Presbyterians Week Headlines
[1] Christian Observer Highlights for October 2010
[2] PCA Teaching Elder Dominic Aquila Acquitted of Charges Related to Article by RPCUS Minister John Otis Published in The Aquila Report
[3] FPCS Minister Reaches Out-of-Court Settlement with Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland over 2008 Suspension for Book Criticizing Church Procedures
[4] United Church of Christ Joins Communist Party USA and Other Radical Left Groups in Endorsing 25 September 2010 “One Nation Working Together” Rally in Washington DC
[5] U.S. Supreme Court Declines Appeal of Presbyterian Church of Sudan et al Plaintiffs-Appellants v. Talisman Energy, Inc., Defendant-Appellee
[6] Twenty-Eight Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand Canterbury Region Churches Suffer NZ$8 Million Damage from 4 September 2010 Earthquake
[7] South Carolina PCUSA Church Celebrates 300th Anniversary 3 October 2010
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[1] Christian Observer Highlights for October 2010
New articles in the Christian Observer for September 2010 include:
Does the Pope Believe in the Resurrection? – by Matthew Vogan – With the Roman pontiff in September 2010 making a state visit to Scotland during the 450th anniversary of the Scottish Reformation, and with some conservative evangelical leaders lauding the writings of the former Roman Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland ruling elder Matthew Vogan examines the title question in light of Joseph Ratzinger’s writings, demonstrating that “no” is the implicit answer to the title question, that Ratzinger in his younger days admired and worked with radical liberal theologians, and that Ratzinger employs Jesuitical distinction between his official and private views to both deviate from and affirm Roman Catholic teachings at the same time. Vogan concludes: “It is alarming to think of the extent of the heresies held by those who have authority within the bounds of Rome if Ratzinger is to be considered conservative.”;
Biblical Protest and Witness Await Pope’s UK Visit - by Richard Bennett – the author, a former Roman Catholic priest and the leader of Berean Beacon Ministries describes the evangelical response by evangelicals in Scotland and England to the September 2010 visit of the Roman pontiff, summarizes responses by secular media to the pontiff’s visit, and puts into perspective the biblical historical significance of the papal visit.;
Educate for Character – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – The results of public school character development without the Christian religious and moral underpinnings of the past;
Plus, regular features including weekly Sabbath School Lessons and Westminster Shorter Catechism lessons by Assistant Christian Observer 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
+ 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
+ Berean Beacon Ministries, Post Office Box 192, Del Valle, Texas 78617, bereanbeaconmail@yahoo.com
+ The Vatican, Città del Vaticano, Rome, Italy, 39-6-69-88-35-11, Fax: 39-6-69-88-54-47, Contact Page
[2] PCA Teaching Elder Dominic Aquila Acquitted of Charges Related to Article by RPCUS Minister John Otis Published in The Aquila Report
A 1 October 2010 article by Wes White in The Aquila Report titled “Rocky Mountain Presbytery (PCA) Exonerates Dominic Aquila of Charges of Breaking the Ninth Commandment” reports that the Fall Stated Meeting of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)’s Rocky Mountain Presbytery on 30 September 2010, heard the report of the Committee to Investigate charges made by the Metro New York Presbytery againstTeaching Elder (TE) Dr. Dominic Aquila for publishing on 16 March 2010 in The Aquila Report the article “Discerning Roman Catholic Tendencies Among Professing Reformed Churches” by Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States minister the Rev. John Otis.
Dr. Aquila, on 8 March 2010, in a letter sent to Dr. Aquila’s church court of jurisdiction, the PCA’s Rocky Mountain Presbytery , was charged by the PCA Metro New York Presbytery with breaking his ordination vow to uphold the purity and peace of the church, of breaking the ninth commandment, and of a lack of love because Dr. Aquila posted the article by the Rev. John Otis.
In the article, John Otis criticized Dr. Craig Higgins, a TE in the Metro New York Presbytery, and pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Rye, New York, for what Mr. Otis alleged were "Roman Catholic tendencies," including concern about TE Higgins' advocacy of the practice of Lent and Ash Wednesday; his advocacy of a return to bishops; his suggestion that the Bishop of Rome would be the proper presiding bishop of a worldwide ecumenical council (as long as his authority was not greater than the ecumenical council, including rejecting papal infallibility); asserting that the church could "move beyond" the debate over baptismal regeneration by the renewal of a rich, instrumental baptismal theology; that Higgins was in agreement with the idea that by baptism one is made an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven; and Higgins' view that baptism is ordinarily necessary for salvation, among other things.
+ 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
+ Rocky Mountain Presbytery, c/o the Rev. Kevin Allen, Stated Clerk, 4055 Nonchalant Circle South, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80909, 719-574-6700, Contact Page
+ Metro New York Presbytery, dminer@covenantshorthills.org
+ Reformed Presbyterian Church in the United States, c/o the Rev. Jeff Black, Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church, 157 Max Meadows Road, Max Meadows, Virginia 24360, jvblack@thebiblealone.com
+ The Vatican, Città del Vaticano, Rome, Italy, 39-6-69-88-35-11, Fax: 39-6-69-88-54-47, Contact Page
[3] FPCS Minister Reaches Out-of-Court Settlement with Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland over 2008 Suspension for Book Criticizing Church Procedures
A 30 September 2010 Press and Journal article by Cameron Brooks titled “Minister and Church Reach Out-of-Court Settlement” reports that former Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland (FPCS) pastor the Rev. Allan MacDonald’s lawsuit against the FPCS was dismissed 29 September 2010 after MacDonald and the FPCS reached an agreement concerning MacDonald’s 2008 suspension from the pulpit of the Farr and Daviot congregation in Inverness-shire after MacDonald published the book Veritatem Eme (Buy the Truth), which criticized the FPCS for appealing a ruling by the Northern Presbytery in 2004 not to appoint the Rev. Douglas Somerset to lead the FPCS congregation in Aberdeen.
Mr. MacDonald was suspended in March 2008 after the FPCS found him guilty of attacking Mr. Somerset in writing and refusing to apologize. Somerset is MacDonald’s son-in-law.
The settlement included compensation for loss in earnings, allows Mr. Macdonald and family to continue living in the church manse until the summer of 2011, and permanently removes all FPCS decisions against Mr. MacDonald.
+ Press and Journal, Lang Stracht, Mastrick, Aberdeen AB15 6DF, Scotland, 01224-343311, pj.newsdesk@ajl.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
[4] United Church of Christ Joins Communist Party USA and Other Radical Left Groups in Endorsing 25 September 2010 “One Nation Working Together” Rally in Washington DC
The United Church of Christ joined groups including the Communist Party USA, Planned Parenthood, Code Pink, Democratic Socialists of America, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Center for Transgender Equality in endorsing the “One Nation Working Together” rally held on the National Mall in Washington DC on 25 September 2010.
Institute on Religion and Democracy President Mark Tooley commented:
“Why are churches endorsing the ‘One Nation Working Together’ rally in Washington DC…along with the Communist Party USA and other far-left groups, supposedly as a counterpoint to the Tea Party and the Glenn Beck rally of last month? Don’t churches have members on both sides of these issues?
“The United Methodist Board of Church and Society—with other church bodies that never endorsed the rally in the first place—is to be commended for stepping back from blatant partisanship and association with outlandish groups like the Communist Party USA.
“This rally seems mostly to represent the leftist fringe of American politics, which views government as the transcendent supreme power. Church groups, which are called to look to a higher Power, should know better.”
+ Institute on Religion and Democracy, 1023 15th Street Northwest, Suite 601, Washington DC 20005-2601, 202-682-4131, Fax: 202-682-4136, info@theird.org
+ United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, 216-736-2100, ogm@ucc.org
+ United Methodist Church, 7178 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, Maryland 21046, 410-309-3400
[5] U.S. Supreme Court Declines Appeal of Presbyterian Church of Sudan et al Plaintiffs-Appellants v. Talisman Energy, Inc., Defendant-Appellee
In November 2001, the Presbyterian Church of Sudan and four individual plaintiffs purporting to represent a class of thousands of southern Sudanese filed a complaint against Talisman Energy Inc. in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs filed an amended complaint in February 2002 naming additional plaintiffs and adding the Government of Sudan as a defendant.
The plaintiffs' amended complaint alleged that Talisman Energy Inc. directly violated, aided and abetted the Government of Sudan in violating, and conspired with the Government of Sudan to violate customary international law related to genocide, torture, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
The plaintiffs subsequently abandoned the claim of direct liability and elected to proceed against Talisman Energy Inc. only on the claims of aiding and abetting and conspiracy.
On 12 September 2006, the court ruled against the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs appealed to United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, who upheld the lower court decision on 2 October 2009. The plaintiffs then appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States, who on 4 October 2010, declined to hear the case.
+ Presbyterian Church of Sudan
+ Talisman Energy Inc., Suite 2000, 888 - 3 Street Southwest, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 5C5, 403-237-1234, Fax: 403-237-1902, tlm@talisman-energy.com
+ Supreme Court of the United States, One First Street Northeast, Washington DC 20543, 202-479-3000
[6] Twenty-Eight Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand Canterbury Region Churches Suffer NZ$8 Million Damage from 4 September 2010 Earthquake
A 1 October 2010 article on the Voxy.co.nz website titled “Presbyterian Church Counting [NZ]$8 Million Cost Of Quake; Churches Holding Services In Halls” reports that the 4 September 2010 earthquake caused NZ$8 million damage to twenty-eight Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand churches in the Canterbury region of New Zealand.
+ Voxy.co.nz, Level 10, 94 Dixon Street, Wellington, New Zealand, 64-4-889-0474, Contact Page
+ Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, Level 1, Terralink House, 275-283 Cuba Street, Post Office Box 9049, Wellington, Aotearoa, New Zealand, 04-801-6000 Fax: 04-801-6001, info@presbyterian.org.nz
[7] South Carolina PCUSA Church Celebrates 300th Anniversary 3 October 2010
A 2 October 2010 article by Adam Parker in the Charleston Post and Courier titled “300 Years of Worship on Johns Island” reports that the Johns Island Presbyterian Church (JIPC) (Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)) in Johns Island, South Carolina, celebrated its 300th anniversary on 3 October 2010 with 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services that included former ministers, interim ministers, and other visitors with associations to the church.
A delegation from nearby Hebron Zion Presbyterian Church was expected to attend the 11:00 a.m. service in honor of their black ancestors that worshiped at the church until after the 1861–1865 War Between the States, when the black church members left to form their own congregations.
The JIPC church building was completed in 1719.
+ Charleston Post and Courier, 134 Columbus Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29403, 843-577-7111, publiceditor@postandcourier.com
+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005
