordination service. The UCC Connecticut Conference was represented by several officers and local pastors, as the ordination service emphasized the Church's connections and unity, a principle of authentic Calvinism.

Several hundred people attended the traditional Hungarian church dinner after the ordination service.


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

+ United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, 216-736-2100, ogm@ucc.org

+ Connecticut Conference, 125 Sherman Street, Hartford, Connecticut 06105, 860-233-5564, Fax: 860-231-8111, info@ctucc.org

+ Central Atlantic Conference, 916 South Rolling Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21228, 410-788-4190, Fax: 410-788-9485, ajones@cacucc.org

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

+ Magyar Református Egyház, Contact Page


[5] Proposal Made to Teach Environmental Studies and Climate Change in Presbyterian Church in Cameroon Primary Schools

A 17 September 2010 article by Regina Liengu Etaka in the Cameroon Tribune titled “Bamenda: Climate Change to be Included in Presbyterian Schools Curricular” reports that officials of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) are proposing that environmental studies and climate change be taught as a separate subject in the church’s more than 130 primary schools. The PCC officials hope that the Cameroon government will begin including questions regarding climate change in major examinations so that the same type of studies will be adopted by other schools throughout Cameroon.


+ Cameroon Tribune, Sopecam Marketing and Communication, 1218 Yaoundé– Cameroun, Cameroun, 237-22-30-32-26, smc@cameroon-tribune.cm

+ Presbyterian Church in Cameroon


[6] Evangelical & Reformed Historical Society to Celebrate 300 Years of Reformed Church Presence in the U.S. on 23 October 2010 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

The Evangelical & Reformed Historical Society will celebrate 300 years of Reformed Church presence in the U.S. on 23 October 2010 at the Lancaster Theological Seminary in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Following a morning board meeting and a 1:00 p.m. worship service, lectures on “300 Years of Reformed Church Presence in the U.S.” and “The Future of the Historical Society: Center for the Study of E&R Heritage” will be presented.

Registration is US$10.00 via telephone at 717-290-8734 or at the door. Further information is available at:

http://www.erhs.info/News_files/ERHS_Fall_2010_poster.pdf


+ Evangelical & Reformed Historical Society, 555 West James Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603, 717-290-8734, Fax: 717-394-4254, erhs@lancasterseminary.edu

+ Lancaster Theological Seminary, 555 West James Street, Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17603, 717-393-0654, Fax: 717-393-4254, seminary@lancasterseminary.edu



[7] Wellesley, Massachusetts, Sixth-Graders Taken on Field Trip to Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center Mosque Where They Joined Muslims in Prostrated Prayer

Sixth-grade social studies students from Wellesley Middle School in Wellesley, Massachusetts, on 25 May 2010, were taken on a field trip to the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center’s mosque, where they were told by mosque officials that in Mohammed’s seventh-century Arabia women were allowed to vote, while in America women only gained that right a hundred years ago, that the only meaning of Jihad in Islam is a personal spiritual struggle, and that Jihad has historically had no relationship with holy war. Additionally, the students prostrated themselves alongside Muslim men in a prayer to Allah. Teachers did not intervene, neither were parents told about the details of the field trip.

Americans for Peace and Tolerance on 15 September 2010 reported that:

“The Islamic Society of Boston was founded by Abdulrahman Alamoudi, who is currently serving twenty-three years in jail on terror charges. For years, its board of trustees included Yusuf al Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood who was banned by Bill Clinton from the United States in 1999. Qaradawi now chairs the Muslim American Society’s university, which offers classes inside the mosque. Over half the mosque’s [US]$15.5 million price tag was funded by wealthy Saudis and since it opened, several of its leaders, donors and members have been implicated in Islamic extremism.

“Oussama Ziade, a big donor to the mosque, is now a fugitive in Lebanon after being indicted in 2009 for dealing in the assets of an Al Qaeda financier. Ahmad Abousamra, the son of the Boston Muslim American Society’s former vice-president Abdulbadi Abousamra, is now a fugitive in Syria, fleeing the country before being indicted in 2009 on charges of aiding Al Qaeda. One of the mosque’s imams, Abdullah Faaruuq, was captured on tape in 2010 telling followers to “pick up the gun and the sword” and to defend another local terrorist Aafia Siddiqui from the U.S. government. Siddiqui, who was one of the imam’s congregants, is an MIT graduate and Al Qaeda member awaiting sentencing for attempting to murder FBI agents in Afghanistan while shouting “death to America.””


+ Americans for Peace and Tolerance, 15 Main Street, Suite 118, Watertown, Massachusetts 02472, Contact Page

+ Wellesley Public Schools, 40 Kingsbury Street, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, 781-446-6200, web_master@wellesley.k12.ma.us

+ Islamic Society of Boston, 204 Prospect Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, 617-876-3546, Contact Page

15 September 2010

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Son of ARP Pastor Killed in Iraq 7 September 2010

[2] Possibility of New Meeting for Investigatory Commission of ARP General Synod on Erskine College and Seminary

[3] First Two Presbyterian Church in America Presbyteries to Consider BCO 14 Changes Overwhelmingly Vote Against the Amendments

[4] Largest Church of Scotland Investment Portfolio Loses UK£20 Million between April and June 2010, Precipitating Cash Crisis

[5] Great Britain’s Presbyterian and Reformed Denominations React to Pope’s Visit

[6] Threatened Koran Burning Evokes Various Responses

[7] Inconvenient Truths and Useful Idiocy

[8] 110th Anniversary of the Johnstown-Windber (Pennsylvania) Hungarian Reformed Church to be Celebrated 25-26 September 2010

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[1] Son of ARP Pastor Killed in Iraq 7 September 2010

U.S. Army Pfc. James McClamrock, 22, son of Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church pastor the Rev. J. Mark McClamrock of the Concord ARP Church in Concord, North Carolina, was killed 7 September 2010 while on a security detail at a base north of Baghdad, Iraq, when an Iraqi soldier opened fire on the Americans. One other U.S. soldier was killed in the attack and nine U.S. soldiers were wounded. The Iraqi gunman was killed.

In addition to his father, James McClamrock is survived by his wife Shannah, his mother Susan, and two sisters Kathryn and Caroline.

A funeral service for James McClamrock is scheduled for 17 September 2010 at 4:00 p.m. EDT at the Forest Hill United Methodist Church in Concord, North Carolina.

We of the Christian Observer extend our deepest sympathies to the McClamrock family and to the congregation of Concord ARP Church.


+ The Charlotte Observer, 600 South Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202, 704-358-5000, acaulkins@charlotteobserver.com

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

+ U.S. Army, 1400 Defense Pentagon, Washington DC 20301, 703-697-0050


[2] Possibility of New Meeting for Investigatory Commission of ARP General Synod on Erskine College and Seminary

A 9 September 2010 ARPTalk article by Charles W. Wilson titled “Will the Investigatory Commission Meet Again?” reports, that by virtue of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP)’s 2010 General Synod meeting not being adjourned, the Investigatory Commission of General Synod on Erskine College and Theological Seminary “was not dismissed and is still functioning in accordance with its charge to investigate and report on Erskine matters,” and may in fact soon be meeting to deal with new matters regarding Erskine.

The rumored commission meeting agenda may include the latest proposal from the attorneys for plaintiffs David Chesnut, Richard Taylor, and Parker Young, who filed a lawsuit and requested injunctions against the ARP General Synod after the March 2010 called meeting of the ARP General Synod voted to take several steps to deal with urgent matters of concern at Erskine. Since the abbreviated synod meeting in June 2010, the plaintiff’s attorneys have proffered several settlement proposals which added stipulations to the Patrick-Wingate Compromise adopted by the ARP General Synod in the June 2010 meeting that would guarantee that no ecclesiastical charges will be brought against plaintiffs Richard Taylor and Parker Young by their presbyteries. The ARP General Synod has held throughout the negotiations strictly to the explicit terms of the compromise voted upon by the highest court of the ARP Church at the June 2010 ARP General Synod meeting.

ARPTalk Editor Charles W. Wilson speculates that the plaintiffs may be seeking a settlement at this time because there is a great likelihood that the South Carolina Appeals Court may rule against the plaintiffs in the only one of the original five injunctions against the ARP General Synod not summarily dismissed in an earlier appeals court action.

ARPTalk Editor Wilson too speculates that the rumored commission meeting agenda may include the case of Erskine student Zach Keuthan, who reported that Erskine professor Dr. Bill Crenshaw told Keuthan that he was a liar and to enjoy his evangelical hell. Mr. Keuthan first filed a complaint with then Erskine President Randy Ruble, filed a subsequent appeal with the Erskine Board, and then subsequently filed an appeal with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS).

ARPTalk Editor Wilson additionally speculates that the commission agenda may include the upcoming October 2010 meeting of the Erskine Board, where it is expected that an attempt will be made by the board to remove the ARP General Synod from the governance of Erskine.


+ ARPTalk Blog, 864-882-6337, wilson6114@bellsouth.net

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

+ Erskine College and Theological Seminary, 2 Washington Street, Due West, South Carolina 29639, 864-379-2131, 864-379-2167, norman@erskine.edu

+ Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033, 404-679-4500, Fax: 404-679-4558, questions@sacscoc.org


[3] First Two Presbyterian Church in America Presbyteries to Consider BCO 14 Changes Overwhelmingly Vote Against the Amendments

An 11 September 2010 article by Dominic Aquila in The Aquila Report titled “Updated 9/12: Two PCA Presbyteries Vote Against Approving Proposed BCO 14 Amendments” reports that the first two Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) presbyteries to vote on the proposed amendments to the PCA Book of Church Order sent to the presbyteries by the 38th PCA General Assembly, the Wisconsin Presbytery and the Northwest Georgia Presbytery, voted overwhelmingly against approval of the amendments.

Dr. Aquila writes: “The amendments would require churches, Presbyteries and teaching elders to pay an annual registration fee in order to have the ability to vote [at the PCA General Assembly meetings].”


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

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


[4] Largest Church of Scotland Investment Portfolio Loses UK£20 Million between April and June 2010, Precipitating Cash Crisis

A 13 September 2010 article by Brian Donnelly in The Herald titled “Kirk Faces New Cash Crisis as [UK]£20m is Wiped from Portfolio” reports that the Church of Scotland (CoS)’s largest investment portfolio, the Growth Fund, lost UK£20 million between April and June 2010. The Growth Fund has included major holdings with BP and Vodafone.

The CoS Reserve Fund is expected to be exhausted by 2010, as the CoS is running yearly deficits of UK£5 million maintaining ministers’ salaries and other expenses.


+ The Herald, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, Scotland G2 3QB, 0141- 302-7000, Fax: 0141-302-7117, On-lineEditor@theherald.co.uk

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


[5] Great Britain’s Presbyterian and Reformed Denominations React to Pope’s Visit

Several of Great Britain’s Presbyterian and Reformed denominations have reacted in various ways to the upcoming visit of Roman Catholic (RC) pontiff Pope Benedict XVI.

A 13 September 2010 article by Jenna Lyle in Christian Today titled “Churches Welcome Pope’s Visit to Britain” reports that the United Reformed Church (URC) said the lead taken by RC bishops in moral and spiritual reflection was “of benefit to all,”, and URC General Secretary the Rev. Roberta Rominger said she hoped the visit would “energise” and “inspire” the church.

A 14 September 2010 BBC article titled “Presbyterian Moderator Refuses to Shake the Pope's Hand” reports that Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI) Moderator Dr. Norman Hamilton plans to attend a 17 September 2010 service in Westminster that will be attended by Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury, but that Dr. Hamilton turned down the opportunity to be presented to the Pope after the service because of "troubling issues" which needed to be addressed, mainly the sexual abuse scandals in the RC church.

A 12 September 2010 BBC article by William Crawley titled “Free Presbyterian Leader Challenges Moderator over Service with Pope” reports that Free Presbyterian Church in Ireland (FPCI) Moderator the Rev. Ron Johnstone strongly criticizes PCI Moderator Hamilton for attending the upcoming 17 September 2010 service, saying:

“I was going to say it shocks me, but I suppose it doesn't. I think it is very sad that he would go to such a thing. The Pope claims that the Presbyterian Church in Ireland is a false church. He claims that we should recognise him as the head of all Christians. And surely the Westminster Confession that Mr. Hamilton signed is totally opposed to the teachings of Rome. Both can't be right: either Romanism is right or the New Testament is right. And I'm sure a lot of Irish Presbyterians will be shocked that they are represented at a meeting with the Pope.”

A 14 September 2010 article by Claire Smith in The Scotsman titled “Ian Paisley Coming to Edinburgh in Protest over Pope's Visit” reports that the Rev. Ian Paisley and sixty other FPCI ministers from Northern Ireland are travelling to Edinburgh, Scotland, to protest against the state visit of the Roman pontiff, first congregating at Magdalen Chapel in Cowgate, Edinburgh, Scotland, in a church where John Knox once preached, then staging a public protest in the Grassmarket where they will unfurl a banner objecting to the papal visit.

A 14 September 2010 by Dan Keenan in The Irish Times titled “Paisley to be 'Champion' for Child Sex Abuse Victims” reports that Paisley is putting himself forward as “a champion” for the victims of child sex abuse by RC priests, commenting: ““[The Pope] is coming to this country at a time when his own church is very deeply divided, and rightly so, because of the behaviour of many priests within the church and his evident desire not to enter into this matter and deal with it….I think that I have a right – everybody has a right – to make their presence felt on this issue.”

In a related matter, a 9 September 2010 Belfast Telegraph article titled “Tony Blair Advised Not to Become a Catholic by Ian Paisley” reports that Paisley met with former Prime Minister of Great Britain Tony Blair the day that Blair converted to Roman Catholicism, and tried to dissuade Blair from doing so. Paisley said of his unsuccessful attempt: “Well, I said I was going to say a few things and I said them — as a real Christian — because this was a matter of eternity.”


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

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

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

+ The Irish Times Limited, The Irish Times Building, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2, Irish Republic, 353-1-675-8000, newsdesk@irishtimes.com

+ Belfast Telegraph, 124-144 Royal Avenue, Belfast BT1 1EB, Northern Ireland, 028-9026-4000, writeback@belfasttelegraph.co.uk

+ United Reformed Church, Church House, 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT, England, 020-7916-2020, Fax: 020-7916-2021, urc@urc.org.uk

+ Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Church House, Belfast BT1 6DW, Northern Ireland, 028-9032-2284, Fax: 028-9041-7301, Info@PresbyterianIreland.org

+ Free Presbyterian Church in Ireland, info@freepres.org

+ The Vatican, Città del Vaticano, Rome, Italy, 39-6-69-88-35-11, Fax: 39-6-69-88-54-47, Contact Page


[6] Threatened Koran Burning Evokes Various Responses

Threats by Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida, to burn a copy of the Koran has evoked outrage and threatenings by Muslims worldwide, and has wrought varying reactions among U.S. Christians.

Pleas made by the Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition and the Rev. Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council and Faith and Action in the Nation’s Capital to Pastor Jones to cancel plans to burn the Koran were at first successful, but remain questionable, as Pastor Jones claims that he was misled by a Muslim Imam who told Jones plans to build a thirteen-story mosque at Ground Zero in New York City, New York, had been cancelled.

In his 9 September 2010 Internet audio broadcast, Randall Terry said, that in the efforts to convince Pastor Jones to cancel the Koran burning, the Rev. Rob Schenck was mistaken in his portrayal of Christ and Christianity. Terry asked: “Is burning a Quran just? And next, is it prudent?”; then reviewed Old Testament judgments of God by fire and the Apostle Paul’s burning of "sacred" books on witchcraft, the destruction of pagan worship sites by the church throughout history, and the building of Roman Catholic cathedrals using the ruins of these pagan temples; and concluded by asking: “Should we condemn our spiritual forebears because they did not "show respect" to false religions?...”

The founder and President of BOND Action Inc., the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, described Pastor Jones’ threat to burn the Koran “foolish and unnecessary,” then blasted U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama and senior members of his cabinet for their hypocrisy and selective outrage over the incident, saying: “For Barack Obama to condemn the Florida pastor, yet endorse the radical Muslim cleric's plan to erect a victory Muslim mosque near hallowed grounds is dangerous and hypocritical. Eric Holder and Hillary Clinton have reportedly condemned the proposed Quran burning as 'idiotic' and 'disgraceful.' If it weren't for Obama and his administration ripping this pastor, this issue would not have been elevated to an international crisis.”

On 11 September 2010, in front of the White House, Andrew Beacham asked: "Why should we respect a book that denies Christ, denies the Trinity, calls us infidels, and declares that God wants Christians and Jews banished, imprisoned, crucified, or murdered?", then Beacham tore the following passages from a Koran:

Chapter 5: 17 – 19; States Christians are infidels for believing Christ is the Son of God.

Chapter 5: 33; Cut off hands and feet, crucify, and banish those who stand against Islam.

Chapter 5: 51; Muslims forbidden to take Christians and Jews for friends.

Chapter 5: 72-75; Christians are infidels; for believing in Deity of Christ; Passage denies Holy Trinity,

Chapter 8: 12-15; Decapitate infidels; i.e., those who stand against Mohammad.

Chapter 9: 5, 6; Slay Idolaters

Chapter 33: 26, 27; Passage justifies the beheading of hundreds of Jewish men, enslavement of their wives and children, and the spoiling of their property.

Chapter 33: 61-62; God wants the murder of those who stand against Islam.

Chapter 47: 1-4; Kill those who do not believe in Mohammad.


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

+ Randall Terry, Box 23775, Washington DC 20026, 904-687-9804, Contact Page

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

+ National Clergy Council, 109 Second Street Northeast, Washington DC 20002, 202-546-8329, Fax: 202-546-6864, Info@FaithandAction.org

+ 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

+ BOND Action Inc., Post Office Box 35586, Los Angeles, California 90035, 877-932-2877, info@bondaction.org


[7] Inconvenient Truths and Useful Idiocy

The website “islam: the religion of peace (and a big stack of dead bodies)” states: “If the desecration of your holy book bothers you more than the desecration of your children, then your religion must be Islam,” and provides several inconvenient truths about Islamic terrorism including:

-- As of 14 September 2010 at 9:50 p.m. EDT, Islamic terrorists have carried out 16,051 deadly terror attacks since 11 September 2001.

-- During the thirty days of Ramadan 2010, there were 226 Islamic terror attacks that killed 1028 people. The only other terror attack in the name of a religion that occurred during the same period was the murder in Tiangia, Orissa, India, of the former leader of a Hindu extremist organization who had converted to Christianity and was attending a Baptist church.

-- During the week of 28 August – 3 September 2010, there were forty-three Islamic jihad attacks, killing 269 people and critically injuring 758 people.

-- During August 2010, there were 196 Islamic jihad attacks in twenty-three countries that killed 811 people and critically injured 1602 people.

Meanwhile, a 12 September 2010 WCCO-TV article by Heather Brown titled “Chaska Church Reads Quran during Service” reports that on Sunday, 12 September 2010, the Rev. Gordon Stewart, pastor of Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)) in Chaska, Minnesota, invited Dr. Ghafar Lakanwal, a naturalized American citizen and a former agriculture minister in Afghanistan, to read to the congregation several passages from the Koran. Dr. Lakanwal told the congregation that it is important to tell people that the Koran promotes peace, especially after 11 September 2001, saying: "Learn, not burn. We have to learn and then we have to not burn. We have to work together, we have to respect each other like Muslim [sic] respect the Bible and the Torah."

And, on the other side of the world, a 13 September 2010 article in TMCNews titled “Presbyterian Church, Too” reports that the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, The Rt. Rev. Prof. Emele Mba Uka, in a goodwill message to Muslims on the occasion of the Eid el-Fitr festival at the end of Ramadan fasting, said that religious harmony can only be guaranteed when religious leaders take up with all seriousness their responsibility of teaching their followers to observe the law and not take it into their own hands. Prof. Emele Mba Uka additionally stressed the need to promote shared values as contained in the religions’ Holy Books, to not emphasize religious differences, and to appreciate the fact that we all come from one God, no matter our religious affiliations.


+ islam: the religion of peace (and a big stack of dead bodies), thereligionofpeace@yahoo.com

+ AsiaNews.it, desk@asianews.it

+ WCCO-TV, 90 South 11th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403, Contact Page

+ TMCNews, 800 Connecticut Avenue, 1st Floor East, Norwalk, Connecticut 06854, 203-852-6800, Fax: 203-866-3326, tmc@tmcnet.com

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

+ Presbyterian Church of Nigeria, 26 Ehere Road, Post Office Box 2635, Aba, Abia, Nigeria, 082-234-780


[8] 110th Anniversary of the Johnstown-Windber (Pennsylvania) Hungarian Reformed Church to be Celebrated 25-26 September 2010

The 110th Anniversary of the Johnstown-Windber Hungarian Reformed Church
will be celebrated by the congregation, according to its Calvinist heritage, Saturday and Sunday 25-26 September 2010, at the Cambria City church at 824 Chestnut Street, Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

The bishop of Calvin Synod, the Rt. Rev. Bela Poznan, will address worshippers in his first visit since his election in May 2010. The Divine Service of Thanksgiving will be at 11:00 a.m., with the participation of area clergy, followed by a luncheon in the social room. All former members and guest worshippers are invited.

On Sunday, 26 September, the church will continue its celebration, observing the festival of New Bread with the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The congregation, in its affiliation with the Calvin Synod, is in connection with the United Church of Christ.


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

+ United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, 216-736-2100, ogm@ucc.org