All Articles For DeVries S.

The Men’s League Annual membership meeting was held Tuesday, April 15, in the Fuller Ave. Prot. Ref. Church parlors. The Board had planned an up to date program, which was well received by old and young; although the attendance was rather small, which was not to our credit, to be sure. The topic of the program was: Should we have our own System of Christian Instruction? The Revs. P. Boer, C. Hanko, R. Veldman and J. De Jong were asked to speak on this worthy subject, and they were each allowed 15 minutes time. The first speaker spoke on: the...

Under this heading, it was assigned to me by our Editor-in-chief to write a few articles in the Standard Bearer. Now, to write news from our churches for our paper is not an easy task; as the readers can easily understand. In the first place it is not easy for the simple reason that all the news from our churches is written in Our Church News, the small, weekly paper which is well liked by old and young, and whose Editor is a capable man. In the second place it is hard for this reason, church news in the Standard...

As I am well aware of the fact that I have to write about “News from our Churches” and not about news for our churches; nevertheless, as I have said from the beginning, then you get old news every time. And this is not beneficial for our readers, and not for the good of our Standard Bearer. Let us therefore continue as we have started. The majority of the readers seem to like it, and the “Editor-in-chief” did not find fault, so far. As Protestant Reformed Churches we have a great calling, and a noble work to perform in our...

Having read the pamphlet, “The Christian Reformed Church’’ what it teaches, written by Rev. H. Baker, Missionary at large, of those churches, I would like to make a few comparisons with that, in connection with our own Churches. In his introduction, the Reverend makes plain that this Church was established in the United States of America in the year 1857; and that its historic confessions originated soon after the great Reformation of 1517. They are the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dordt. The Missionary begins with God, and that is a good beginning indeed. God must...

On the evening of Oct. 20, a League Meeting of all the Men’s Societies of our Prot. Ref. Churches of Grand Rapids and vicinity was held in the parlors of the First Prot. Ref. Church. This meeting was opened by the President, Mr. A. C. Boerkoel, by reading I Peter 1 from Scripture, after which prayer was offered, and the audience sang from the Psalter. The President then extended a word of welcome to the gathering, and introduced the speaker for the evening, Rev. R. Veldman. The Reverend announced that he would not speak on the subject as printed in...

The Rev. Baker is of the opinion that the Christian Reformed Churches still believe and teach that the Christian should live a life of spiritual separation from the world. Fact is, however, that they do not practice it, and they never will, as long as they do not go back to the Scriptures, and discard the doctrine of common grace. The writer of the little pamphlet also makes the statement that the Christian Reformed Church teaches that the education of the children is the task of the parents, and that it is proper to organize Christian Elementary and High Schools...

In reply to the article of Mr. B. Veldkamp, I would like to make the remark that I was very much disappointed with the brother’s writing as it was of a more personal hatred towards me than towards my article and could not have been done in brotherly love. The brother is constrained to make mention, that he disagrees with me in the manner I wrote my Church News Article. This of course is his good right. We don’t have to agree on minor things. The brother is of the opinion that I don’t know much about the Unions. Of...

Esteemed Editor: At the last meeting of the R.F.P.A. the Board decided to inform the writer of “News from our Churches” to write a little more news abort our Churches. Now as I have said and written before: If I do not receive news, then I can’t write it, and therefore I would ask the different consistories of our Churches in and around about Grand Rapids: please send in the news, so I can place it. It is much easier for me; and some of the readers like it better. There were a goodly number who took my last article...

Well friends, here I am again with a bit of news for our Standard Bearer. All too soon the year of 1942 has slipped away; and in the year gone by there was much sorrow and grief, but also pleasure and joy. In the world at large there are signs of much confusion, disharmony; war and destruction; but not a turning unto the God of the nations. And the Church in the midst of the world is inclined to lament: who shall show us any good? To be sure a sinful lamentation. It is well that the world asks this...

Esteemed Editor: Permit me, in accordance with your request, to write a few lines in regards the Hymn Question. In the first place I would like to make the remark that there is nothing wrong in singing hymns. Why should there be, providing they are Reformed. For also in such singing God is glorified. In the second place, dear Editor, I am of the opinion that we need no hymn singing in our public worship; especially not now when the end of the ages is upon us. Today our church activities lie in a different direction which is of more...