Wednesday, April 4, 2012

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