Presbyterians Week Headlines
[1] Christian Observer Highlights for June 2012
[2] Dr. Michael Milton Becomes Chancellor and CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary
[3] Presbyterian Church in Ireland 2012 General Assembly Holds Extended Discussion about Lack of Young People in Churches
[4] Free Church of Scotland Moderator Praises Queen Elizabeth II’s Christian Example on the Occasion of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
[5] Joni and Friends Celebrates Thirty Years of Radio Ministry
[6] Headlines from The Christian Institute
[7] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining
[8] Radical Muslims in India Continually Threaten to Murder Christian House Church Leader and Family
[9] The Religion of Peace
[10] Thirty-Six Fatalities in May: Deadliest 2012 Month For U.S. Forces in Afghanistan War
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[1] Christian Observer Highlights for June 2012
New articles in the Christian Observer for June 2012 include:
-- The Ultimate Interlocking Puzzle: “Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?” – Romans 3:3 Geneva Bible – by David Brand – Part four of a multipart article examining the effects upon the church of the change in meaning of the Greek word pistis from faith to faithfulness by the English Revised Version Committee that began meeting in February 1870;
-- The Intellectual Explosion and the Moral Implosion – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – discusses the intellectual explosion characterizing today’s culture with the accompanying moral implosion as the culture turns away from Judeo-Christian values;
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
[2] Dr. Michael Milton Becomes Chancellor and CEO of Reformed Theological Seminary
Lyn Perez, Chief Communications Officer of Reformed Theological Seminary issued the following press release on 1 June 2012:
June 1, 2012. At first glance, it is just another day in history. A number of interesting events took place on June 1st, from the first earthquake recorded in the U.S. at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1638, to last of Britain's troops withdrawing from U.S. soil in 1796. But, until the clock strikes midnight tonight, we are not certain if anything memorable to the world will occur on June 1, 2012 or not. I suspect that June 1, 2012 will go much unnoticed by the majority of the world’s population. Just another day, the beginning of the summer months in our northern hemisphere.
However, for Reformed Theological Seminary [RTS], it is an important and a memorable day. June 1, 2012 represents the successful completion of a succession plan that began 22 months before. With the announced retirement of Dr. Robert C. (Ric) Cannada, the board of RTS put in place a plan to assure a smooth succession of leadership. The hope was that it would not only honor God by smooth and deliberate planning, but that it would also be a model for others to help them avoid some of the pitfalls many organizations face with leadership transitions.
So, today we give thanks to the Lord. The succession plan is complete. RTS now begins a new chapter in its service to Christ and His church. Our prayer is that this new chapter of RTS history will read much like the former chapters in that the Lord will find us faithful. We pray that the missionary fervor from which RTS was born will continue to define and guide our mission. We pray that faithfulness to the inerrancy of Scripture and to the teaching of the Reformed faith will continue to be defining traits to RTS in the future as they were under the leadership of the former presidents and chancellors of RTS – Sam Patterson, Luder Whitlock and Ric Cannada.
Please join together with RTS faculty, staff, students and our board of trustees as we all give thanks this day for the appointment of our new chancellor and CEO Dr. Michael Milton, praying for the ever presence of Christ in his life as he leads RTS. We look forward to the continued expansion of our ministry under Dr. Milton’s leadership, to new regions in the U.S. and abroad, preparing a new generation of leaders who are prepared with both a scholarly mind for truth but also a pastoral heart for serving God.
June 1, 2012 will go mostly unnoticed to the world. But for RTS and our community, we rejoice in this day. It is a day of honoring our past yet looking hopefully and expectantly to our future, preparing men and women for positions of leadership in His church and for taking the gospel to the very ends of the earth. Amen.
+ Reformed Theological Seminary, 2101 Carmel Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28226, 704-366-5066, Fax: 704-366-9295
[3] Presbyterian Church in Ireland 2012 General Assembly Holds Extended Discussion about Lack of Young People in Churches
A 1 June 2012 News Letter article titled “Presbyterian Concern over ‘Missing Generation’” reports that at the 2012 General Assembly meeting of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), an extended debate was held concerning the lack of young people in PCI churches, what the meeting attendees characterized as “the missing generation of young Presbyterians”.
+ News Letter, Ground floor, Metro Building, 6-9 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT1 5JA, Northern Ireland, 028 3839 5577, newsdesk@newsletter.co.uk
+ Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Church House, Belfast BT1 6DW, Northern Ireland, 028-9032-2284, Fax: 028-9041-7301, Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
[4] Free Church of Scotland Moderator Praises Queen Elizabeth II’s Christian Example on the Occasion of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
A 3 June 2012 article Stornoway Gazette article titled “Moderator Praises Queen’s Christian Example” reports that on the occasion of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee celebrating the queen’s sixty years on the throne, Free Church of Scotland moderator the Rev. Dr. Iain D. Campbell commended the queen for openly demonstrating her Christian faith “in an increasingly changing and secular world”.
Dr. Campbell’s remarks included:
We in the Free Church of Scotland - ministers, elders, communicant members and adherents - join with the rest of the nation in congratulating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on her Diamond Jubilee.
We have been greatly encouraged not only by Her Majesty’s leadership and example, but also by every public expression of Her Majesty’s Christian commitment, not least in the 2011 Christmas broadcast.
We have been encouraged by Her Majesty’s speech to the Commonwealth in February this year, in which tribute was paid to the ‘particular mission of Christianity’, and the securing of freedom of religion through the establishment of the Christian Church.
+ 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
[5] Joni and Friends Celebrates Thirty Years of Radio Ministry
Joni and Friends, the radio ministry of Joni Erikson Tada, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Since May 1982, Joni and Friends has aired more than 7,000 programs providing encouragement and insight into subjects including disability awareness, prayer, marriage, poetry, and worship.
The Joni and Friends website describes Mrs. Tada’s circumstances: “In 1967 Joni Eareckson Tada was injured in a diving accident at seventeen years old, leaving her in a quadriplegic state with minimal use of her hands. After two years of rehabilitation, Joni re-entered the community with new skills and a fresh determination to help others in similar situations.”
+ Joni and Friends International Disability Center, Post Office Box 3333, Agoura Hills, California 91376, 818-707-5664, 818-707-2391, Contact Page
[6] Headlines from The Christian Institute
The Christian Institute’s 1 June 2012 In the News this Week headlines include the following articles:
-- Police Minister: Opposing Gay Marriage 'Unacceptable'
-- 'Dad' Deleted from NHS Baby Guide - for Sake of Gay Couples
-- Mosques Tell Women: 'Don't Report Abusive Husbands'
-- Boy, 12, Raped Girl, 9, after Watching Hard-Core Porn
-- Repeat Abortions Increasing, New Stats Show
-- Warning over Reckless Young Adults as [Sexually Transmitted Infections] Rise in England
+ The Christian Institute, Wilberforce House, 4 Park Road, Gosforth Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8DG, England, 44-0-191-281-5664, Fax: 44-0-191-281-4272, info@christian.org.uk
[7] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining
A few articles from the past week regarding kings and rulers setting themselves against the LORD and against his anointed:
-- Transportation Security Administration Screeners Fired, Suspended for Not Harassing People Enough
-- Cops Detain, Handcuff Every Adult at Intersection in Search for Bank Robber
-- Mom Arrested for Cheering Too Loudly at Daughter’s Graduation
-- “Human Barcode” Threat Has New Corporate Faces
-- New Fines in Place For Cats And Dogs That Don’t Buckle Up In New Jersey
-- U.S. Government Dishes Out Advice on Preparing Healthy Meals: Always Use Bowls or Plates
+ American Vision, Post Office Box 220, Powder Springs, Georgia 30127, 770-222-7266, Fax: 770-222-7269, mail@AmericanVision.org
+ Nicene Council, Box 411, Draper, Virginia 24324, 866-735-9582, admin@nicenecouncil.com
+ CBS Philadelphia, 1555 Hamilton Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130, 215-977-5333, hoffman@cbs3.com
+ CNSNews.com, 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 877-267-6397, newsdesk@cnsnews.com
[8] Radical Muslims in India Continually Threaten to Murder Christian House Church Leader and Family
The Christian Observer on 3 June 2012 received an email message from Aimazan Bibi, who with her husband Gaffar Shaike lead a house church fellowship in their home in the village of Nutangram in the Murshidabad District of the State of West Bengal, India.
Aimazan Bibi explains that during a 30 March 2012 luncheon and prayer meeting at the Bibi house, at 2 p.m. a number of radical Muslims forcibly entered the house and attacked the prayer meeting. One of the Muslim invaders kicked Aimazan Bibi in the stomach and head, and injured Mrs. Bibi’s hand.
A crowd of about 100 Muslims later gathered outside the house, shouting anti-Christian slogans and threatening to murder the worshipers. The Muslim mob pushed, kicked, and slapped the Christian worshipers, tried to prevent them from fleeing the area, and one of the Muslims chased worshipers with a sickle, threatening to kill them.
Gaffar Shaike on 31 March 2012 submitted a written complaint to the local police station and sent copies to the district magistrate and the Superintendent of Police in the Murshidabad district, but none of the authorities contacted have taken any action against the attackers.
Aimazan Bibi requests her Christian brothers and sisters around the world to pray for God’s protection upon her, her family, and all other Christians in her village. She additionally requests that letter be written to the Indian authorities listed below, requesting them to address the situation and take necessary action to provide protection for the Christians in her village.
President of India:
Mrs. Prativa Singh Patil
Rashtrapati Bhavan,
New Delhi - 110 004, India
Fax: 011-23017290 & 011-23017824
Email: presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
Prime Minister of India:
Dr. Monmohan Singh
Fax: 91-11-23019545 / 91-11-23016857
e-mail: manmohan@sansad.nic.in
Ministry of Home Affairs:
Mr. P. Chidambaram
Phone: 23092161, 23092011
Fax: 23093750, 23092763
email: websitemhaweb@nic.in
Chief Minister of West Bengal State:
Miss Mamata Bannerjee
Fax : 91-33-22145480
Email : cm@wb.gov.in
Governor of West Bengal State:
Mr. M. K. Narayanan
Raj Bhavan
Kolkata 700 062, India
Phone: 033-2200-1641
Fax: 91-33-2200-2444 / 2200-1649
Email: secy-gov-wb@nic.in
governor-wb@nic.in
+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org
[9] The Religion of Peace
A few articles from the past week about the religion of peace:
-- Blast Wreaks Bloodshed on Two Churches in Bauchi, Nigeria
-- Pakistani Muslims Rape Girl, Beat Relatives for Prosecuting
--
Islamist Mob Throws Urine on Church in Indonesia
-- Christian Women ‘Tortured by Police’ in Pakistani Traffic Stop
-- Nigeria: Muslims Murder Fifteen Christians in Jihad/Martyrdom Attack on Church
-- Obama's 'Peace' Partners, the Taliban, Poison another Girls School,
400 School Girls Poisoned this Past Month
+ Compass Direct News Service, Post Office Box 27250, Santa Ana, California 92799, 949-862-0304, Fax: 949-752-6536, info@compassdirect.org
+ Assist USA, Post Office Box 609, Lake Forest, California 92609, 949-380-1558, danjuma1@aol.com
+ Atlas Shrugs, writeatlas@aol.com
[10] Thirty-Six Fatalities in May: Deadliest 2012 Month For U.S. Forces in Afghanistan War
A 1 June 2012 CNSNews.com article by Edwin Mora titled “Thirty-Six Fatalities in May: Deadliest 2012 Month For U.S. Forces in Afghanistan War” reports that U.S. forces in Afghanistan suffered thirty-six casualties during May 2012, the most for any month in 2012.
1,881 U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan since the war began in October 2001, seventy percent of the deaths occurring since U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated in January 2009.
The deadliest month in the Afghanistan war was August 2011 when seventy-one U.S. military forces were killed.
+ CNSNews.com, 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 877-267-6397, newsdesk@cnsnews.com
-- Christian Women ‘Tortured by Police’ in Pakistani Traffic Stop
-- Nigeria: Muslims Murder Fifteen Christians in Jihad/Martyrdom Attack on Church
-- Obama's 'Peace' Partners, the Taliban, Poison another Girls School,
400 School Girls Poisoned this Past Month
+ Compass Direct News Service, Post Office Box 27250, Santa Ana, California 92799, 949-862-0304, Fax: 949-752-6536, info@compassdirect.org
+ Assist USA, Post Office Box 609, Lake Forest, California 92609, 949-380-1558, danjuma1@aol.com
+ Atlas Shrugs, writeatlas@aol.com
[10] Thirty-Six Fatalities in May: Deadliest 2012 Month For U.S. Forces in Afghanistan War
A 1 June 2012 CNSNews.com article by Edwin Mora titled “Thirty-Six Fatalities in May: Deadliest 2012 Month For U.S. Forces in Afghanistan War” reports that U.S. forces in Afghanistan suffered thirty-six casualties during May 2012, the most for any month in 2012.
1,881 U.S. troops have died in Afghanistan since the war began in October 2001, seventy percent of the deaths occurring since U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated in January 2009.
The deadliest month in the Afghanistan war was August 2011 when seventy-one U.S. military forces were killed.
+ CNSNews.com, 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 877-267-6397, newsdesk@cnsnews.com
