23 August 2017

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“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12]

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] In Light of Possible Country-Wide Enshrinement of Homosexual Marriage, Presbyterian Church in Australia Moderator-General Asks: “Will We Still Be Free to Have Our Own Opinions of Same-Sex Marriage?”

[2] Righting a Terrible Wrong: D. James Kennedy Ministries Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Southern Poverty Law Center

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[1] In Light of Possible Country-Wide Enshrinement of Homosexual Marriage, Presbyterian Church in Australia Moderator-General Asks: “Will We Still Be Free to Have Our Own Opinions of Same-Sex Marriage?”

In a 22 August 2017 The Australian article by Presbyterian Church of Australia (PCoA) Moderator-General John P. Wilson titled “Will We Still Be Free to Have Our Own Opinions of Same-Sex Marriage?”, Pastor Wilson addresses proposed changes to the Marriage Act that legalize homosexual marriage.

Pastor Wilson begins:

“Marriage, as defined today between a man and a woman, is the best way for Australian society to flourish. It has been the foundation of stable societies since time immemorial and is central to the raising of the next generation.”

Wilson, referring to Marriage Act change proponents’ promises that “clergy will be afforded legal protections for counselling, officiating and speaking with respect to weddings,” asks:

“However, would this prevent ministers and evangelists such as Campbell Markham and David Gee from being hauled before the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner when one referred to same-sex marriage in a blog and the other in a street meeting in Hobart?”

Wilson expresses similar concerns about government school teachers that conscientiously object to teaching the validity of homosexual marriage, for PCoA affiliated schools, for chaplains, and for ordinary Australian citizens.

Wilson concludes:

“I urge all Australians to recognise marriage as the fundamental institution of society, which is not ours to change on a whim. Even if all Australians cannot do so for explicitly religious reasons, at least let us recognise that this is a divisive issue for non-churchgoers as well, many of whom do not want to be silenced on such a socially significant matter.”

+ The Australian, 2 Holt Street, Surry Hills, New South Wales 2010, Australia, 02-9288-3000, Fax: 02-9288-2250, letters@theaustralian.com.au

+ Presbyterian Church of Australia, 168 Chalmers Street, Surry Hills,

New South Wales, 2010, Australia, 02-9690-9333, Fax: 02-9310-2148, Contact Page

[2] Righting a Terrible Wrong: D. James Kennedy Ministries Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Southern Poverty Law Center

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Aug. 23, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Dr. Frank Wright, President & Chief Executive Officer at D. James Kennedy Ministries (DJKM), announced that DJKM filed suit today in the United States District Court against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that the SPLC illegally trafficked in false and misleading descriptions of the services offered by DJKM and committed defamation against DJKM arising from the publication and distribution of false information that libels the ministry's reputation and subjects the ministry to disgrace, ridicule, odium, and contempt in the estimation of the public.

In a statement released today, Dr. Wright said: "We embarked today on a journey to right a terrible wrong. Those who knowingly label Christian ministries as 'hate' groups, solely for subscribing to the historic Christian faith, are either woefully uninformed or willfully deceitful. In the case of the Southern Poverty Law Center, our lawsuit alleges the latter."

Wright went on to say: "These false and illegal characterizations have a chilling effect on the free exercise of religion and on religious free speech for all people of faith. After having given the SPLC an opportunity to retract, we have undertaken this legal action, seeking a trial by a jury of our peers, to preserve our own rights under the law and to defend the religious free speech rights of all Americans."

About DJKM: D. James Kennedy Ministries is a Christian media ministry that seeks to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ through every available electronic medium. Its four-fold mission is: 1) to proclaim the good news of the Gospel throughout the Earth; 2) to teach and nurture Christ's followers; 3) to equip and encourage believers to live out their faith; and 4) to defend religious liberty, encouraging believers to lovingly engage the culture with the heart and mind of Jesus Christ.

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

+ D. James Kennedy Ministries, Post Office Box 11184, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida  33339, 866-534-1294, letters@djameskennedy.org

+ Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104, 334-956-8200, Contact Page

16 August 2017

“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12]

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] New Christian Observer Articles for August 2017

[2] Southern Poverty Law Center Includes D. James Kennedy Ministries in List of 917 “Hate Groups”

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[1] New Christian Observer Articles for August 2017

New Christian Observer articles for August 2017 include:

-- God Is – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor David Brand – “To say that “God is” represents a far more foundational category of expression than to say that “God is love.””;

-- Educational Diversity Can Easily Turn to Perversity - by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – “Diversity is neither good or bad in itself, but can become perversity when many of our colleges and universities are so committed to social engineering that promotes racial, sexual, religious, socio-economic focuses, or whatever it might be instead of true education.”;

Plus, links to ReVision devotionals on the Fellowship of Ailbe website by Christian Observer Contributing Editor T.M. Moore.

+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 24450, christianobserver@christianobserver.org

[2] Southern Poverty Law Center Includes D. James Kennedy Ministries in List of 917 “Hate Groups”

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) , who claims to be “…dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society” includes D. James Kennedy Ministries of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in the SPLC’s map of 917 “hate groups” operating in the U.S. due to the ministry’s biblical stance on sex being legitimate only between a married man and woman.

Additionally included in the list of “hate groups” for their “anti-LBGT” views are Liberty Counsel of Orlando, Florida, American College of Pediatricians of Gainesville, Florida, and the American Family Association of Tupelo, Mississippi.

+ D. James Kennedy Ministries, Post Office Box 11184, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida  33339, 866-534-1294, letters@djameskennedy.org

+ Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104, 334-956-8200, Contact Page

+ Liberty Counsel, Post Office Box 540774, Orlando, Florida 32854, 800-671-1776, Liberty@LC.org

+ American College of Pediatricians, Post Office Box 357190, Gainesville, Florida 32635, 352-376-1877, Fax: 352-415-0922,

+ American Family Association, Post Office Drawer 2440, Tupelo, Mississippi 38803, 662-844-5036, Contact Page

19 July 2017

“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12]

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Reformed Churches in the Netherlands Ousted from the International Conference of Reformed Churches

[2] Former Music Director of Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Lecanto, Florida, Arrested on Sex Crime Charges involving Video Chats with Underage Girls

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[1] Reformed Churches in the Netherlands Ousted from the International Conference of Reformed Churches

Wes Bredenhof, Pastor of the Free Reformed Church, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, in his Yinkahdinay Blog and Resource Page, on 18 July 2017 in his article “RCN Suspended from ICRC” reports that in its 2017 meeting, The International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) ousted the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands (RCN) because in their June 2017 meeting, the RCN opened all church offices to women.

The RCN has four years to repent of their June 2017 decision before being finally ousted from the ICRC.

+ Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, Bureau / Office BBK, Postadres Postbus 499, 8000 AL Zwolle, Netherlands, info@bbk.nl

+ The International Conference of Reformed Churches, c/o The Rev. Dr. James Visscher, 5734 - 191A Street, Surrey, British Colombia V3S 7M8, Canada, visscher.james5@gmail.com

[2] Former Music Director of Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Lecanto, Florida, Arrested on Sex Crime Charges involving Video Chats with Underage Girls

A 14 July 2017 WFTS-TV/ABC Action News article by Brendaliss Gonzalez titled “Former Church Worship Director Arrested on Several Sex Charges” reports that Chad Robison, the former music director of Seven Rivers Presbyterian Church (Presbyterian Church in America) in Lecanto, Florida, has been arrested for sex crimes involving underage girls.

Robison was fired from the church when pornographic material was found on his computer. A subsequent law enforcement investigation found recorded videos from a video chat website of Robison engaged in inappropriate acts with young girls, including one who said she was fourteen years old.

+ WFTS-TV/ABC Action News, 4045 N. Himes Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33607, 813-354-2828, Fax: 813-878-2828, newstips@wfts.com

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

12 July 2017

“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12]

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] World Council of Reformed Churches with Roman Catholics and Lutherans Endorses Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

[2] Featured Titles from Nordskog Publishing

[3] Forthcoming Releases from Banner of Truth

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[1] World Council of Reformed Churches with Roman Catholics and Lutherans Endorses Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification

A 4 July 2017 Vatican Radio article titled “Catholic and Reformed Churches Mark Ecumenical "Milestone"” reports that on 5 July 2017 in Wittenburg, Germany, the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) signed onto the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, the 1999 Catholic-Lutheran agreement on how Christians might be worthy of salvation in the eyes of God.

WCRC represents 80 million members of Congregational, Presbyterian, Reformed, United, Uniting, and Waldensian churches.

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

+ 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

+ Religion News Service, 1930 18th Street Northwest, Suite B2, Washington DC 20009, 202-463-8777, Fax: 202-463-0033, info@religionnews.com

[2] Featured Titles from Nordskog Publishing

-- Died He For Me: A Physician's view of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

As a Christian physician, I have not only marveled at the spiritual ramifications of Christ’s death, but also the physical and physiological aspects. To present this, I have compiled a succinct overview of Jesus’ death from a physical and medical perspective that I hope both lay and medical people can appreciate and understand. — Mark A. Marinella, M.D., F.A.C.P.

-- Worship Not the Creature: Animal Rights and the Bible - J.Y. Jones

The most forthright and engaging presentation of the Biblical view of animals in print. J. Y. Jones, long an accomplished physician, scholar, writer, outdoorsman, hunter, and man of God, is uniquely qualified to offer his cutting-edge treatment of this controversial topic. Don’t let the down-to-earth, diverting and friendly style fool you. Just as America’s wise Founding Fathers discovered latent tyranny in a penny tea tax, Dr. Jones powerfully exposes the radical political agenda of the contemporary animal rights movement. With careful argument, he reveals the animal rights movement as a potentially significant menace to liberty and even to Christianity itself. Adding Dr. Jones’s able apologetic for the Christian faith in reasoned and transparently personal terms, one should prepare for a rich, compelling, and enjoyable read.

-- Confrontational Politics: How to Effectively Practice The Politics of Principle - H. L. Richardson

In this era of ever-growing, more distant, unresponsive government—and politicians of both parties who do not walk their talk—retired California state senator H. L. (Bill) Richardson’s book is a strong tonic.

He warns, however, his words are not for the faint of heart: as Finley Peter Dunne once said, “Politics ain’t beanbag.”

He spells out in a series of lessons how his often hard-pressed conservative minority was able to win victory after victory on issues like the death penalty, gun control, and removing liberal judges. “The central theme of this book is the methodology both sides use. Being ‘right’ is not enough,” he cautions.

+ Nordskog Publishing, 4562 Westinghouse Street, Suite E, Ventura, California 93003, 805-642-2070, Fax: 805-642-1862, Contact Page

[3] Forthcoming Releases from Banner of Truth

-- Confessing the Faith Study Guide - by Emily Van Dixhoorn

Confessing the Faith Study Guide is a resource that aims to make group study easy. The questions stick closely to the text of Chad Van Dixhoorn’s Confessing the Faith and follow the chapter subheadings that you will find there. Some questions cover essential doctrines; others explore scriptural passages; still others promote personal application. Each chapter ends with a consideration for prayer.

-- Particular Redemption: The End and Design of the Death of Christ - by John Hurrion

In Particular Redemption, taking up these words of Titus 2:14, John Hurrion expounds the doctrine of redemption, focusing attention especially on the end and design, extent and importance of the death of Christ. There is a peculiar importance attached to a man’s last words. That is especially true of John Hurrion. As his life was ebbing away, his mind was flooded with thoughts about his Saviour, Jesus Christ, as he prepared the four addresses found in this book for the press. ‘The delight he took in his subject’, his editor wrote, ‘carried him above his great pain and weakness’, and in dying he confessed: ‘The death of Christ being the fountain of our life, there is nothing more necessary, pleasant, or useful to the Christian, than a right apprehension and remembrance of it.’

+ The Banner of Truth Trust, P.O. Box 621, Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013, 717-249-5747, info@banneroftruth.org

5 July 2017

“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12]

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] New Christian Observer Articles for July 2017

[2] Scots with No Religion at Record Level

[3] Books Recommended by Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service

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[1] New Christian Observer Articles for July 2017

New Christian Observer articles for July 2017 include:

-- The Head of the Church? – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor David Brand – Matthew 16:18, the apostle Peter, and the head of the church;

-- The Snowflake Identity Crisis in Education – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – Progressive Snowflakes asserting “rights” vs. the righteousness of Christ;

Plus, links to ReVision devotionals on the Fellowship of Ailbe website by Christian Observer Contributing Editor T.M. Moore.

+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 24450, christianobserver@christianobserver.org

[2] Scots with No Religion at Record Level

The proportion of people in Scotland who describe themselves as having no religion at all has reached its highest ever level, according to ScotCen’s latest Scottish Social Attitudes survey.

The new findings from Scotland’s most authoritative survey of public attitudes show that nearly six in ten (fifty-eight percent) now say that they have no religion, up eighteen points on 1999 when the figure stood at four in ten (forty percent).

Young Least Religious

Young people are least likely to be religious; three quarters of young people (seventy-four percent of 18-34s) say they have no religion compared with thirty-four percent of those over 65.

There has been a fall in religious identity across all age groups, however it has been slowest among those over 65. There has been an eleven percentage point increase in the proportion of over 65s who say they have no religion between 1999 and 2016 (from twenty-three percent to thirty-four percent) but in comparison the increase among those aged 50-64 has been twenty-four percentage points (from thirty-three percent to fifty-seven percent).

Church of Scotland Losing Faithful

Most of the decline in religious affiliation over this seventeen year period has been felt by the Church of Scotland. Around half as many people (eighteen percent) now say they belong to the Church of Scotland as did in 1999 (thirty-five percent).

The proportion of Roman Catholics (ten percent), other Christian affiliations (eleven percent) and non-Christian religious people (two percent) in the Scottish population has remained relatively stable over the same period.

Ian Montagu, Researcher at ScotCen said “The decline in religious identity in Scotland has been most keenly felt by the Kirk as fewer and fewer people choose to describe themselves as Church of Scotland by default. As each generation coming through is consistently less religious than the last, it is hard to imagine this trend coming to a halt in the near future. However, if the Kirk is able to push through liberalising measures such as allowing ministers to oversee same-sex marriage ceremonies, it is possible that its appeal may broaden somewhat to younger, more socially liberal Scots.”

+ ScotCen, 6 Scotiabank House, South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh EH2 4AW, Scotland, 0131-240-0210, info@scotcen.org.uk

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

[3] Books Recommended by Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service

Discovering the Joy of a Clear Conscience

Ash, Christopher

US$4.99

Conscience is a neglected word that not many of us take seriously. But have you ever considered examining your conscience as part of daily life? What if doing this were the only way to know the joy of feeling clean inside?

Is such joy possible without self- righteousness or even self-deception? Christopher Ash argues that it is, wonderfully possible, through the good news of Jesus Christ. Here is an invitation to rediscover your conscience and what the Bible has to say about it. Ash examines what the conscience is, what a guilty conscience tells us, the choice our conscience presents us, and the conscience's role as a guide, to offer us the pure joy of a clear conscience day after day.

"How refreshing to see a thoughtful and richly biblical book on the conscience. Christopher Ash performs a vital service for the church by opening up God’s truth about this neglected and, therefore, misunderstood area of biblical truth. The conscience shines light into the darkest corners of the heart thus facilitating God’s people to "guard the heart with diligence.'" (Proverbs 4:23)

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You Can Pray

Finding Grace to Pray Every Day

Chester, Tim

US$4.99

“This book is not about the steps you can take to become a great pray-er. The message of this book is that you already are a great pray-er in Christ. Through Christ, you can pray.”

Tim Chester shows us how we become great pray-ers who pray great prayers simply through knowing three foundational truths about God:

God the Father loves to hear us pray God the Son makes every prayer pleasing God the Holy Spirit helps us as we pray When these truths are in place, we discover why prayer is easy, why prayer is difficult, and the arguments and priorities of prayer.

Prayer is like a child’s asking her father for help—and that’s not beyond any of us. Here you will find the grace and encouragement to talk with your heavenly Father every day.

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Intimate Marriage

Gift Edition

Sproul, R.C.

US$5.99

From communication to sex, from divorce to the sanctity of marriage, Sproul leads you past potential problems into joyous communion with your spouse in Christ. This attractive hardcover edition of Sproul's work on marriage is great as a gift to newlyweds, on anniversaries, or anytime someone wants to improve their marriage.

+ Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service, 133 North Hanover Street,

Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013, 717-249-0231, cvbbs@cvbbs.com

28 June 2017

“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12]

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] Evangelical Presbyterian Church 2017 General Assembly Adopts Position Paper on Human Sexuality

[2] Ligonier Ministries “Discovering the God of the Bible:” 2017 Regional Conference Audios Available Online

[3] 2017 Cambridge, England William Perkins Conference Videos Available on SermonAudio.com

[4] A Report on Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly 2017 by Todd Pruitt

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[1] Evangelical Presbyterian Church 2017 General Assembly Adopts Position Paper on Human Sexuality

https://www.epc.org/file/beliefs/positionpapers/PositionPaper-HumanSexuality.pdf

+ Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 17197 North Laurel Park Drive Suite 567, Livonia, Michigan 48152, 734-742-2020, Fax: 734-742-2033, webmaster@epc.org

[2] Ligonier Ministries “Discovering the God of the Bible:” 2017 Regional Conference Audios Available Online

http://www.ligonier.org/learn/conferences/discovering-god-bible-2017-regional-conference/

+ Ligonier Ministries, 400 Technology Park, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, 407-333-4244, Fax: 407-333-4233

[3] 2017 Cambridge, England William Perkins Conference Videos Available on SermonAudio.com

http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?seriesOnly=true&currSection=sermonstopic&sourceid=prts&keyword=William+Perkins+Conference&keyworddesc=William+Perkins+Conference

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

+ SermonAudio, info@sermonaudio.com

[4] A Report on Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly 2017 by Todd Pruitt

          http://theaquilareport.com/report-pca-general-assembly-2017/

+ The Aquila Report, c/o Reformed Churchmen Publications, Inc., Post Office Box 1164, Erie, Colorado 80516, daquila@theaquilareport.com

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

7 June 2017

“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12]

Presbyterians Week Headlines

[1] New Christian Observer Articles for June 2017

[2] Church of Scotland’s First Homosexual Minister Calls for End of 'Father Giving Bride Away' Wedding Tradition

[3] Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America [RPCNA] 2017 Synod Preview

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[1] New Christian Observer Articles for June 2017

New Christian Observer articles for June 2017 include:

-- From the Ground Up – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor David Brand - “Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky.” - Psalm 85:1;

-- Student Loans and the Dependent Mentality – by Christian Observer Contributing Editor Dr. Joe Renfro – “The dependent mentality in America, it can be argued, can be a form of slavery…”;

Plus, links to ReVision devotionals on the Fellowship of Ailbe website by Christian Observer Contributing Editor T.M. Moore.

+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 24450, christianobserver@christianobserver.org

[2] Church of Scotland’s First Homosexual Minister Calls for End of 'Father Giving Bride Away' Wedding Tradition

A 6 June 2017 The Herald article by Brian Donnelly titled “First Gay Kirk Minister Calls for End To 'Father Giving Bride Away' Tradition” reports that the Kirk’s first openly homosexual minister the Rev. Scott Rennie has called for the tradition of the father of the bride giving his daughter away be abandoned.

Writing in advance of Scottish Episcopal Church Synod, where the assembly will vote whether or not their ministers can conduct homosexual weddings, Rennie added:

"I wish my friends well, and hope they will take a step forward in recognising the blessing of marriage in the lives of all couples, including same sex couples, by amending canon law."

+ The Herald, 200 Renfield Street, Glasgow, Scotland G2 3QB, 0141- 302-7000, Fax: 0141-302-7117, On-lineEditor@theherald.co.uk

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

+ Scottish Episcopal Church, 21 Grosvenor Crescent, Edinburgh

EH12 5EE, Scotland, 0131-225-6357, Fax: 0131-346-7247, Contact Page

[3] Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America [RPCNA] 2017 Synod Preview

Recent RPCNA Synods have worked to make the business of Synod more efficient and effective, partly in the hope of requiring less time of delegates and making it feasible for more ruling elders to attend.

This is a year that will test the practicality of shorter Synods, as there is a mountain of work to handle in a three-day schedule, including some very important issues.

The list of special committee and judicial committee reports alone is daunting. When Synod convenes at 8:30 a.m. June 28, 2017 at Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Ind., the following reports will be among the priority items:

     -- Special Committee on Vocalized Prayer

     -- Special Committee Addressing Ruling Elder Participation at Synod

     -- Special Study Committee on Gender Identity

     -- Special Committee on the Mediatorial Kingship of Christ (interim report)

     -- Judicial Review of Communication 2016-2: complaint by members of a session and presbytery regarding the beverage used in the communion cup

     -- Judicial Review of Communication 2016-4: appeal of a presbytery’s actions by a retired RP minister

All these committees have been working for at least a year, and their reports are very thorough; so, the time needed by Synod to consider them will depend on how much further discussion and debate is required.

There are plenty of regular reports for Synod to consider as well, with some significant recommendations. The RPCNA’s work with countries beyond the U.S. and Canada continues to increase. The RP Seminary is proposing a new candidate for Professor of Biblical Counseling (to replace, next year, the retiring George Scipione). The Interchurch and Business of Synod Committees are asking Synod to meet at Geneva College in 2019 to better enable the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church to meet concurrently with the RPCNA. Also, there are at least four new “communications” coming from presbyteries for Synod action.

Synod is scheduled to adjourn at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 30.

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