All Articles For Howerzyl, J.

The Rev. Henry Danhof The above name is well-known to the readers of this paper. He was for a number of years co-editor of the Standard Bearer and contributed regularly for those years to its content.

Heresy In Candidates Under the above title a contribution to the South­ern Presbyterian Journal was recently published. We quote it to indicate to what lengths unbelief has gone in some pulpits.

What Next? Under the title “A New Approach” the Moody Monthly informs us that “Another effort to reach the unsaved will use an entire basketball team. The team from Taylor University, Upland, Ind., has been in­vited to play several exhibition games in Formosa in connection with Youth for Christ evangelistic services on the island.

The Peril Of Organization From the Moody Monthly we quote the following which in turn is a quotation on their part. “The Church for some reason or other is able to turn out more organizational machinery than any in­stitution known to man. We can draw up by-laws by the ton and appoint committees, bureaus and depart­ments . . . until it is no wonder that people day af­ter day are spiritually mangled in the wheels. “More and more I am convinced that if we spent half the time with people that we spend with bureaus and departments, the world would...

Knowing that our people are always interested in reactions to such books, we are copying two recent re­views on Rev. Hoeksema’s latest book “Baptized Into Christ.” The first review is by Rev. J. K. Van Raalen, well-known to all of us that are at all acquainted with the history up to and including 1924, now minister of the Christian Reformed Church of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He writes in The Banner of November 2, as follows: “Baptized Into Christ”, by the Rev. H. Hoeksema. “This is Volume VI in an Exposition of the Heidel­berg Catechism, and it covers Lord’s Days 25,...

Synod then returns to the discussion of the motion to declare point II is the expression of the Confessions etc., and during this discussion the morning session is brought to a close. After a long discussion in the afternoon session an amendment is offered as follows: “There are conditions in God’s Word, the confrontation of God’s demand which God annexes to the promise in order to bring out clearly His unconditional grace and mercy as well as His just wrath and man’s inability to fulfill them.” Synod decides to give the author of the above motion time to submit the...

Synod of 1951 has finished her sessions some time ago. As we have given a factual report of the June sessions of this Synod, so again we will give such a factual report. Synod opens its second series of sessions Wednesday morning, September 26, meeting this time in the basement of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Both Classis East and West were represented by a full delegation. There were a few changes made during the sessions of Synod. Several times Elder delegates found it impossible to be there and were represented by their alternates. And on...

Church Membership The Christian Herald, a liberal religious magazine, recently conducted another annual survey of church membership. The following figures are presented: Church membership in the United States rose to 85,705,290 in 1950, a record—making 55.9 percent of the population. The total membership was up 2,950, 987 over the previous year. Lest you should become too joyful, however, we would point out that included in these membership rolls are many churches that we could not even honor with the name church, and included among the members are those whose names are inscribed and -nothing more. Taking the above into consideration...

Tuesday morning and part of the afternoon were spent in reading the material regarding the Declaration of Principles. In our last number of the Standard Bearer it was pointed out that the Committee of Pre-advise which was given this material for consideration was divided in their advice. Synod first took up the advice of that part of the committee which recommended that Synod declare that the action of the last Synod was church-politically incorrect. In the discussion of this question the time of the Tuesday afternoon session and all the Wednesday sessions was taken up. During this time it became...

Synod of 1951 met in their pre-synodical prayer service Tuesday evening. Rev. H. Hoeksema had been requested by the president of the Synod of 1950 to preach this pre-synodical sermon. He chose as text for the occasion the word of Paul to Timothy, II Tim. 2:19: “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” Besides the Synodical delegates and the consistory present there was a very good audience present from the host church, Fourth of Grand Rapids, as...