October 10, 1994

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

By this time we are well into the work of the first semester of the, new school-year. Classes began at Protestant Reformed Seminary on August 30. On the evening of September 7, at Hope Church in Walker, Michigan, Professor Hanko gave the convocation address to a large and appreciative audience. His topic was, “Our Church-Governed Seminary.”

God has blessed the churches with eleven seminary students. Two are in their fourth (and final) year and will graduate in June, 1995, God willing. Both are doing their internships. One is working in the Doon, Iowa PRC under the supervision of the Doon consistory. The other, interested in missions, is working in Singapore under the supervision of the consistories of the Evangelical Reformed Churches of Singapore (ERCS) and minister-on-loan Rev, Jay Kortering.

There are two third-year students, six second-year students, and one who entered seminary this year.

Nine of the eleven aspire to the ministry in the PRC. One is a member of an Orthodox Presbyterian congregation. Another is a Singaporean training for the ministry in the ERCS.

Eight of the students are engaged in practice-preaching. Monday mornings are devoted to students’ sermons and to critique by students and professors.

Punctuating the lecturing and practice-preaching are the sounds of construction. The addition to the seminary building is going up. All of us look-forward to the completion of the addition. There will be study-space for the students; offices outside the classrooms for the professors, a good-sized library to house our books, and space for denominational archives and publishing activities.

Synod 1994 decided to raise the money that is still needed for this project (about $100,000) by collections I in the churches. We commend this cause to our people and, indeed, to all the readers of the Standard Bearer. It is particularly gratifying to us that of the approximately $320,000 already contributed for the addition about $100,000 was given by friends and supporters outside the PRC.

We desire your prayers on behalf of the work of the seminary, that the churches may have able, diligent, faithful ministers of the Word—Reformed pastors.

Cordially in Christ,

Prof. David Engelsma