25 April 2012

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] And He Was Not

[2] Largest PCUSA Church in Colorado Votes to Leave for Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians

[3] Hungarian Government Pressing Ahead with Religion Classes at All Schools

[4] Hardback Version of the book McIntire: Defender of Faith and Freedom Available from CarlMcIntire.com

[5] Planned Parenthood Priests of Baal and Molech in the Midst of Forty Days of Prayer for Abortion

[6] World Congress of Families Meetings in May 2012

[7] Islam is State Religion of Ohio Prison System

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[1] And He Was Not

By T. M. Moore

[Editor’s Note: the Rev. T.M. Moore is the editor of the Worldview Church, serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum, and serves as principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. Mr. Moore has additionally authored a daily devotional for the Christian Observer every day since the web-based version began publication on 31 October 2008.]

And then God took him.

The Lord accepts into his household those of good will and compassion; they are the company who always keep within themselves the likeness and image of God, and do not go against the Father's law.
  - Anonymous, Fis Adomnan (Irish 9th century)

Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
  - Genesis 5.24

“Mr. Moore, my name is Charles Colson, and I work for a ministry called Prison Fellowship.”

Thus began one of the most important relationships of my life. It ended all too soon, when, like Enoch, Chuck was suddenly summoned home.

I had just come home from work and was catching the news before dinner when the phone rang. Our daughter, Ashley, answered, and came into the den to say it was for me. “Hello?” I ventured, and then came Chuck's reply.

He introduced himself as though he had no reason to expect that I should know who he was. That same humility characterized Chuck though all the twenty-five years I knew him, during which we worked together on a wide range of projects.

Chuck was a man of eminent good will and compassion, as witness the way he devoted his life to the last, the lost, and the least among us. He loved prison inmates not just because he had been one of them, but because he saw something in them few bothered to observe:

They are made in the image and likeness of God.

God's call to Chuck to work with prisoners is in many ways of parable of the Gospel itself, and of its promise to bring redemption and renewal to even the most lawless, downcast, and defeated person - or society.

Chuck understood that unless a society is grounded in the truth of the Gospel and divine Law - the works of the Law being written on the hearts of all men (Romans 2:14, 15) - there is no possibility of justice, no hope that compassion can prevail, and no abiding way to work for good will among men. From this conviction sprang his devotion to Christian worldview and to training leaders to build the Church in the years to come.

I will miss Chuck. From that first call, when he asked me to come by his office for an interview, to the night, now almost three weeks ago, I wheeled him off the platform to the waiting EMTs, I counted him as a friend, and he treated me like one. While I'm sure my contribution was never as important or significant as he always insisted it was, it was a great privilege and a source of deep satisfaction and joy to be in his company and be drawn along in the slipstream of the break-neck pace at which he sought the Kingdom and righteousness of God.

Chuck walked with God. And then God took him.

Thanks be to God.


+ The Fellowship of Albee, Contact Page

+ Prison Fellowship, 44180 Riverside Parkway, Lansdowne, Virginia 20176, 800-206-9764, Contact Page


[2] Largest PCUSA Church in Colorado Votes to Leave for Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians

A 23 April 2012 article by Michael Gryboski in The Christian Post titled “Largest Presbyterian Church in Colorado Votes to Leave PCUSA” reports that in a 22 April 2012 congregational meeting, 1,689 of 1,769 congregants present out of the 4000 members of First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs (FPCCS), Colorado, voted to leave the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) in order to join the Covenant Presbyterian Church.

FPCCS voted to leave the PCUSA largely over the PCUSA’s 2010 decision to allow the ordination of non-celibate homosexuals.

The FPCCS vote will come before the PCUSA’s Pueblo Presbytery at the presbytery’s 16 June 2012 meeting.


+ The Christian Post, National Press Building, 529 14th Street Northwest, Suite 420, Washington DC 20045, 202-347-7734, info@christianpost.com

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

+ Pueblo Presbytery, 803 W. 4th Street, Suite H, Pueblo, Colorado 81003, 719-542-1013, Fax: 719-545-7956, puebloep@aol.com


[3] Hungarian Government Pressing Ahead with Religion Classes at All Schools

A 23 April 2012 Politics.hu article titled “Government Pressing Ahead with Religion Classes At all Schools, Support for Hungarian-Language Nurseries in Neighboring Countries” reports that the government of Hungary is moving to implement provisions of the new public education laws including the requirement for all children at public and private primary schools to attend one ethics or religious education class per week.

Ethics classes will be taught be school teachers that have completed a sixty-hour training session, and the religious education classes will be taught by teachers from state-registered churches whose curriculum has been approved by the school.

The head of the educational office of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Kornel Papp, said that guidelines from Hungary’s secretariat in charge of education should be available by the summer of 2012.


+ Politics.hu, 36-30-370-3561, editors@politics.hu

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


[4] Hardback Version of the book McIntire: Defender of Faith and Freedom Available from CarlMcIntire.com

A hardbound version of McIntire: Defender of Faith and Freedom is again available on CarlMcIntire.com for US$35 plus US$3.99 shipping to U.S. addresses. The paperback version of the book is available for list price US$28 from Xulon Press and from Amazon.com.


+ Carl McIntire: Defender of Faith and Freedom, Contact Page


[5] Planned Parenthood Priests of Baal and Molech in the Midst of Forty Days of Prayer for Abortion

A 19 April 2012 article by Jordon Sekulow and Matthew Clark on Lifenews.com titled “Abortion Doc Runs Group Making Planned Parenthood ‘Prayers’” reports that Planned Parenthood is promoting its own “40 Days of Prayer: Supporting Women Everywhere” between 18 March 2012 and 27 April 2012, which encourages pro-abortion supporters to offer prayers of “thanks for abortion providers” and the “sacred care” they provide.

The group that wrote the prayers is Faith Aloud, among whose board members include partial-birth abortion doctor LeRoy Carhart.


+ LifeNews.com, Post Office Box 270841, Fort Collins, Colorado 80527, news@lifenews.com

+ Planned Parenthood Federation of America, 434 West 33rd Street, New York, New York 10001, 212-541-7800, Fax: 212-245-1845

+ Faith Aloud, 3672 Arsenal Street - Suite A, St. Louis, Missouri 63116, 888-717-5010, info@faithaloud.org


[6] World Congress of Families Meetings in May 2012

The World Congress of Families has two events scheduled for May 2012.

The first is “One Man, One Woman: Making the Case for Marriage, for the Good of Society,” scheduled for 23 May 2012 at The Law Society in London, England. The colloquium includes “Remembering the Nature of Marriage” with Peter Duckworth, Barrister and Family Specialist; “Observing the State of Marriage” with Sir Paul Coleridge, High Court Judge, Family Division, and Allan C. Carlson, Founder, World Congress of Families; and “Making the Case for Marriage” with Phillip Blond , Director, ResPublica, Cristina Odone, Journalist and Media Commentator, and Ben Harris-Quinney, Chairman, The Bow Group.

The second is “Marriage and Family, Future of Society,” scheduled for 25-27 May 2012 at the Palace of Congresses in Madrid, Spain. The extensive program is available at:

http://congresomundial.es/wcf-vi-madrid/program/


+ World Congress of Families, 934 North Main Street, Rockford, Illinois 61103, 815-964-5819, Fax: 815-965-1826, info@worldcongress.org


[7] Islam is State Religion of Ohio Prison System

A 21 April 2012 Godfather Politics article by Giacomo titled “Islam is State Religion of Ohio Prison System” reports that after Muslims jailed in Ohio prisons started to demand they be fed meals that were ‘halal’ meals per Sharia law, Gary Mohr, Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction ordered all prison kitchens to stop using pork and to make the meals Islam friendly. Mohr was attempting to prevent a lawsuit by the Muslim prisoners.

Non-Muslim inmate James Rivers subsequently filed a lawsuit against Mohr and the Ohio prison system for forcing all inmates to eat halal Muslim meals. United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Judge James S. Guin dismissed Rivers’ case, writing:

“Plaintiff asserts that this…violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, subjects him to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eight Amendment, denies him substantive and procedural due process, and denies him Equal Protection.

“While the removal of pork from prison meals may benefit Muslim as well as Jewish inmates, it also creates a meal that can be eaten by all inmates regardless of faith.

“[Nor would] a reasonable person … conclude that the menu change endorsed the Muslim faith. The choice is neutral to religion. Several faiths prohibit the consumption of pork…

“Plaintiff has not alleged any facts or cited any law which suggest he has a constitutionally protected interest in eating pork as part of his prison diet…

“Plaintiff’s substantive due process claim is based on conduct alleged to be so severe that it shocks the conscience…To the contrary, Plaintiff objects to being treated the same as all other inmates. He does not allege he was denied pork while all other inmates were served this dish. Instead, he complains that all inmates are treated the same, regardless of whether they have a religious dietary restriction of this nature.”

Former Navy chaplain Dr. Gordon James Klingenschmitt, director of The Pray in Jesus Name Project commented on Judge Guin’s dismissal ruling:

“In other words, because the prison enforces Muslim Sharia law equally upon all prisoners, none of them face discrimination–they are all treated as Muslims equally, and forced to eat Muslim food equally, so Christians have no dietary rights.”

Godfather Politics writer Giocamo concludes:

“Every day or two, I see another example of Islam and Sharia law creeping into the American judicial and governmental systems while Christianity is being pushed out and ruled against time and time again. Mark my words, if Barack Hussein Obama is elected to a second term, the thirteen stars on the US flag will be replaced by a star and crescent.”


+ Godfather Politics, 457 Nathan Dean Boulevard, Dallas, Georgia 30132

+ Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, 770 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43222, 614-752-1159, drc.publicinfo@odrc.state.oh.us

+ United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Carl B. Stokes United States Court House, 801 West Superior Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44113, 216-357-7000, OHNDdb_CleGeneral@ohnd.uscourts.gov

18 April 2012

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Porcine Fascism in Michigan

[2] First Dutch Reformed Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, Converted to Muslim School

[3] Mali Christians Flee Imposition of Sharia

[4] Norwich Reformed Church Banned from Operating Book Stall in Norwich, England-Owned Facility for Producing “Hate Motivated” Literature against Islam

[5] Internet Evangelist Bill Keller Asks “Why Would Christians Vote for Romney and Listen to Beck, Both Cult Members?”

[6] Reformed Presbyterian Church - Hanover Presbytery to Meet Thursday 19 April 2012

[7] The Two Empires in Japan: A Record of the Church—State Conflict

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[1] Porcine Fascism in Michigan

A 16 April 2012 Natural News article by Mike Adams titled “Michigan Government Unleashes Armed Raids on Small Pig Farmers, Forces Farmer to Shoot All His Own Pigs” reports that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has conducted two armed raids involving six vehicles and ten armed men on pig farmers, one in Kalkaska County at Fife Lake and another in Cheboygan County, with the intent of shooting all the farmers’ pigs under a new “Invasive Species Order” (ISO) declaring traditional livestock to be an invasive species.

The ISO declares farmers who raise the subject pigs to be felons, and MDNR officials were ready to make arrests on the scene and prosecute the farmers.

One of the farmers shot all of his pigs in advance of the raid in an attempt to not be arrested and charged with a felony, and described the subsequent MDNR raid at his farm:

“I was served a search warrant yesterday at 7: 45 a.m. I have killed all my hogs. [MDNR] gave me papers that say I do not have any hogs on my property. All they saw were dead hogs laying around from my mass slaughtering. It took twelve guys four times in there to kill all of them, sows with young, pregnant sows, dozens of piglets, and old mature boars. It has been a sad few weeks. Does anyone know what it feels like to open fire on twenty baby piglets in one group which weigh between five pounds and fifteen pounds? They are so adorable and cute. They commented to everyone that they never saw a fence built so tough and no way would a hog get out of this area.


+ Natural News, P. O. Box 29-99 Taichung, Taichung City 40899, Taiwan, Contact Page

+ Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Executive Office, Post Office Box 30028, Lansing, Michigan 48909, 517-373-2329, DNR-Director@michigan.gov


[2] First Dutch Reformed Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, Converted to Muslim School

A 15 April 2012 Times Live article titled “Uproar over Conversion of Church to Muslim School” reports that the first Dutch Reformed Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, has been sold to Muslim buyers for conversion into a Muslim school.

The church pastor, the Rev. Hennie van Rooyen said that the church was sold because maintenance of the building was too expensive.

The church was previously being rented by an independent Pentecostal church led by Bishop Ryan Sooknunan. The bishop accused Van Rooyen and the Dutch Reformed Church, by selling the church, to have violated an agreement made with him. Sooknunan threatened to take legal action, and said the he would arrange a march in protest of the sale.


+ Times Live, 4 Biermann Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa, 011-280-3000, Contact Page

+ Dutch Reformed Church, Posbus 13528, Hatfield 0028, Pretoria, South Africa, 27-0-12-342-0092, Fax: 27-0-12-342-0380, algemenesinode@ngkerk.org.za


[3] Mali Christians Flee Imposition of Sharia

Ethnic Tuareg rebels have seized control of northern Mali. Whilst the main rebel group, the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, is professedly secular, its ally, a jihadist faction known as Ansar Dine, has wrested control, hoisted the black flag of al-Qaeda and announced the imposition of Sharia Law. The Tuareg rebellion has devastated northern Mali. There have been reports of pack rapes and violence, whilst the massive destruction and widespread looting has left the humanitarian aid sector totally crippled. Christian charities and churches have been destroyed. With Christians being targeted, virtually the entire Christian population of northern Mali has been forced to flee.


+ Religious Liberty Monitoring, info@elizabethkendal.com


[4] Norwich Reformed Church Banned from Operating Book Stall in Norwich, England-Owned Facility for Producing “Hate Motivated” Literature against Islam

A 16 April 2012 BBC article titled “Norwich Reformed Church Banned for Islam 'Hate' Leaflet” reports that the City Council of Norwich, England, has banned the Norwich Reformed Church from further operation of a church bookstall in the city-owned Hay Hill park because of the church circulating a leaflet titled “Why Not Islam,” which a complainant characterized as “hate-motivated” literature against Islam. Additionally, the church has been banned from further use of the city-owned Eaton Park Community Centre which the church has used as a place of worship since 1994.

The City Council instituted the ban after they “…received a complaint from a member of the public about material published by the Norwich Reformed Church which uses council facilities… [that] was considered to be hate motivated.” The City Council added that they had a “duty to foster good relations between people of all backgrounds and religions.”

The church is appealing its eviction from city-owned facilities, characterizing the council’s action as “a violation of freedom of speech.”


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

+ Amyraldian Association, 8 Le Strange Close, Norwich, NR2 3PN, England, nrchurch@yahoo.com


[5] Internet Evangelist Bill Keller Asks “Why Would Christians Vote for Romney and Listen to Beck, Both Cult Members?”

Bill Keller, Internet Evangelist and the founder of LivePrayer.com, asks the question why Christians would vote for Mitt Romney and listen to Glenn Beck, both proud and unapologetic members of the Satanic Mormon cult?

Keller was in the national news in 2007 for his now infamous quote, “a vote for Romney is a vote for Satan,” and has demanded that Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and media personality Glenn Beck quit lying to people that they are a Christian, when the beliefs of their cult are 100 percent inconsistent with Biblical Christianity!

Keller says, “Beck, Romney, and others in their cult use the words ‘god’ and ‘jesus,’ yet the ‘god’ and ‘jesus’ of the Mormon cult are NOT the God and Jesus of the Bible! They view the Bible as a flawed and incomplete book usurped by the writings of their cult’s founder, Joseph Smith, who history documents as being a racist, pedophile, polygamist, and murderer!”

Keller goes on, “Mormon doctrine teaches their ‘god’ used to be a human who rose to god-like status, just like Romney, Beck, and all Mormons believe they will too after their death. The ‘jesus’ of the Mormon cult is the natural offspring of their ‘god’ Elohim who had sex with Mary, meaning their ‘jesus’ is a created being and NOT a deity as the Bible, not some creed, teaches, and who they believe is the brother of Lucifer.”

Keller adds, “Beck, Romney, and members of their cult believe that America was colonized by Israelites who sailed to the New World in 600 BC and that those with black skin are under the ‘curse of Cain.’ Romney and all ‘Temple Mormons’ also wears magical underwear with satanic markings 24/7, which is why the pictures of him at the beach this past weekend showed him with a body suit on instead of bare chested.”

Keller continues, “The media doesn't understand that the reason Romney acts ‘out of touch’ is because he is guided by his cult’s fantastical beliefs that also drive Beck's apocalyptical rants. Romney truly believes he is the ‘chosen one’ to fulfill his cult’s prophecy of having a Mormon President rescue the nation in chaos, set aside the US Constitution, and enact a Mormon theocracy. This is why President Obama and his re-election team want to face Romney so bad[ly]. Through their super pac and surrogates, they will use the media to educate people on the fantastical beliefs held by Romney and members of his cult!”

Keller concludes, “I could care less what fantasies Romney, Beck, and those in their cult choose to believe, but I do care that they lie to people saying they are a Christian, when a person who believes in the teachings of the Mormon cult are no more a Christian than a Muslim is. It is amusing when Beck condemns the false theology of Jeremiah Wright when his own theology is equally as false! Most appalling are prominent Christians like David Barton, John Hagee, James Robison, Jay Sekulow, and others who have sold out the faith to help Romney and Beck perpetuate their lie that they are Christians, aiding that cult to lead ignorant souls to hell for eternity.”

Keller said that he is not worried about being politically correct or being labeled as a ‘bigot’ by those whose only concern is politics, since at stake are the eternal souls of men! “According to the Bible, not Bill Keller” said Keller, “those who believe in a false gospel like the Mormon's teach, will die and be in hell for all eternity. Sadly, the political pundits like Karl Rove denounce those who dare to tell the truth about Romney's cult since they are only concerned with winning elections and not those souls who will be drawn to Romney's cult and end up in hell for all eternity!”

Keller has challenged Glenn ‘The Truth Lives Here’ Beck to a public debate about Mormon doctrine, but those challenges have gone unanswered since “he will never publicly debate a Christian theologian about what his cult teaches since it would destroy his ability to lie to the public, especially Christians who have never studied Mormonism, that he is a Christian. Romney needs Christians to vote for him, and Beck relies on ignorant Christians to fund his multi-million dollar business empire.”


+ 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


[6] Reformed Presbyterian Church - Hanover Presbytery to Meet Thursday 19 April 2012

The Reformed Presbyterian Church-Hanover Presbytery will meet for its 2012 Annual Stated Meeting on Thursday, 17 May 2012 beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Reformed Presbyterian Church, 9400 Fairview Avenue, Manassas, Virginia 20110.


+ Reformed Presbyterian Church-Hanover Presbytery , c/o the Rev. Dr. Allen Church, Stated Clerk, hanoverpresbyter@yahoo.com


[7] The Two Empires in Japan: A Record of the Church—State Conflict

A book by John M. L. Young - a founder of the Presbyterian Church in Japan, author of the book Missions: Biblical Motive and Aim, and Presbyterian missionary in Japan in the mid-20th century.

“To what lengths are God’s people and His churches prepared to go in order to preserve themselves, avoid persecution, or pursue growth?”

This question, posed by Matt Filbert, director of Reformed Presbyterian Missions, is comprehensively answered in this recently released edition of The Two Empires in Japan.

First published in 1961, Young asks the questions that were presented to missionaries in Japan as far back as the l500’s. The answers and lessons contained within this book are still of value to Christ’s church today.

John M. L. Young describes the deep conflict that resulted when the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ met with the animosity of the Emperor of Japan and Shinto shrine religion. Providing the historical background behind modern developments of the church in Japan, he also details the time that he himself lived through there. In doing so, he provides the doctrinal groundwork for standing firm for Christ under persecution within a resistant culture.

Young fully understood the dangers of compromise, especially to the truth and authority of the Word of God. He sympathetically addresses the mistakes and compromises of missionaries and churches, and gives stirring accounts of the brave testimony and terrible price paid by believers for the sake of Christ over centuries of mission work in Japan.

Once again the Church is facing pressures from secular and religious antagonists, not only in Japan, but also in the West. Young’s work delivers a warning and an encouragement to God’s people, compelling them to uphold Scripture in times of persecution, and to aim to glorify God no matter what the political and social pressures of the day.

The Two Empires in Japan consists of fifteen chapters and a useful bibliography for further reading. Steven Miller (adjunct professor of missions at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary), Shigeru Takiura (pastor of Okamoto Keiyaku Reformed Presbyterian Church), and Sam Boyle (former missionary to Japan) provide three forwards.

ISBN: 978-1-884527-36-4, 196 pages, US$12.00 retail


+ Crown & Covenant Publications, 7408 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-241-0436, info@crownandcovenant.com

+ Reformed Presbyterian Missions, 3004 5th Avenue, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania 15010, 724-384-8327, ProclaimChrist@rpmissions.org

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

+ Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 7418 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-731-8690, Fax: 412-731-4834, info@rpts.edu

11 April 2012

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi, Celebrates 175th Anniversary

[2] Additional Corrections and Clarifications RE: Great Britain

[3] A Conspicuous Absence: Why There is No Separation of Church and State Outcry on North Carolina's Proposition One Debate

[4] U.S. President Obama's Former Church Minister Preaches at Charleston, West Virginia Revival – Says U.S. 3rd President Thomas Jefferson was a Pedophile, and Says “White Supremacy” Drives “World Policy”

[5] Martin Lloyd-Jones Recording Trust Makes 1600 Sermons Available for Free MP3 Download

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[1] First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi, Celebrates 175th Anniversary

On the occasion of the approaching 175^th anniversary of First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi, (FPCJ) Senior Pastor the Rev. Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III wrote the following during the week of 1 April 2012:

Exactly 175 years ago, this coming Lord's Day, April 8, 2012, the First Presbyterian Church of Jackson was organized. It was on Saturday afternoon, April 8, 1837, that the Rev. Peter Donan, our founding pastor, met with four people: Mrs. Margaret E. Mayson, Mrs. Susan Patton, and John Robb and his wife, Marion. The organizational meeting was held in “the Old State House,” Mississippi's first capitol, a small two-story structure on the northeast corner of East Capitol and North President Streets. That means we are celebrating our dodransbicentennial this month (for those of you who like the Latin titles of anniversaries!).

Mr. Donan had been born, we think, in Broughton Mains, Wigtownshire, Scotland, in 1806. He was educated in Nashville, Tennessee, attended Princeton from 1827-1830 (where he studied under the great theologian Charles Hodge and the justly revered pastor-professor Samuel Miller at Princeton Seminary), was licensed and ordained in New York in 1830, became a stated supply pastor in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1831, and in New Orleans in 1832, before becoming the pastor of the Mt. Salus Church, in Clinton, Mississippi from 1833 to 1836.

When Mr. Donan came over in the spring of 1837 to start a new Presbyterian work in the young State Capital of Mississippi, he (and his original, tiny little flock) could scarcely have dreamt what their humble start would begin and become.

Since 1837, that little handful has grown into a large congregation of souls, and has done so through the direct experience of plague, war, displacement, depression, civil strife of the deepest kind, dramatic social and demographic change, theological and denominational controversy and more-not to mention the personal trials and toils of individual members and families. It is wholly appropriate then that we proclaim "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad" and "Hither by Thy help we've come."

As Brister [H. Ware, the Rev., FPCJ Minister of Pastoral Care] reminded us on Sunday evening [1 April 2012], we really have a responsibility to "remember" our past. Not so that we can look back nostalgically and pine for the good ole days, but so that we can remember how the Lord has spared us, forgiven us, protected us, guided us, preserved us, sustained us and blessed us. And so that we can look forward realizing that the Lord has blessed us in order that we might be a blessing, and hence we are under a blessed obligation to serve.

+ First Presbyterian Church, 1390 North State Street, Jackson, Mississippi 39202,

601-353-8316, Fax: 601-973-9119, receptionist@fpcjackson.org

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

[2] Additional Corrections and Clarifications RE: Great Britain

Another Presbyterians Week reader from "across the pond" wrote to say that the 4 April 2012 Presbyterians Week article "[3] Correction and Clarification" was not completely correct nor completely clarified.

The reader writes:

Whilst it's true that the [United Kingdom (UK)] is separating out into different nations and territories in terms of government, the Scottish legal system is entirely distinct from the legal system in the rest of the United Kingdom and always has been.

The term Great Britain does NOT include the whole of the United Kingdom but applies to the Nations of Scotland and England and the Principality of Wales, but EXCLUDES Northern Ireland which is an integral part of the UK though with it's own legislature covering many areas of government.

The editor expresses his thanks to the Presbyterians Week readers who sent corrections and clarifications about the subject issue, and encourages all Presbyterians Week readers to let the editor know if they ever find anything amiss.

+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org

[3] A Conspicuous Absence: Why There is No Separation of Church and State Outcry on North Carolina's Proposition One Debate

Commentary by Dr. Michael A. Milton

I was appalled. A sign in front of a Baptist church in Charlotte openly advocates its opposition to Proposition One in North Carolina. The proposition, which is due to go to the ballot in NC on May 8, 2012, reads:

“Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State. .”

One familiar with the Bible's unequivocal teaching that God ordained marriage is solely between one man and one woman, as well as the Bible's condemnation of adultery, fornication, homosexual acts, and incest, might be confused by this Baptist church's position.

The fact is there are a host of others, a variety of more liberal denominations and religious groups, now coming out to pronounce that Proposition One in North Carolina is evidence of hatred and intolerance by those who preach the sanctity of biblical marriage. However, radical groups, including churches and pastors, have that right, according to our Constitution.

Now let me be clear: I think they are wrong, and are pushing our nation onto the brink of self destruction. They are fulfilling St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, that those who have denied God and God's Word, ultimately end up codifying that which God abhors.

Yet, although I think they are wrong in their assertion, I say again, they have every right to speak. This episode of churches speaking into the State's affairs is lacking in one thing: the shrill voices of the separation of Church and State groups.

Where are the famous "separation" activists of the world on this occasion? The undeniable evidence suggests that as long as churches advocate radical, left wing politics, they are safe from the groups who would scream "Separation of Church and State."  If the message reflects left wing political positions activist clergy have no fear of putting their message on a church sign on a busy street in the state's largest city.

Ah, but let a congregation—or a minister—speak into the culture from a conservative Biblical position, that sodomy is ungodly, should be condemned as sin, and that believers have a God given responsibility to take a stand for righteousness in the public square, you will hear the familiar cries of "crossing the line" of politics and religion.

When the left wing groups come out against the public proclamation of conservative biblical positions, many local lay leaders will cower beneath the attacks of Atheist groups and liberal Protestant groups as they threaten to sue them to strip them of tax exemption and will have to tell their minister to "stay away from politics."  Sadly, for too long, too many have done just that.

Yet speaking the truth of God from His Word into the public arena of our nation is not only biblical and with great historical precedent in America, it is critically needed at this time, when the sanctity of marriage in North Carolina needs the same constitutional protection that 30 other states already have.

Perhaps the conspicuous absence of Separation of Church and State outcries in the debate on Proposition One in NC means that religious liberty is alive and well and that gospel ministers, in fact, have the right to apply their understanding of Scripture to culture without threat. Or maybe it just means that the unmolested voicing of one's position publicly is applied to all groups but evangelical, pro family, pro life, Catholic and Protestant voices. We will see.

By the way, consider this commentary my own "yard sign" for the support of biblical truth that marriage is ordained by God, sustained by God, and regulated by God's Word. That means marriage is between a man and a woman.  There can be no lines of separation there.

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 (instructing at the Armed Forces Chaplain School) 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, reaching 70,000,000 potential households through DirecTV, Legacy TV network, YouTube and iTunes. It is also available as a free app in the Android and iPhone markets. The Faith for Living radio program is 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.

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

[4] U.S. President Obama's Former Church Minister Preaches at Charleston, West Virginia Revival – Says U.S. 3rd President Thomas Jefferson was a Pedophile, and Says “White Supremacy” Drives “World Policy”

U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama for twenty years attended the Trinity United Church of Christ (United Church of Christ) in Chicago, Illinois, under the ministry of the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright. Though Dr. Wright is now retired from the Trinity pulpit, he spoke several times the week of 1 April 2012 at a week-long revival held at the Metropolitan Baptist Church in Charleston, West Virginia.

A 9 April 2012 article by Billy Hallowell in THEBLAZE.COM titled “Rev. Wright Unleashed: ‘White Supremacy’ Drives ‘World Policy,’ Allah & Yahweh Are the ‘Same’…and Clarence Thomas Is Worshiping ‘Some Other God’” reports that Dr. Wright raised a few eyebrows with some of the things that he preached.

In a message on John 18, Wright said that Jesus and Pontius Pilate were speaking “two different languages,” and that “the Italian army — Roman soldiers” were “occupying Palestinian territory.”

Dr. Wright said of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas that though Justice Thomas “looks like” them, Justice Thomas is “worshiping some other God.”

Dr. Wright said: “The god of racists is not the God of righteousness. The god of the greedy is not the God of grace. The god of Wall Street is not the God of Main Street. Those are two different gods and I ain’t talking about Allah and Yahweh. Those are the same names for the same God.”

Dr. Wright continued: “I am in the text. Pilate was European…Jesus was not European. They live in a world shaped by European standards of beauty, shaped by Moynihan studies, shaped by bell curves — they live in a different world from your world all together. They are ignorant and arrogant and these are graduates of Harvard and Yale setting policies over you based on the stupidity of David Hume…Voltaire, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Thomas Jefferson — a pedophile — Theodore Roosevelt and a racist Supreme Court.”

Dr. Wright added: “The ignorance and arrogance of white supremacy have the movers and shapers of world policy living in a different world from people of color all together. And the sooner you realize that the better off you’re gonna be.”

+ THEBLAZE.COM LLC, 1270 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10036, contact@theblaze.com

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

[5] Martin Lloyd-Jones Recording Trust Makes 1600 Sermons Available for Free MP3 Download

The Martin Lloyd-Jones Recordings Trust has made available 1600 MP3 sermon recordings available for free download at:

          http://www.mlj-usa.com/audiolibrary

+ Martin Lloyd-Jones Recordings Trust, 5 Caxton House, Wellesley Road, Ashford, Kent TN24 8ET, England, 44-0-233-662-262, Fax: 44-0-1233-638-810, admin@mlj.org.uk

4 April 2012

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Death of Mrs. Anne Elliott, Widow of Christian Observer Publisher the Rev. Dr. Edwin Elliott

[2] Christian Observer Highlights for April 2012

[3] Correction and Clarification

[4] Uniform Bible Lessons Committee Still Looking Ahead after 140 Years


[5] RPTS Webinar “An Exegetical Consideration of Creationism from a Hebrew Language Perspective of Genesis” Scheduled for 5 April 2012 

[6] Calling All College Students with a Passion for Writing

[7] Are UFOs Biblical?

---

[1] Death of Mrs. Anne Elliott, Widow of Christian Observer Publisher the Rev. Dr. Edwin Elliott

Anne Bindon Brisebois Elliott was born 15 October 1946 in Arlington, Virginia, and died peacefully at her home in Manassas, Virginia, on 30 March 2012 following a short battle with cancer.

Anne Elliott attended the College of William & Mary, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and met her husband, Edwin Elliott. Mrs. Elliott went on to earn a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Maryland.

The Elliotts moved to Mississippi for several years and then returned to Manassas, Virginia. Mrs. Elliott was an active member of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Manassas, where her husband the Rev. Dr. Edwin P. Elliott Jr. was pastor for thirty-one years. In addition, Mrs. Elliott worked as a typesetter with the Reformation Educational Foundation and as an editor with Human Technology, Inc.

Mrs. Elliott and her husband Edwin were married for forty-one years until he predeceased her in October 2009. Mrs. Elliott is survived by her three daughters and her son-in-law, Laura Elliott, Rebecca and Jerome Zadell, and Elizabeth Elliott; her mother, Lucy Brisebois; her brother, Frank Brisebois, his wife Lizette, and their three sons; and her brother-in-law Francis Elliott, his wife Grace, and their four sons.

A funeral service for Anne Elliott was held 3 April 2012 at the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Manassas, with the Rev. Dr. Allen Church presiding. Mrs. Elliott was buried beside her husband Edwin at Bethany Presbyterian Church in Charles City County, Virginia.

[Editor’s Note: Having had the privilege of being a close friend to Edwin Elliott for several years, I came to appreciate the depth of love that Edwin and Anne had for each other and for their three daughters.

I additionally learned that one of Anne’s great-grandfathers was Benjamin A. Colonna, Virginia Military Institute Class of 1864, Captain of the New Market Cadet Corps, who led the charge of the V.M.I. cadets at the May 1864 Battle of New Market, Virginia. I believe that the degree of faithfulness Anne showed toward her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to her husband, and to her family was a direct reflection of the character of her great-grandfather.

I too learned that much of the writings of Gordon H. Clark first made available through the Reformation Educational Foundation were made possible by the masterful editing into well organized books performed by Anne Elliott upon a large quantity of Gordon Clark’s handwritten notes.

Anne Elliott was a faithful Christian, wife, and mother, a gifted scholar, and an otherwise remarkable woman whose friendship, support, and encouragement will be greatly missed. I do though rejoice that Anne is now free of this fallen and cursed world, in the presence of her Lord and Savior, and reunited with her best friend Edwin whose absence these past two and one-half years Anne bore with such grace and Christian contentment.]


+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[2] Christian Observer Highlights for April 2012

New Christian Observer articles for April 2012 include:

-- 1800 Years of History Undone?: “Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” – Romans 3:3 Geneva Bible – by David Brand - Part Two of a multipart article – The Bible and the church fathers on pistis or faith, vs. the rendering of pistis as faithfulness by the English Revised Version Committee in 1881 that suppressed the Bible’s witness to its own infallibility;

-- The Battle for the Minds – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – The U.S. culture wars and their effect on the U.S. educational system;

Plus, regular features including weekly Sabbath School Lessons by Christian Observer Assistant Editor Dr. Robert LaMay, and Daily Devotionals by T.M. Moore, dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe.


+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[3] Correction and Clarification

Regarding the 28 March 2012 Presbyterians Week article “[6] Great Britain Moves toward Removing Gender Specific Terms from Official and Legal Documents,” a reader from England pointed out that with the ongoing devolution process in Great Britain and the resulting separate administrations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, the subject article should have read “England Moves toward Removing….”

The reader additionally expects Scotland to enact similar legislation, points out that the four parts of Great Britain are each approaching these issues at their own separate paces, and notes that Northern Ireland has so far refused to allow homosexual adoptions despite pressure from the National Government.


+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org


[4] Uniform Bible Lessons Committee Still Looking Ahead after 140 Years

Each Sunday, thousands of church schools open their bibles to the same passage to study the word of God.

That's more than a coincidence: it's called the “uniform principle.” Common bible lessons have been prepared by the National Council of Churches (NCC)'s Committee on the Uniform Series for 140 years as of April 2012.

An anniversary celebration of the curriculum series was held the week of 18 March 2012 in San Antonio, Texas, and was presided over by the Rev. Dr. Roderick Lewis, General Secretary of the General Department of Publications of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church.

The Uniform Series Committee is lodged in the NCC's Education and Leadership Ministries Commission (ELMC). Dr. Daryl Ingram, Executive Director of the Christian Education Department of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, is chair of the Commission. Brenda Tribett is the program specialist who provides staff coordination for the uniform series.

Twenty-two denominations and their representative staff form the Uniform Series committee which meets annually.

[Editor’s Note: The Christian Observer publishes weekly Sabbath School lessons based upon the uniform series, which are prepared by Christian Observer Assistant Editor the Rev. Dr. Robert LaMay.]


+ National Council of Churches, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 880, New York, New York 10115


[5] RPTS Webinar “An Exegetical Consideration of Creationism from a Hebrew Language Perspective of Genesis” Scheduled for 5 April 2012

A webinar “An Exegetical Consideration of Creationism from a Hebrew Language Perspective of Genesis” will be presented 5 April 2012 at 3:00 p.m. eastern time by the Rev. C.J. Williams, Professor of Old Testament Studies at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The webinar is a practical examination of the first chapter of Genesis and the historic belief in six literal, sequential twenty-four hour days of creation. Additionally, there will be a discussion on how one’s view of Genesis impacts one’s worldview, gospel witness, and personal faith.

The webinar will be available at:

https://www.fuzemeeting.com/fuze/bffa2e59/15577477,

and will be recorded for those who are unable to access the live webinar.


+ Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 7418 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15208, 412-731-8690, Fax: 412-731-4834, info@rpts.edu


[6] Calling All College Students with a Passion for Writing

If you are a Christian student journalist in western Pennsylvania or eastern Ohio with a passion for writing, circle 17 April 2012 as an important date.

World Journalism Institute, in conjunction with WORLD on Campus, will be conducting a series of free journalism seminars at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, for Christian college journalists nearby Geneva College area who want to develop their skills as journalists.

The half-day conference, entitled “The Skills and Worldview of the Christian Journalist,” is designed to help students improve the skills necessary to integrate a passion for Christ with a passion for great journalism.

The seminar leaders will be Warren Cole Smith, associate publisher of WORLD magazine; Leigh Jones, editor of WORLDonCampus.com; and Edward Lee Pitts, reporter and Washington Bureau Chief for WORLD magazine.

Seminar sessions will cover topics such as the basics of news writing, including story structure; common mistakes made by beginning journalists, and how to avoid them; basic interviewing skills, including a few tricks of the trade; how to integrate a Christian worldview into the practice of journalism; and how to write for WORLDonCampus.com.

Following the seminar sessions there will be a free pizza dinner for all participants.

The World Journalism Institute (worldji.com) is a division of the World News Group with the mission to recruit, equip, place and encourage Christian journalists in the newsrooms of America and the world. World on Campus is a news website for college students looking for news from a perspective that will help them develop a Christian worldview. The World News Group also includes WORLD magazine and World Radio.

To register for the journalism conference at Geneva College, go to worldji.com and select "Programs." Scroll down to the Geneva College Conference.

For more information, please contact:

Hannah Kaminer
Geneva Conference Administrator
828-232-5431
hkaminer@gwpub.com


+ WORLD Magazine, 85 Tunnel Road, Suite 12, Asheville, North Carolina 28805, 828-232-5415, Fax: 828-253-1556, mailbag@worldmag.com

+ Geneva College, 3200 College Avenue, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania 15010, 724-846-5100, Fax: 724.847.6696, pr@geneva.edu


[7] Are UFOs Biblical?

The Trinity Foundation has published a new Review titled “Are UFOs Biblical?” by W. Gary Crampton, Th. D., which is available at:

http://www.trinityfoundation.org/PDF/Review%20305%20Are%20UFOs%20Biblical%20-%20Crampton.pdf


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