Vol 84 Issue 18

Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan.   Congregation Activities  In early May the ladies of the First PRC in Edmonton, AB, Canada hosted a Spring Ladies’ Lecture. Tuesday morning, May 13, the ladies met with the ladies of neighboring Immanuel PRC in Lacombe to hear their pastor, Rev. John Marcus, speak on the “Profit of Personal Bible Study.” Coffee was served before the lecture, and a nursery was provided in the parsonage basement. At the meeting of Classis East in May, the Classis gave unanimous approval to the request of twenty-six families and...

May 14, 2008 with continued sessions on May 15, 16, and 28 Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 with continuing sessions on May 15, 16, and 28 at the First PRC of Holland, MI. All churches were represented by two delegates; Rev. Daniel Kleyn served as the chairman for these sessions. On its first day of meeting, Classis was able to make the joyous decision to organize a new congregation. A group of people, mostly from the Faith PRC, had been meeting for several months and were known as the “Faith Daughter Group.” Sufficient attendance...

* Not Anabaptist but Reformed was a pamphlet written by Danhof and Hoeksema in 1923 as a “Provisional Response to Rev. Jan Karel Van Baalen Concerning the Denial of Commin Grace.” Translated here from the Dutch by seminarian Daniel Holstege. Previous article in this series: May 1, 2008, p. 324. Next Rev. Van Baalen devotes a chapter to the confessional side of the matter. We will respond accordingly. If the attempt made by the brother here should fail, then certainly his entire booklet will be a failure. And in fact both this chapter and the entire pamphlet are a failure,...

Rev. Bruinsma is Eastern Home Missionary of the Protestant Reformed Churches, stationed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A proper view of the doctrine of the church will have a direct bearing on the work of missions. What the Bible teaches us about the church and its work will determine who is called to do mission work, as well as the way such work is carried out. We began our consideration of this proposition in the last article when we established that it is the calling of the church to carry out mission work. Christ commissioned the church institute to do this work...

Rev. DeVries is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church in Wingham, Ontario, Canada. Yes, we live in a consumer-oriented society. Yes, each one of us is a unique individual. But do I need a Bible entitled “Heart of the Outdoors Bible”? Do you need a Bible entitled “Path to Victory,” with pictures of sporting activities on the cover? Perhaps you have a problem. “The Journey of Recovery” New Testament is just for you, since it provides “real-life help and lasting hopes to free the addicted.” Or is your home on the highway? Do you need “The Road Home New Testament”?...

Missions in the Old Testament I want to comment on Wilbur Bruinsma’s article in the January 1, 2008 SB on “God’s Covenant: The Foundation of Missions.” He states that Israel in the Old Testament did not do mission work. But wasn’t Israel meant to? (Is. 43:10, 12; 44:8; 52:5; Dan. 12:3;Prov. 14:25). God’s covenant did include those outside Israel, e.g., Ruth and Rahab. And Noah was most certainly a preacher of righteousness to those around him. I would agree that up until New Testament times we hear of very few outside Israel who were part of the covenant, but it seems...

Every now and again a synod is remembered for one particular issue. The 1981 Synod in Holland, MI, is known to many as the “Baptism on the Mission Field Synod.” The 1987 Synod in Hudsonville, MI, is remembered as the “Marriage Synod.” There have been others. The unusually thick Acts of Synod taking more than its share of space on one’s shelf will bring back memories of other synods where one issue overshadowed the others. Synod 2008 of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America, held in Hope PRC, Walker, MI, was another such synod. To many, Synod 2008 will be...

Rev. Slopsema is pastor of First Protestant Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan and president of Synod 2007. This is the text of the Presynodical Sermon, delivered on June 9, 2008 in Hope PRC. Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Proverbs 23:23 Solomon addressed these words to his son. They apply therefore first to the children and young people of the covenant. But these words apply also to every member of the church, to every family in the church, to every congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, and finally to every ecclesiastical body...