22 December 2010

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Dr. Charles Chao, Co-Founder of the Reformation Translation Fellowship, Dies at Age Ninety-Four

[2] U.S. Health Care Nationalization Death Panels Begin with Food and Drug Administration Rationing of Late-Stage Breast Cancer Drug Avastin

[3] Leader of German Protestant Association Says a Europeanized Islam is Prerequisite for Interfaith Dialogue

[4] Presbyterian Church in Ireland Youth and Children’s Ministry Recruiting Young Adults for 2-11 July 2011 Mission Trip to Transylvania, Romania

[5] Ohio PCUSA Pastor Charged with 112 Counts of Downloading, Trading, and Possessing Child Pornography

[6] Georgia PCUSA Organist Suspended and Jailed after Bond Revoked when January 2010 Child Pornography Charges Discovered

[7] RTS Charlotte President and RTS CEO-Elect Michael Milton to Present New Bible Study Series, “Faith for Living”, on NRB Network

[8] Calvin 2009 Website Moves to Permanent Location as a Four-Language Repository of John Calvin Resources

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[1] Dr. Charles Chao, Co-Founder of the Reformation Translation Fellowship, Dies at Age Ninety-Four

Dr. Charles Chao, who founded the Reformation Translation Fellowship with Dr. J.G. Vos, died 16 December 2010 at age ninety-four at a nursing home in San Dimas, California.

J. Bruce Martin, President of the Reformation Translation Fellowship Board and clerk of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), penned a fitting tribute to Dr. Chao on 18 December 2010:

“….The Board of the Reformation Translation Fellowship gives thanks to God for the extensive ministry God gave this man particularly through the translation of theological works into the Chinese language. When westerners, including all missionaries, were expelled from China in the 1940’s, Reformed Presbyterian missionaries used the means of the written word to continue the work they had started. Dr. Chao was key to this work since for decades, he was virtually the only translator. The account of his escape from the communists is a thrilling account of God’s working in behalf of his people. That account is recorded in Charles’ autobiography, Out of the Tiger’s Mouth. Check your church library for a copy of it and if it isn’t there, order it. After living in Japan for a few years he came with his wife and ten children to America in 1958. I was able to attend the Westminster Seminary graduation in which Dr. Chao received his second doctorate degree. The Asian students there were greatly disappointed that Dr. Chao’s health prevented them from being able to visit after the ceremony with this man whose work had meant so much to them in their understanding of the faith. Dr. Chao’s son, Jonathan (who also served the Reformation Translation Fellowship extensively) and daughter, Helen, preceded him to the joy of eternity with the Lord. Please remember in prayer the family that awaits that joy, particularly Pearl who was his wife for seventy-eight years.”


+ Reformation Translation Fellowship, c/o Rev. William L. Roberts, Post Office Box 2345, Terra Haute, Indiana 47802, 812-327-5296, Bill4RTF@gmail.com

+ Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), 7408 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-731-1177, Fax: 412-731-8861


[2] U.S. Health Care Nationalization Death Panels Begin with Food and Drug Administration Rationing of Late-Stage Breast Cancer Drug Avastin

A 17 December 2010 article on Andrew Briebart’s BigGovernment.com website titled “Death Panels Begin: Reaction to FDA’s Decision to Begin Rationing” reports that the United States Food and Drug Administration on 16 December 2010 announced the rationing of the late-stage breast cancer drug Avastin because the FDA claims that Avastin side effects outweigh the drug’s benefits. On the same day, the European Union’s equivalent agency announced that Avastin would not be rationed.

The BigGovernment.com article published condemnations of the FDA action from several U.S. congressmen and senators, the Susan B. Komen Foundation for a Cure, the Pacific Research Institute, the 60 Plus Association, and the Wall Street Journal.


+ Breitbart.com, 149 South Barrington Avenue #401, Los Angeles, California 90049

+ U.S. Food and Drug Administration , 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, 888-463-6332, druginfo@fda.hhs.gov


[3] Leader of German Protestant Association Says a Europeanized Islam is Prerequisite for Interfaith Dialogue

A 23 November 2010 article by Anli Serfontein of Ecumenical News International titled “German Protestant Head Says a European Islam Needed for Dialogue” features a 17 November 2010 interview with the Rev. Nikolaus Schneider, Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), an association of twenty-two German protestant church bodies, where Schneider cited the lack of German-speaking imams among the 4 million Muslims in Germany and the problems the language barrier poses for interfaith dialogue with the Muslims.

Schneider wants German universities to teach Muslim clergy the German language, welcomes the newly established Islam theology faculties at three German universities, supports efforts to introduce Islamic religious education in schools for Muslim students, and said that one of his main priorities as EKD chairman is to set up as soon as possible a meeting with representatives of Islam in Germany.

Schneider commented: “"We need an Islam that has an academic formation in our country and at our universities, an Islam that is able to enter into dialogue with the social sciences and with the natural sciences in our country.”

Schneider said of Muslim imams: "They don't know our cultural background, and they cannot preach in such a way so that they can provide orientation to the conditions of our society, but they preach as if the people are still living in Turkey."

The Evangelical Reformed Church is a member of the EKD.


+ Ecumenical News International, Post Office Box 2100, CH – 1211, Geneva 2, Switzerland, 41-22-791-6111, Fax: 41-22-788-7244, eni@eni.ch

+ Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), Church Office, Herrenhäuser Straße 12, D-30419 Hanover, Germany, 49-511-2796-0, Fax: 49-511-2796-707, info@ekd.de

+ Evangelical Reformed Church (ERK) Postfach 1380, Saarstr. 6, 26789 Leer, Germany, 49-491-9198 0, Fax: 49-491-9198-251, info@reformiert.de


[4] Presbyterian Church in Ireland Youth and Children’s Ministry Recruiting Young Adults for 2-11 July 2011 Mission Trip to Transylvania, Romania

The Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI)’s Youth and Children’s Ministry is recruiting young adults between eighteen and twenty-five years old for a mission trip to the Transylvania region of Romania 2-11 July 2011 to assist PCI missionaries Csaba & Ilona Veres in conducting an English Language Camp for ten- to sixteen-year olds from the Transylvania region of Romania.

The camp will be based in one of the Romanian Reformed Church (Hungarian Reformed) centers in the Brasov region of Transylvania, and will consist of normal camp programs and activities along with English lessons and conversation. Additionally, the PCI group will be working alongside and encouraging local Christians serving as volunteers with IKE, the Romanian Reformed Church’s (Hungarian Reformed) Youth Board.

The cost of the mission trip is approx. UK£650, and applications are due by 21 January 2011.


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

+ Romanian Reformed Church, 410210 Nagyvárad(Oradea), Kálvin János utca 1. Szám, Romania, 259-453-286, partium@rdsor.ro


[5] Ohio PCUSA Pastor Charged with 112 Counts of Downloading, Trading, and Possessing Child Pornography

A 16 December 2010 article by Bill Sheil of Fox 8 News titled “Local Pastor Charged with Over 100 Counts of Child Porn” reports that following a six month investigation by the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, twenty-seven adults and three juveniles have been charged with crimes related to child pornography, including the Rev. Dr. Mark Griggs, pastor of St. Andrews Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)) in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, who is charged with 112 counts of downloading, trading, and possessing child pornography.

Prosecutors allege that Griggs downloaded and saved images of children being sexually abused onto his computer, and traded child porn images from both his home and church computers. Griggs’ attorney denies the charges, saying that the child pornography was downloaded from the ‘Limewire’ file sharing site without Griggs’ knowledge. Prosecutors dismiss Griggs’ claims of innocence, one saying: “The amount of downloading and file sharing [Griggs] has is significant."

The PCUSA Presbytery of the Western Reserve issued a 16 December 2010 statement about Griggs' arrest, which stated: "We do not have much information about this situation yet but the Presbytery takes allegations of misconduct very seriously and will cooperate with authorities in their investigation."

A statement on the St. Andrews website noted by Fox 8 News’ Bill Sheil describing Griggs’ "commitment and love of children" was not locatable when the website was accessed the evening of 20 December 2010.


+ Fox 8, 5800 South Marginal Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44103, 216-432-4240 Contact Page

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

+ Presbytery of the Western Reserve, 2800 Euclid Avenue Suite 500, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, 216-241-3966, Fax: 216-241-3969, info@preswesres.org


[6] Georgia PCUSA Organist Suspended and Jailed after Bond Revoked when January 2010 Child Pornography Charges Discovered

A 15 December 2010 article by Alexis Stevens in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution titled “Church Organist Headed Back to Jail” reports that bond for Jeremy Christopher Rush, organist for two months until suspended at Roswell Presbyterian Church in Roswell, Georgia, was revoked after Rush’s 16 January 2010 arrest related to the possession of seventy child pornography images was discovered. Rush’s January 2010 US$50,000 bond included the condition that Rush not be around children under sixteen years of age.

Rush’s attorney contends that Rush did not violate his bond conditions because the organ Rush played was in the choir loft, which is ten feet above the church’s main floor.


+ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30346, 404-526-5151, mjoseph@ajc.com

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


[7] RTS Charlotte President and RTS CEO-Elect Michael Milton to Present New Bible Study Series, “Faith for Living”, on NRB Network

Faith for Living, a new Bible study series with Dr. Michael Milton, of Reformed Theological Seminary, will air on the National Religious Broadcasters Network each week on Direct TV channel 378 on Mondays at 8:30 a.m., Thursdays at 3:30 a.m., and Fridays at 7:30 a.m., beginning 3 January 2011. Sky Angel will carry the program on channel 126. You can also watch the program online at FaithForLivingTV.com

For 2011, the series is titled "A Doxology in the Darkness: How God Transforms our Pain into Praise." Dr. Milton invites viewers to tune in by television, radio, or online to learn about what could also rightly be called a Christian response to suffering.

The Faith for Living radio program currently airs on WHVN - 1240 AM and 104.3 FM, in Charlotte, North Carolina at 10:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Sundays. It also airs in several areas of South Florida: In the Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Florida area, it airs on WAFG-FM 90.3 at 7:30 p.m., on Sundays. In the Key West, Florida, area, it airs on WKZG-FM 88.3, and in Marathon, Florida on WKGZ 106.9 FM on Sundays at 7:30 p.m. The broadcast is also available for listening twenty-four hours a day on http://www.accradio.com/ and on http://www.sermonaudio.com/, and is updated weekly.


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

+ Reformed Theological Seminary, 2101 Carmel Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28226, 704-366-5066, Fax: 704-366-9295

+ National Religious Broadcasters Network, 404 BNA Drive, Building 200, Suite 400, Nashville, Tennessee 37217, 615-866-2702, Fax: 615-348-1412, info@nrbnetwork.org


[8] Calvin 2009 Website Moves to Permanent Location as a Four-Language Repository of John Calvin Resources

The international internet platform created to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin is being redeveloped as a worldwide platform of comprehensive knowledge and information about the Geneva, Switzerland, reformer.

The new website, http://www.john-calvin.org/, features information, documents, games, and products about Calvin in four languages. International Calvin experts from Germany, Switzerland, South America, and the United States have been developing and expanding the web page, which first went online in 2007, into a worldwide central knowledge and information platform. The platform operates under the auspices of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches.

A section titled “calvin bio,” on http://www.john-calvin.org/ presents a short biography of Calvin, a timeline with insights into the church and the cultural environment of the 16th century, as well as texts about Calvin as a person. Another section, titled “calvin theo,” introduces the basics and key terms of Calvin’s theology, a complete showcase of his works, and a selection of secondary texts. In addition, “calvin actio” offers materials that provide entertaining insights and a playful approach to the topic. Finally, “calvin promo” features several products that can be ordered online, including Calvin chocolates, as well as a large selection of books. A new Calvin logo can be downloaded from the site.

WCRC President, Jerry Pillay, welcomes “the only site on the internet that compiles expert knowledge about Calvin from around the world in four languages”.

Pillay adds: “I am particularly happy about the fact that the Reformed Churches from Brazil, the Netherlands, Poland, and Hungary have also announced their cooperation.”


+ 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

+ Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches, Sulgenauweg 26, Bern 23, Switzerland, 41-31-370-25-25, Fax: 41-31-370-25-80, info@sek.ch