September 18, 1991

Dear Brothers and sisters in the Lord:

What a difference having a few more students makes! We have seven in all: dive from our PR churches and two from the Evangelical Presbyterian Churches in Australia. The parking lot is nearly full, as are also the classrooms. Because the professors also use their classrooms as offices, there is little room to spare in some classes. With classes of five to seven students there is often lively discussion of pertinent theological issues. Professors are stimulated and sometimes challenged. Students encourage one another and are motivated to further study by their peers. We thank God for this! The Lord is answering our fervent prayers for students.

Mr. Patrick Baskwell is in his second year and will graduate, D.V., in 1994. Scott Haaksma and Henry Dejong are in the second year of a five-year program. They along with two first-year students, Allen Brummel and Douglas Kuiper, expect to graduated in 1995. The men from Australia are Christopher Conners and David Higgs. They are in the first year of a three-year course of study. In addition several per-seminarians are taking their Dutch and Greek at our school.

Besides the necessary work for their classes, the professors are busy preaching and teaching in the West Michigan churches. Prof. Engelsma expects to have his Master’s thesis (Calvin Seminary) completed by the end of the calendar years. Prof. Hanko lectured and preached in Loveland, Colorado PRC in September. During early October, Prof. Decker addressed the PR Teachers’ Convention in Northwest Iowa. All three faculty members spoke at the Conference on the doctrine of Holy Scripture in late October.

We ask that you remember our school in your prayers. In these latter days it is crucial that our seminary remain faithful to the truth of God’s Word as maintained in our PRC. To meet the needs of our expanding library, Synod has authorized the Theological School Committee to work with an architect on plans and cost estimates for an addition to our building. We ask that you give this your prayerful consideration as well.

May God bless you richly in Christ Jesus.

Cordially in Christ,

Prof. Robert D. Decker,

for the faculty