Vol 77 Issue 03

Mr. Wigger is a member in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan. Mission Activities   On October 10 Rev. Barry Gritters and Rev. Ken Koole were scheduled to go to Northern Ireland for our churches’ annual visit to that mission field. The purpose of these visits is to investigate the welfare of our missionary and his family and to conduct a “church visitation” with the elders and deacons of the Covenant PRC in NI. Each year a delegation is sent, consisting of one representative from our Hudsonville, MI PRC, the calling church, and another representative from either the Mission...

September 13, 2000 Faith Protestant Reformed Church Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, September 13, 2000 at the Faith PRC. Each church was represented by two delegates; Rev. J. Slopsema chaired this session. The agenda of classis was light and the session ended at noon. But before giving a report on the business of this session, first, a correction in the Report of Classis East for May 10, 2000 as published in the July, 2000 issue of the Standard Bearer. With reference to Rev. Richard Flikkema’s credentials, it would have been better to use the language that this...

Ron Koole is administrator of Hope Protestant Reformed Christian School, Walker, Michigan. Reformed Education, The Christian School as Demand of the Covenant, David J. Engelsma. Grandville, MI: Reformed Free Publishing Association, 2000. Pp. x-101 (no price available). [Reviewed by Ron Koole.] The Reformed Free Publishing Association has done all Reformed believers a great favor by publishing a revised edition of Reformed Education. This is a book which Reformed parents who seek to rear their children in the fear of the Lord, and Reformed teachers who seek to assist believing parents in this calling will want to read and periodically reread....

Mr. Williams is editor of the British Reformed Journal. On Saturday 22nd July 2000, at Cefn Lea, a thousand feet above sea level amongst the beautiful hill country of Mid-Wales, we gathered for the sixth BRF Conference. We came, not only from all over the British Isles, but from as far afield as the USA, the Netherlands, and even from far-off New Zealand. All ages were represented, but specially it was heartening to see the happy phalanx of interested young people there, many over from the PR churches in the USA. Old friends met joyfully, and new friends were made,...

Rev. Coleborn is a pastor in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia. Part 1 of this continued article appeared in the preceding issue of the SB. Summary of the Church Order The main subjects that the Book of Discipline and the Book of Common Order dealt with are as follows:   The Officebearers of the Church   The offices of Christ’s church according to God’s Word were recognized as ministers, elders, and deacons. Two temporary offices were also allowed, to meet the abnormal situation in the Reformed Church of Scotland at that time, when there was an acute shortage of...

Prof. Hanko is professor of Church History and New Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary. This is the text of the speech given at the graduation exercises of the Protestant Reformed Seminary in June, 2000. From time to time over the past years we have come to experience in the halls of the seminary something of what it means to be part of a catholic church. That was true again this past year. It seemed to me, therefore, that “The Church and Her Catholicity” would be an eminently suitable topic on which to meditate for a little while this evening....

Herman Hoeksema was the first editor of the Standard Bearer. Essay read at a Conference of some Christian Reformed and Protestant Reformed Ministers (Translated from the Dutch by Rev. H. Veldman) With regard to what I have said thus far there can be but little, if any, difference of opinion. In the rest of this essay I now offer you an introduction, from our viewpoint, to the discussion of our doctrinal differences, submitting this introduction, of course, to your free discussion and criticism. I would consider it advisable if also one of the Christian Reformed brethren would present such an...

In the April 15, 2000 issue of this magazine, I began the treatment of the regulative principle of worship that concludes in this issue. That opening article explained the regulative principle and contrasted it with the lawlessness of contemporary, “progressive” worship. The editorial in the May 1 Standard Bearer continued the treatment by demonstrating that the regulative principle is biblical, as well as confessionally and traditionally Reformed. The May 15 editorial distinguished between the contents, or elements, of public worship and various circumstances that attend worship. It also entered into several areas of difference among sound Reformed and Presbyterian churches...

Rev. Slopsema is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee. Proverbs 3:27-28 There are in the Bible a number of examples of this proverb being put into practice. Think of Jesus instructing Nicodemus by night, when Nicodemus sought instruction about eternal realities (John 3). Think of Jesus ministering to the multitudes of Capernaum that...