All Articles For Gritters, Barry

Prof. Gritters is professor of Practical Theology in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. If Reformed ministers today in their 50-year pastorates did half of what Calvin did in his 27, preached a quarter as often per week as Calvin preached, worked with a tenth as much energy as did this man of God, reached even to Calvin’s knees in theological stature, were devoted to the people’s care with a fraction of his devotion, willing to suffer for only one year what Calvin suffered most of his ministry, and had hearts of love for God a quarter of the size of this...

September 15, 2009 I write this news on September 15, after one full week of classes in this new semester. The starting date this year was late. Both the extended session of Synod 2009 and the seminary’s Calvin Conference in late August led the TSC to approve a starting date two weeks later than normal. But the year has begun, and begun well, under God’s blessings. The highlight of the summer was our Seminary-sponsored Calvin Conference in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. For over a year preparations were made for this significant event. Southwest...

Previous article in this series: October 1, 2009, p. 5. This past August, Synod 2009 concluded its work in answering protests, appeals, and an overture regarding Article 21 of the Church Order. Article 21 calls the consistories to “see to it that there are good Christian schools in which parents have their children instructed according to the demands of the covenant.” In the last editorial, I summarized and explained synod’s answers to these protests. Although I explained them, it is important that the decisions themselves be read carefully. (They are available to the PRC members from their consistory.) Synod was...

By this time, most members of the Protestant Reformed Churches have read the decisions taken at the extended session of the 2009 Synod. Each consistory was provided with the decisions and given opportunity to make them available to the members. Others, interested in the case, have also likely read the decisions. Some have not seen the decisions. But all good members of the church are always interested in careful understanding of synod’s decisions. For them I present the following description of the decisions, as one who worked many hours over two months on the committee formulating the advice and agrees...

The Standard Bearer is 86 The October 1 issue is the beginning of the new volume year. This year is the Standard Bearer’s 86th. First of all, we express our heartfelt gratitude to Rev. Jason Kortering, Minister Emeritus (who asked to be relieved of his writing duties), for his many years of regular contributions to the magazine. Since his early years in the ministry, which began in 1960, Rev. Kortering put pen to paper faithfully. The older readers will remember his early meditations, and his insightful articles to young people in the “Strength of Youth.” For over 45 years the Standard Bearer audience profited from his...

Happy Birthday, Confession of Faith (aka “Netherlands Confession” and “Belgic Confession”) esteemed firstborn of the Reformed family’s confessions. We commemorate the year of your birth—written as you were in 1561 and soon adopted into the Reformed family by our fathers in the nether lands. In 2011, you have now lived ten times longer than your author, martyred as he was at the youthful age of 45, in part because of you. What place his martyrdom had in the providence of God to endear you to us, God may show us some day. But we confess (by your lead), that “nothing happens in...