The highlight of this school-year at the Protestant Reformed Seminary is the addition to the faculty of Prof. Russell J. Dykstra. Prof. Dykstra is teaching a course in Greek grammar to three pre-seminary students. He is working on obtaining the Th. M. degree in Historical Theology at Calvin Seminary. He is fully involved in the life of the seminary and in all faculty activities. Much of his time is spent in his office at the seminary preparing for the courses he will begin teaching next year. This enables him to cooperate with Prof. Hanko next door, whose classes he will take over. We are thankful to God and to the churches for this capable, energetic co-laborer in the seminary.

There are seven full-time students. Six aspire to the ministry in the Protestant Reformed Churches; one will seek admission into the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. There is one student in each of the first three years of the seminary program. There are four seniors. The four seniors are finishing up internships in the churches the first semester of the present school-year. Daniel Kleyn is working in the South Holland, IL church; James Laning, in the Southwest, Grandville, MI church; Darren Thole, in an Orthodox Presbyterian church; and Martin VanderWal, in the Holland, MI church. All four will return for classes the second semester. They will graduate in June, 1997, God willing.

In addition, five men from the Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregations are either auditing or taking for credit the dogmatics and church polity courses. We are glad that we can be of service to them, and appreciate their presence with us.

This month, the faculty publishes the Fall, 1996 issue of the Protestant Reformed Theological Journal. This issue of the journal is devoted to Reformed church polity, with articles on the principles of Reformed church polity, the autonomy of the local congregation, and the authority of the major assemblies.

The new addition to the building is used and appreciated by us all, especially the spacious, growing library. About $30,000 remains to be paid on the addition. Synod has decided that the debt is to be paid by private gifts and collections in the churches. We commend this cause to the liberality of our supporters.

And pray for us, that our work on behalf of the churches may bear fruit in able, faithful preachers of the glorious gospel of God’s grace in Jesus Christ the Lord.

Cordially in Christ,

For the faculty,

Prof. David J. Engelsma