Mr. Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan.

Congregation Activities

Over the past several months many of you who are members of the PR churches have no doubt thought often of our Pella, IA PRC and what they must be going through.  We can only imagine how one would cope with the closing of his church home.  This is certainly something none of us would ever desire for anyone, or hope to go through ourselves. After Classis West made its final decision, earlier this year, to proceed with the closing of Pella, they appointed the South Holland, IL PRC to assist Pella’s consistory and congregation with their plans to dissolve, and they have been busy with that task. South Holland arranged and received approval from three of our consistories to provide Pella with preaching on consecutive Sundays in October leading up to their disbanding.  Rev. Houck preached for them on Sunday, October 14, Rev. Smit on October 21, and Rev. A. Brummel on the 28th, which was their last Lord’s Day as a Protestant Reformed congregation. On October 5 the congregation in Pella met and approved selling their assets and giving the proceeds of that sale to our PR churches. The South Holland consistory is also currently working through the details of the manner of dissolution for a not-for-profit corporation and have sought legal advice with which to advise Pella.  Some of the families have begun to make plans to move to other of our PR churches. The Pella consistory will continue to meet as long as necessary to finalize the legal details pertaining to the disbanding of their congregation. Even though their final service was held on the 28th of October, it may take some time before the legal matters of selling the assets and disbanding are settled.  Without doubt we should all remember these saints in our prayers, as some are making plans to relocate and to find new jobs during these difficult times.

Members of the First PRC in Holland, MI were invited to attend a special combined society night on October  30.  Mr. Deane Wassink, a member of First, gave a presentation on the history of our Psalter and issues relating to it.

Early this past summer, July 5 through 19 to be exact, eight members of the Cornerstone PRC in Schererville, IN were able to accompany Rev. B. Woudenberg and others to Romania.  They spent two weeks traveling through the countryside visiting many different villages, where they were able to visit with the people, make some medical visits, and spend some time at various orphanages.  The group also brought along funds for a Reformed orphanage and also for a new Christian school in one of the villages.

Evangelism Activities

Many of our congregations took advantage of the church’s celebration and observance of the Reformation on October 31 of this year by sponsoring Reformation lectures, as a form of outreach to their communities.

The Reformed Witness Committee, made up of our churches in Iowa and Minnesota, hosted a lecture October 26 at the Hull, IA PRC.  Rev. R. Hanko spoke on the subject, “Continuing Reformation through Catechism Preaching.”

Rev. A. Brummel spoke at a lecture October 26 sponsored by the Bethel PRC in Roselle, IL on the topic, “The Reformers’ Teaching on the Church.”

Prof. H. Hanko gave the same lecture twice, first on October 26 at the First PRC in Holland, MI, and then again on October 29 at the Randolph, WI PRC.  He spoke on “Justification by Faith.”

October 31 Rev. T. Miersma spoke on the subject, “Jesus the Savior of All?” The Lynden, WA PRC hosted a lecture on November 2 with Rev. M. DeVries speaking on “The Bondage of the Will.”

Rev. C. Haak spoke at the South Holland, IL PRC on October 31 on the truth of “Christ Alone,” and then again two days later he spoke on the same theme at the 3rd annual Reformation Celebration of our churches’ Pittsburgh Mission.

Rev. C. Terpstra spoke at a Reformation Day Celebration at Fayetteville, NC on October 27 under the theme, “Being Right with God: The Call of the Reformation.”

Minister Activities

The Lynden, WA PRC continues to wait patiently for our heavenly Father to provide them with an undershepherd of His choosing. Since Rev. B. Gritters’ decline in late October, they have formed another trio consisting of the Revs. J. Laning, C. Haak, and A. Brummel.

Rev. C. Haak declined the call extended to him by the congregation of the Hope PRC in Redlands, CA.  Since that decline, Hope has extended a call to Rev. M. VanderWal.  With him on that trio were the Revs. Slopsema and Terpstra.

From a trio consisting of Rev. Cammenga, Slopsema, and Van Overloop, the Byron Center, MI PRC has extended a call to Rev. Cammenga to serve as their next pastor.