30 November 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] ARP Pastor Charles W. Bradley Dies Thanksgiving Day 2011

[2] Preaching on the Plains: Reminiscences Published by Lulu.com

[3] The Christian Pundit on "Hermeneutics and Awkward Science"

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[1] ARP Pastor Charles W. Bradley Dies Thanksgiving Day 2011

Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP) pastor Charles W. Bradley, 55, died on Thanksgiving Day, 24 November 2011, after suffering a heart attack at the manse of Hopewell ARP Church in Culleoka, Tennessee, where Mr. Bradley had pastored for the past twenty years. Mr. Bradley additionally pastored the Union Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Colombia, Tennessee, for many years. Pastor Bradley was a member of the Tennessee-Alabama Presbytery of the ARP Church, and was presently serving as Stated Clerk of the presbytery and as a member of the ARP Church’s Executive Board of the General Synod.

A funeral service was conducted 28 November 2011 at the Hopewell ARP Church. Pastor Bradley is survived by his wife of thirty-six years, Sandra Fisher Bradley, daughter, Clair M. (Lance) Shroades of Fairbanks, Alaska; three sons, Brandon J. Bradley of Marietta, Georgia, Colin Matthew (Belinda) Bradley of Summertown, Tennessee, and Benjamin Clarence Bradley of Culleoka, Tennessee; nine grandchildren, one sister, a half-sister, and a half-brother.

Pastor Bradley’s obituary described him as “…a man who had a fervent desire to know God and know of God. As a result, he not only possessed a sincere love for God, he also lived his life with a deep love for his family and the family of God. He had a remarkable journey that resulted in Christian faith and that ultimately led him to a call into the ministry…. He loved theology, sought understanding of faith through the Reformed tradition and impacted many lives as he challenged those whose lives he touched to grow deeper into their faith in Christ Jesus.”

One of the speakers at Pastor Bradley’s funeral was a ruling elder who had interviewed the pastor twenty years ago before he was called to the Hopewell pulpit. The elder said that the Hopewell congregation had previously fallen to just a faithful few members, and that God used Pastor Bradley to preach biblical truth and gradually the Hopewell church grew to presently include about eighteen families including extended families, a few families with ten or more children, and some single adults.

The editor knew Pastor Bradley only as an Internet acquaintance and Facebook “friend”, and several years ago God providentially brought a great blessing to the Christian Observer when two members of Hopewell ARP Church agreed to became editors. Pastor Bradley’s deep faith has significantly influenced the lives of these two editors, and presumably the rest of the Hopewell congregation. The editor joins Pastor Bradley’s family and congregation in grieving the loss of their beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and pastor, and in rejoicing that another good and faithful servant is in the presence of the Lord.


+ Oaks & Nichols Inc., Funeral Directors, 320 West Seventh Street, Colombia, Tennessee 38401, 931-388-4711, oakesandnichols@bellsouth.net

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

+ Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 8207 Traditional Place, Cordova, Tennessee 38016, 901-276-4572, Fax: 901-272-3913


[2] Preaching on the Plains: Reminiscences Published by Lulu.com

Preaching on the Plains: Reminiscences, by one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church of America in 1936 and the Bible Presbyterian Church (BPC) in 1938, the Rev. David K. Myers, has been published by Lulu.com and is available in paperback for US$10.82 plus shipping.

Myers’ son the Rev. David T. Myers writes:

“[F]or any who are interesting in the history of the early days of the BPC, especially up in the Plains states of Montana, South and North Dakota. Dad was a church planter, an evangelist complete with sawdust tent revivals, an Army chaplain from WW2 through the Korean War, a seminary professor (Faith from 1956 - 64 -- Any one who graduated from Faith in those years would remember him.) and a pastor. He was one of a handful of Presbyterian ministers who was censured by deposition in 1936 from the Presbyterian Church USA (Yellowstone Presbytery in Montana) for his support of the [Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions] in 1933.

“It features his experiences at Wheaton College in the 1920's and Princeton in 1927 - 29. He had sat under J. Gresham Machen, Robert Dick Wilson, Casper Wister Hodge (grandson of Charles H.), Geerhardus Vos, and the like “famous” names. He tells of his experiences of having to prepare his sermon while drunken cowboys still shot their pistols into the air on Saturday night. It tells of one of his "members" who had killed an entire farm family only to meet frontier justice and swing from the end of a rope over the railroad trestle! That happened just after Dad had led him to a profession of faith in the town jail. Probably not many of our present day pastors have had to experience that!!!

“Over all, it is a testament of divine grace, of the Holy Spirit's work in a man who was yielded completely to Him, doing His work in the Great Depression days of our country, and up to the mid to late 80's of the last century.”

Lulu.com provides a passage from the book:

“For some 32 years I have been absent from the northern Plains area which I call 'My Country.' I have had periods of great loneliness for it. I can fancy still the shouts and sounds of gunfire of riders, exuberant horsemen, rushing through the street on Saturday nights on 'Silk Stocking Avenue' in Fairview, Montana, firing into the air. I can feel the pressure of a quick crush with my car into the huge snow drifts in the wake of blizzard seasons; the warm hospitality of the Plains people. I remember the joyful shouts of little children in Vacation Bible Schools; the young lad who joyfully received Christ, then said just before he succumbed from tubercular meningitis, 'I go to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.' And I remember the exhausting nights after full days of preaching five or six times a Lord's Day, the many miles traversed; but all, all forgotten in the joy of seeing souls saved at points in a far flung parish. However, it is all ending in gladness!”

For more information, please see http://PreachingOnThePlains.wordpress.com, or http://Lulu.com.


+ Lulu, 10930 Raven Ridge Road #107, Raleigh, North Carolina 27614, 919-676-6222

+ Bible Presbyterian Church


[3] The Christian Pundit on "Hermeneutics and Awkward Science"

Associate Reformed Presbyterian pastor and Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary professor the Rev. Dr. William VanDoodewaard on 29 November 2011 published “Hermeneutics and Awkward Science” on his The Christian Pundit blog.

The article is a continuation of responses to discussions on hermeneutics and the creation/evolution debate in light of Peter Enns’ recent presentation to a group of New York area Presbyterian Church in America pastors. In “Hermeneutics and Awkward Science,” VanDoodewaard responds to the 16 November 2011 The Aquila Report article “ANE and Creation One More Time, with a Concluding Plea” by Erskine Theological Seminary professor Dr. William B. Evans.

VanDoodewaard responds to Evans’ article, in summary saying: “My issue is not with having “a place” for extra-biblical data in the interpretive process…. I would argue that in the specific case of the interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2, including the account of the origins of Adam and Eve, the issue encountered in alternative readings is a hermeneutically unwarranted accommodation of the text to the priority and primacy of extra-biblical data, rather than simply giving “a place”.

The article can be accessed at:

http://thechristianpundit.org/2011/11/29/hermeneutics-and-awkward-science/
.

+ The Christian Pundit, William.VanDoodewaard@puritanseminary.org

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

+ Erskine Theological Seminary, Post Office Box 668, Due West, South Carolina 29639, 800-770-6936

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

+ Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, 2965 Leonard Street Northeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525, 616-977-0599, Fax: 616-285-3246, info@puritanseminary.org

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

23 November 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Gaelic Watchnight Ecumenical Service in Stornaway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, to be Led by Clergy from Church of Scotland, Free Church of Scotland, and Roman Catholic Church

[2] Trifecta of Syncretism Scheduled in Edinburgh, Scotland, 25-27 November 2011

[3] Free Church of Scotland Begins to Confiscate Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) Properties

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[1] Gaelic Watchnight Ecumenical Service in Stornaway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, to be Led by Clergy from Church of Scotland, Free Church of Scotland, and Roman Catholic Church

A Gaelic Watchnight Service scheduled for 3 December 2011 at Martin’s Memorial Church (Church of Scotland (COS)) in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, will be led by clergy from the COS, the Free Church of Scotland (FCS), and the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). The overall service will be led by FCS former general assembly moderator the Rev. James MacIver, and assisted by COS minister the Rev. Angus Morrison and RCC priest Father Roddy Johnson.

The service is scheduled to be recorded by BBC ALBA, and will be available on Freeview (Channel 8), Sky (Channel 168), Freesat (Channel 110), Radio nan Gàidheal, and on BBC ALBA Christmas Eve 2011 at 11:00 p.m. and again on Christmas Day 2011. The service will additionally be available on the BBC iplayer following Christmas 2011.

An ecumenical service at the same church and with the same cast of denominations was held in October 2011, which is detailed in the 9 November 2011 Presbyterians Week article “[1] Church of Scotland Minister Joined by Free Church of Scotland Moderator and Roman Catholic Priest Lead Ecumenical Service at October 2011 Gaelic Music Festival.”


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

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

+ 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

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


[2] Trifecta of Syncretism Scheduled in Edinburgh, Scotland, 25-27 November 2011

A 23 November 2011 Ekklesia article titled “Three Faiths to Worship Together in Edinburgh Mosque” reports that the Rt. Rev. David Arnott, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland (COS), Rabbi David Rose of the Edinburgh [Scotland] Hebrew Congregation, and [an] as-of-yet unidentified Muslim[s] will attend each others’ services in Edinburgh, Scotland’s Annandale Mosque on Friday 25 November, Edinburgh Hebrew Congregation on Saturday 26 November, and St. Andrew’s (COS) on Sunday 26 November, as “part of a unique three-day programme in Edinburgh of talks between the three main Abrahamic traditions.”


+ Ekklesia, 2nd Floor, 145-157 St. John Street, London EC1V 4PY, England, 0845 056 5445, press@ekklesia.co.uk

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


[3] Free Church of Scotland Begins to Confiscate Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) Properties

The following notice from the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) (FCSC)’s Legal Advice & Property Committee was sent to all FCSC congregations on 19 November 2011:

“Notice To Congregations

“Please note that the (FCSC) Commission of Assembly will meet this Tuesday evening to discuss our position regarding the legal action taken by the Residual Body [Free Church of Scotland] to dispossess our congregation in Partick of all its assets. Please pray that the Lord will help the brethren as they meet.

“In the meantime, it is with great sadness that we must report that the Residual Body of the Free Church of Scotland has gained entry into and taken possession of the manse in Ardelve. We deplore this action as unwarranted and totally improper while legal action is in progress. It demonstrates, in our opinion, contempt for the civil magistrate who is the Minister of Christ for good (Romans 13:4) and who alone possesses the God-given authority to settle such disputes. Further, at a time when the Free Church (Continuing) congregation in Ardelve is contemplating the Call of a minister, the timing of this action constitutes utter disregard for the furtherance of the Gospel in the area.

“We pray for our congregation in Ardelve at this time, and encourage them in the Lord their God: "The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up...He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail." (1 Samuel 2:8,9)

“D S FRASER

“(Convener, LAPC)”

The 17 August 2011 Presbyterians Week article “[2] Court of Session in Edinburg, Scotland, Rules that Isle of Skye’s Broadford Church Belongs to the Free Church of Scotland” reported that:

“the Court of Session in Edinburg, Scotland,…upheld a 2009 lower court decision giving ownership of the Broadford Church on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, to the Free Church of Scotland, thus taking the church from the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) congregation that has worshiped there since 2007.

“….

“Lord Drummond Young, one of three appeals court judges, concluded the court’s written opinion with a recommendation to both parties:

“May I, in conclusion, respectfully suggest that this is a case where such an arrangement might be reached? It is true that the right to the Broadford property belongs to the congregation who adhere to the structures of the pre-2000 Free Church, and that the minister and communicants of that congregation must be members of the Free Church as governed by those structures. Nevertheless, I can find nothing in the trust that prevents the congregation so determined from permitting the use of the church to other bodies of Christians who follow similar doctrines and forms of worship. The defenders appear to me to be such a body. In this respect, the exhortation to longsuffering, forbearance and unity of the spirit within a congregation may be as relevant to Broadford and other communities in Scotland in the twenty first century as it was to Ephesus in the first century.”

The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) separated from the Free Church of Scotland in 2000 after the majority declined to pursue church discipline against Free Church College Professor Donald Macleod, who was alleged to have committed six charges of indecent assault involving five women between 1985 and 1992, and was acquitted of the charges after a trial in the Edinburgh Sheriff Court.


+ Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), Rev. John MacLeod, Free Church Manse, Portmahomack, Ross-shire, Scotland, principalclerk@fccontinuing.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

16 November 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Why Paterno Will Matter: A Theological Reflection on the Sad Case at Penn State

[2] John Calvin a Radical Socialist?

[3] Occupy Portland [Oregon] Demonstrators Arrested with Bombs Meant for Police

[4] Bill Keller of Liveprayer.com Says 2012 Presidential Election will be Satan vs. Satan

[5] Up to 150 Church of Scotland Ministers Ready to Leave Kirk over Homosexual Ordination

[6] The Christian Pundit on the Choice of Authority in Harmonizing the Historicity of Adam and Eve with Evolutionary Theory

[7] Inheritance Publications Offers Remembrance Day/Veteran’s Day Package for Remembering the Mighty Acts of God

[8] Full-Length English Edition of Wisdom and Wonder: Common Grace in Science & Art by Abraham Kuyper is Released

[9] 2011 Confessional Presbyterian Scheduled for Release

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[1] Why Paterno Will Matter: A Theological Reflection on the Sad Case at Penn State

by Dr. Michael A. Milton

Joe Paterno's career is over. It did not end well.

Writing in the midst of a cauldron of charges and investigations about child abuse, is not easy. Writing with certainty about anything in such times is not wise. I therefore make no pronouncements other than this: Paterno will matter.

By that, I mean to say, his legacy will matter. I don't just mean his legacy as a Brown educated coach, Brooklyn-accent, Easterner who preferred reading classics to hunting deer in a blue collar Western PA place called "Happy Valley." I don't mean his legacy as the man who not only impacted the football reputation of that college but, as Bill Pennington put it in the New York Times, "was Penn State."

His legacy will include his concern for players, his development work in raising the academic influence of Penn State, and his character; not the character in the sense of the Columbo-like figure (with thick glasses) that roamed the sidelines like just another professor on campus who just happens to rule over big time football in America, but the character of the man. That character which is so large and good that it shapes others' character. All of those things matter.

Now some may remember, years from now, this tragic incident. Maybe a lapse in judgement. Maybe things we don't know. Yes, surely things we don't know. Will that be his legacy as well?

Legacies are about the impact that people leave on other people. We do not know if this alleged crime against a child and the failure to report it -- surely the greatest tragedy of all in this sordid story -- that ended Paterno's career will loom so large that it overshadows the other facets of what was already a great legacy.

But we know this -- at least those who know Jesus Christ know this -- sin stains even God's greatest creations. That is what happened in the fall of Mankind. And if that were all of the truth we knew in our worldview lens, as we looked at this, and as we looked at life, then we would be of all men most pitiable.

But the gospel of Jesus Christ is that the legacy of shame was overcome at the cross, when God became Man to live the life we could not live and "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5.:21 ESV). That is the gospel -- the Good News.

Embedded in every shameful story of our lives, our families, is the reality of that stain of sin. And that is why Christ came: to remove the stain with His own pure life and give that life to all who will turn from themselves and receive His life and His death for their sin. That is the gospel. And the gospel changes legacies. And for the children of abuse, the families in pain, and even one of the greatest coaches of our time, that is really all that matters now.

Michael Anthony Milton (Ph.D., University of Wales) serves as the chancellor/CEO elect of Reformed Theological Seminary (one of the largest accredited seminaries in the country), a U.S. Army chaplain and the James M. Baird Jr. chair of pastoral theology at RTS/Charlotte. He is an author, songwriter, singer, ordained minister, former pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, Tenn., and he previously served as the president of RTS/Charlotte. Dr. Milton also hosts a national Bible teaching television program, Faith for Living, broadcast on the NRB Television Network, and a radio program broadcast on several stations in the southeast. For 16 years he served in the business world and has also served as a top-secret Navy linguist.


+ 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


[2] John Calvin a Radical Socialist?

Setri Nyomi, General Secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches , in a lecture on the role of the church in the 21st century delivered at Princeton Theological Seminary on 15 November 2011 said that 16^th Century theologian John Calvin would have supported the “Occupy Wall Street” protesters.

Nyomi said: “Calvin expressed opposition to all forms of social oppression resulting from money. Today, it is the global economic systems and practices that have more sophisticated forms of effects….The church of the 21st century needs to align itself with voices of justice…even if it means being out there in the streets.”

Nyomi additionally quoted the Accra Confession: “We believe the economy exists to serve the dignity and wellbeing of people….Therefore we reject the unregulated accumulation of wealth and limitless growth that has already cost the lives of millions and destroyed much of God’s creation.”


+ 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

+ Princeton Theological Seminary, 64 Mercer Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08542-0803, 609-921-8300


[3] Occupy Portland [Oregon] Demonstrators Arrested with Bombs Meant for Police

A 14 November 2011 KMTR.com article titled “I-5 Traffic Stop Yields Incendiary Devices and Gas Masks” reports that three Klamath Falls, Oregon, men stopped for speeding on I-5 by a traffic safety officer were found to have incendiary devices, gas masks, and fireworks in the car intended to be used against the Portland, Oregon, police when the officers confronted Occupy Portland protestors.

The materials included firecrackers and two commercially manufactured fireworks mortars encased in canning jars that were designed to spread glass shrapnel when exploded. Additionally, a small quantity of marijuana was seized from the car.

Charges against the three men include Unlawful Possession of Fireworks, Unlawful Possession of [a] Destructive Device, Unlawful Manufacture of [a] Destructive Device, and Possession of less than one ounce of marijuana.


+ KMTR, 3825 International Court, Springfield, Oregon 97477, 541-46-1600, newsdesk@kmtr.com


[4] Bill Keller of Liveprayer.com Says 2012 Presidential Election will be Satan vs. Satan

Bill Keller, Internet Evangelist and the founder of LivePrayer.com, says the 2012 Presidential election will be Satan vs. Satan, meaning God is finished with the United States!

Keller says that the most likely match-up in the 2012 Presidential election will be Mitt Romney vs. President Barack Obama, meaning it will be Satan vs. Satan. Keller states that many may call this characterization extreme, but that is exactly what it will come down to.

Keller said: “During President Obama's nearly three years in office, he has proven by his words and deeds to be a true enemy of God. He has been the most pro-death President in history through his support of the killing of innocent babies, he has been a staunch ally of the radical homosexual agenda, and a true friend to the enemies of Israel.”

Keller continued: “While Mitt Romney has been willing to change his core beliefs on critical spiritual issues like abortion and gay marriage, he has never denounced his beliefs of the satanic Mormon cult! As a ‘Temple Mormon,’ Romney not only wears the magical underwear bearing satanic markings, but has taken a blood oath to the Mormon cult over anything else, INCLUDING THE U.S. CONSTITUTION!”

Keller continued, "Romney, like fellow cult member Glenn Beck and all in their cult, truly believe they will die and become the god of their own planet and have sex with an endless supply of women to create millions of spirit babies, in addition to other ridiculous fantasies their cult teaches. Romney and Mormons also believe in the ‘White Horse Prophecy’ of their cult's founder Joseph Smith, claiming the U.S. will be in total chaos, a Mormon will become President, and to save the nation suspend the Constitution and enact a Mormon theocracy."

Keller concluded, “This is not about politics, it is about SOULS. Every person will die, and it is the goal of Satan to lead their eternal soul to hell.” Keller believes that if the election for our next President comes down to Romney and Obama, it means that God has finally had enough of our nation killing 4,000 innocent babies each day, embracing sexual perversion, the destruction of God's Holy Institution of Marriage and the family, and people worshipping every false god and idol man has created in his evil imagination, and [God thus] will take His hand of protection and blessing off our the United States.”


+ Liveprayer.com, 6660 46th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33709, Contact Page

+ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 50 East North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150, 801-240-2640, Contact Page

+ The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20500, 202-456-1414, Fax: 202-456-2461, Contact Page


[5] Up to 150 Church of Scotland Ministers Ready to Leave Kirk over Homosexual Ordination

A 14 November 2011 article Severin Carrell in The Guardian titled “Gay Clergy Row Threatens Mass Resignations from Church of Scotland” reports that up to 150 ministers from the Church of Scotland (COS) may leave the Kirk due to objections to the ordination of homosexuals. The disaffected clergy may eventually form a new denomination.

The schism is the largest in the COS since 1843 when 474 ministers left to form the Free Church of Scotland.


+ The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU, England, 44-20-3-353-2000, reader@guardian.co.uk

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

+ 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


[6] The Christian Pundit on the Choice of Authority in Harmonizing the Historicity of Adam and Eve with Evolutionary Theory

Associate Reformed Presbyterian pastor and Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary professor the Rev. Dr. William VanDoodewaard on 10 November 2011 published “Enns’ Clarity and Consistency” on his The Christian Pundit blog. The article summarizes and comments upon discussions on hermeneutics and the creation/evolution debate in light of Peter Enns’ recent presentation to a group of New York area Presbyterian Church in America pastors.

The article can be accessed at:

http://thechristianpundit.org/2011/11/10/six-days/


+ The Christian Pundit, William.VanDoodewaard@puritanseminary.org

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

+ Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, 2965 Leonard Street Northeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525, 616-977-0599, Fax: 616-285-3246, info@puritanseminary.org

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


[7] Inheritance Publications Offers Remembrance Day/Veteran’s Day Package for Remembering the Mighty Acts of God

Inheritance Publications is offering a Remembrance Day/Veteran’s Day package of books and DVD’s so that in addition to remembering the World Wars and the soldiers fighting during those times to preserve or achieve freedom, the ultimate freedom that comes from God, freedom from sin and freedom to serve Him, can too be recalled - so to remember the mighty acts of God and to teach these to your children.

The package includes one copy each of :

-- League of Grateful Sons - The Second World War at Iwo Jima - CA$16.00

-- It Began with a Parachute – Children’s book - CA$7.90

-- In This Hour - Adult Historical Novel about World War II and the Floods of 1953 - $13.90

-- Theatre in Dachau – Adult eyewitness account - CA$12.90

Buy all four items and receive a fifteen percent discount:

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/inhpubl/webip/amazon.htm


+ Inheritance Publications, Box 154, Neerlandia, Alberta T0G 1R0, Canada, 780-674-3949, Fax: 775-890-9118


[8] Full-Length English Edition of Wisdom and Wonder: Common Grace in Science & Art by Abraham Kuyper is Released

The first full-length English-language publication of Abraham Kuyper's writings on common grace is slated to be released during the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) in San Francisco, California, 16-18 November 2011. Wisdom & Wonder: Common Grace in Science & Art explores the views of the Dutch theologian on the relationship between the Christian faith, culture, and God's preserving work in the world.

The book is available for pre-order now on the Christian's Library Press website at US$24.99 for hardcover and US$14.99 for paperback, and will be available for purchase in stores and online beginning 21 November 2011.


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

+ The Acton Institute, 161 Ottawa Avenue Northwest, Suite 301, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503, 616-454-3080, Fax: 616-454-9454, info@acton.org

+ Evangelical Theological Society, 2825 Lexington Road, Box 927, Louisville, Kentucky 40280, 502-897-4387, Fax : 502-897-4386, Contact Page


[9] 2011 Confessional Presbyterian Scheduled for Release

The 2011 Confessional Presbyterian is scheduled to be released in late November 2011.

A list of the contents is available at:

http://www.cpjournal.com/2011/05/the-confessional-presbyterian-7-for-2011/


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

9 November 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Church of Scotland Minister Joined by Free Church of Scotland Moderator and Roman Catholic Priest Lead Ecumenical Service at October 2011 Gaelic Music Festival

[2] PCUSA’s Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary to Go Tuition Free in 2015 for Master’s Degree Students

[3] November 2011 Reformation Voice Available for Download

[4] Children’s Book The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism by William Boekestein is Published by Reformation Heritage Books

[5] Trinity Foundation Announces 2011 Christian Worldview Essay Contest Winners

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[1] Church of Scotland Minister Joined by Free Church of Scotland Moderator and Roman Catholic Priest Lead Ecumenical Service at October 2011 Gaelic Music Festival

An October 2011 article in the Hebrides News titled “Main Mod Events” reports that the ecumenical church service for the 2011 Western Isles Royal National Mod, a Gaelic music festival, held Sunday 16 October 2011 at Martins Memorial Church (Church of Scotland) (COS) in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, was led by COS minister the Rev. Iain M. MacDonald of Cross Church of Scotland in Ness, Isle of Lewis, Scotland, and assisted by the current Free Church General Assembly moderator of the Free Church of Scotland the Rev. James MacIver and by Roman Catholic priest Father Calum MacLellan of Eriskay, Scotland.


+ Hebrides News, Box 100, Stornoway, Scotland HS1 2YZ, info@hebrides.biz

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

+ 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


[2] PCUSA’s Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary to Go Tuition Free in 2015 for Master’s Degree Students

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (LPTS) (Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)) announced 4 November 2011 that the school will not charge tuition for students in its master’s degree programs in divinity, marriage and family therapy, and religion beginning in 2015. LPTS’s yearly tuition is currently around US$10,200.


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

+ Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 1044 Alta Vista Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40205, 502-895-3411,Fax: 502-895-1096, lmarch@lpts.edu


[3] November 2011 Reformation Voice Available for Download

The November 2011 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


[4] Children’s Book The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism by William Boekestein is Published by Reformation Heritage Books

The Heidelberg Catechism has been taught to children for hundreds of years, encouraging them to seek Christ as their true source of comfort. But how did this catechism get written? In The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism, William Boekestein and Evan Hughes combine history and art to retell the events that led to making the catechism. By sharing the stories of Caspar Olevianus, Zacharias Ursinus, and Frederick III and how they came to Heidelberg, children will gain a greater appreciation of the Christian faith as it is expressed in the Heidelberg Catechism.

The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism is available from Reformation Heritage Books for US$7.50 plus shipping charges.


+ Reformation Heritage Books, 2965 Leonard Street Northeast, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525, 616-977-0599, orders@heritagebooks.org


[5] Trinity Foundation Announces 2011 Christian Worldview Essay Contest Winners

The Trinity Foundation has announced the winners of the 2011 Christian Worldview Essay Contest.

The First Prize of $3000 plus 15 books goes to Emmanuel Cumplido of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for his essay “Hope in the Midst of Despair: An Essay on Gordon Clark’s 1966 Wheaton Lectures”.

The Second Prize of $2000 plus 10 books goes to Ryan Hedrich of Lawrenceville, Georgia, for his essay “The Good Work of Philosophy”.

The Third Prize of $1000 plus 5 books goes to Racheal Parker of Greentown, Indiana, for her essay “Philosophical Contrast: Revelation versus the Vain Imaginations of Men”.

All entrants had to read the book Introduction to Christian Philosophy / “The Wheaton Lectures” (contained in Christian Philosophy and Clark and His Critics) by Dr. Gordon H. Clark and write an essay about the book.

The topic for the 2012 Christian Worldview Essay Contest is Without a Prayer: Ayn Rand and the Close of Her System by John W. Robbins.

Additionally, The Trinity Foundation has published For the King: The Trinity Review, 1999-2008 edited by John W. Robbins and Thomas W. Juodaitis, available for US$39.95, and under the current sale flyer - buy one get two free. For the King is The Trinity Foundation’s biggest book yet, 624 pages in 8 1/2 x 11 oversized cloth bound hardback. For the King is the third ten-year compilation of The Trinity Review. Against the World and Against the Churches were the first two.


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

2 November 2011

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Christian Observer Highlights for November 2011

[2] Former Free Church of Scotland Minister Inducted 29 October 2011 into the Pastorate of a New Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland Congregation in Stornaway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

[3] Church of Scotland Moderator Joins Syncretistic Group to Hear Pope Benedict XVI Speak in Assisi, Italy

[4] Presbyterian Church of Ghana Official Condemns British Prime Minister David Cameron’s Threat to Cut Aid to Countries that Do Not Accept Pro-Homosexual Legislation

[5] Burmese Army Targets Christian Civilians in War on Insurgents - Troops Attack Churches in Kachin State Conflict

[6] Influence of Muslim Brotherhood Within Obama Administration Exposed by Egyptian Writer Dr. Essam Abdallah

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[1] Christian Observer Highlights for November 2011

New articles in the Christian Observer for November 2011 include:

-- Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) of Lexington, Virginia, Moves to New Building – by Christian Observer Managing Editor Bob Williams – Fifty-nine year-old Grace Presbyterian Church (PCA) of Lexington, Virginia, moves into their new church building after ten years of planning; and,

-- Sex Education and Homosexuality? – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – the Homosexual Agenda as it is being played out in the public schools, and the bullying being done by the homosexual lobby to anyone professing traditional Judeo-Christian tenets of human sexuality;

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 24450, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[2] Former Free Church of Scotland Minister Inducted 29 October 2011 into the Pastorate of a New Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland Congregation in Stornaway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland

A 31 October 2011 Stornoway Gazette article titled “Minister inducted to New Western Isles Church” reports that on 29 October 2011, former Free Church of Scotland (FCS) minister the Rev. David Karoon was inducted into the pastorate of a new Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (RPCS) congregation in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland - the first RPCS congregation in the Western Isles of Scotland – and the first RPCS congregation in the Scottish Highlands since 1876.

Mr. Karoon left the FCS after the denomination voted to add uninspired hymns and instrumental music to what had been until then exclusive a capella psalmody.


+ Stornoway Gazette, 10 Francis Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis HS12XE, Scotland, 01851-702-687, newsdesk@stornowaygazette.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

+ Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland, c/o the Rev. Andrew Quigley, RPCS Clerk, Linden House, Westermavisbank Avenue, Airdrie, ML6 0HD Scotland, 01236-753971, SAndrewQ@aol.com


[3] Church of Scotland Moderator Joins Syncretistic Group to Hear Pope Benedict XVI Speak in Assisi, Italy

Church of Scotland Moderator the Right Reverend David Arnott joined with 300 religious leaders including Buddhists, atheists, humanists, Lutherans, Methodists, and a plethora of other nominal Christians and non-Christians in Assisi, Italy, as Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XVI led a day-long prayer service for world peace.

Mr. Arnott said: “It was a much bigger event on a world scale that any of us thought or imagined it would be and was a wonderful occasion. Repeatedly voices were heard condemning the link between violence and religion.

“True religion is the way of peace. True religion is peace. Not only were there people present from every world church and faith, the Pope had invited indigenous religions from Africa and also non-believers and humanists to take part.

“This was a splendid example of cross cultural co-operation and a paradigm for our own church, where we too need to embrace our society much more fully. We need to learn to co-operate with everyone at every level to build the community and society we wish in Scotland.”

Arnott also visited Rome as a guest of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity.


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

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


[4] Presbyterian Church of Ghana Official Condemns British Prime Minister David Cameron’s Threat to Cut Aid to Countries that Do Not Accept Pro-Homosexual Legislation

A 1 November 2011 Ghana Broadcasting Corporation article titled “Ghana: British PM Under Attack for Gay Rights Comments” reports that the Rev. Dr. Bugri Nagbo, Northern Regional Chairman of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, has condemned recent comments of British Prime Minister David Cameron threatening to cut off aid to countries that do not accept pro-homosexual legislation.

Dr. Nagbo said that Ghana is a decent and well-behaved country, and that it is imperative that Ghana maintain its sovereignty and not kowtow to pressures to exchange legislation for money. He called for all political parties, religious organizations, and youth groups to stand against such ungodliness, as acquiescence to these pressures will doom the country of Ghana.

Dr. Nagbo additionally said that countries that offer aid to developing countries in exchange for discarding their cultural values, are engaging in racism and in bullying behavior. He too advised the government of Ghana to disregard the comments of the British Prime Minister, as the government would lose its popularity if they were to enact pro-homosexual legislation in exchange for foreign aid money.


+ Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, Post Office Box GP 1633, Accra, Ghana, 233-21-786567, Fax: 233-21-773247, dg@gbcghana.com

+ Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Post Office Box GP 1800, Accra, Ghana, 233-21-662511, Fax: 233-21-665594, pcghg@yahoo.com


[5] Burmese Army Targets Christian Civilians in War on Insurgents - Troops Attack Churches in Kachin State Conflict

By Michael Ireland
Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

NEW DELHI, INDIA (ANS) -- Compass Direct News (CDN) reports that a recent attack on Christians and church buildings by Burmese soldiers in Kachin state showed that Christian civilians are targeted in the military offensive against insurgents.

“Targeting of Christians is not unusual in Burma’s conflict zones,” Nawdin Lahpai, editor-in-chief of the Kachin News Group, told Compass by phone, referring to the Oct. 16 military firing at a church, detention of a priest and four parishioners, and burning of church property in Kachin state.

“The incident reflects the long-time policy of the Buddhist-Burman-majority Burmese government, which discriminates against the ethnic Christian minority,” Lahpai said.

CDN explains that about 90 percent of the roughly 56 million people in Burma (also known as Myanmar) are Buddhist, mostly from the Burman ethnic group.

CDN stated that armed and unarmed ethnic Kachins have struggled for independence or autonomy from successive military-led regimes for decades.

Compass also stated that in the Oct. 16 attack, about 150 soldiers stormed Nam San Yang village in the Daw Phung Yang area of Bhamo District in Kachin state, which borders China, according to Mizzima, a Delhi-based news organization run by Burmese journalists.

Compass added that members of a Catholic church who were preparing for Sunday mass heard gunfire and saw soldiers approaching them. They lay on the ground as the army men opened fire at them. No one was hurt.

The soldiers caught Catholic priest Jan Ma Aung Li and four other men. “They said that all males in the village were people’s militiamen and KIO staff,” Mizzima quoted Aung Li as saying.


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

+ Compass Direct News Service, Post Office Box 27250, Santa Ana, California 92799, 949-862-0304, Fax: 949-752-6536, info@compassdirect.org


[6] Influence of Muslim Brotherhood Within Obama Administration Exposed by Egyptian Writer Dr. Essam Abdallah

NEW YORK, Nov. 1, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dr. Essam Abdallah, an Egyptian liberal intellectual, today stated in his article published on FamilySecurityMatters.org's website, that the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Hamas, Hezbollah, the Iranian regime and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Libya and Jordan now comprise what is becoming the greatest Islamist radical lobby ever to penetrate and infiltrate the White House, Congress, the State Department and the main decision making centers of the US government.

Dr. Abdallah says that “all of this is happening at a time when the US government is going through its most strategically dangerous period in modern times because of its need to confront the Iranian Mullahs regime, which is expanding in the Middle East, as well as penetrating the United States, via powerful and influential allies.” He also points out that Islamist dominance is spreading throughout the Mediterranean, and then makes the explosive charge that “These developments wouldn't have happened without the approval of the United States.”

Dr. Abdallah also points out that, at the same time, the visit of Maronite Patriarch (the Maronites are an Eastern rite Catholic Church) Rahi to Washington was canceled while Coptic Christian churches are being destroyed in Egypt, and “Coptic demonstrators are massacred at Maspero in Cairo by the Egyptian military, demonstrating that the goal is to suppress Christians in the Middle East, who are...paying a high price for the revolts of the Arab Spring.” Millions of Iraqi and Middle Eastern Christians are fleeing their homelands as a result of events in Iraq, and some are even facing not only ethnic cleansing but a form of genocide.

In commenting on Dr. Abdallah's article, Carol Taber, President of FamilySecurityMatters.org, said this. “My question to this administration is "Who has orchestrated this mishandling of Middle Eastern policy in a manner that is so dangerous to the interests of the United States? Why do we seem to be siding with Islamist forces that are dedicated to the Islamization of the Middle East, and not to other elements and people who are dedicated to those values America holds dear? And why?”


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

+ Family Security Foundation, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, #298, Washington DC 20006, Renee@FamilySecurityMatters.org