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

Ministerial Calls

The “News” should start with calls this time—to make sure that there is enough space to get them all in. There are, after all, five different calls to consider. Here is the up-to-the-minute status of each one (as of September 8).

First Church in Grand Rapids, MI presented a trio of Pastors B. Gritters, J. Kortering, and T. Miersma, from which their congregation extended a call to Rev. T. Miersma to serve as missionary to Jamaica.

The congregation in our Hudsonville PRC in Hudsonville, MI met on August 27 and extended a call to Rev. J. Kortering to serve as a missionary to Larne, Northern Ireland.

And the Council of the Kalamazoo PRC in Kalamazoo, MI called a congregational meeting in which their church called the Rev. S. Key to serve as missionary to the area around Venice, FL.

You may also remember that two of our churches are without undershepherds. Both the Randolph PRC in Randolph, WI and the Hope PRC in Isabel, SD extended calls to Rev. T. Miersma. Rev. Miersma declined both those calls.

Denominational Activities

Our Protestant Reformed Seminary Convocation was held on September 11 in the Grandville PRC in Grandville, MI. Prof. Decker spoke on the theme, “Contending for the Faith.”

Mission Activities

Having read this far in the “News” column you are aware that there is a call extended to Rev. T. Miersma to serve in Jamaica. The Council of First Church, in agreement with Synod 1990, believes that a full-time missionary and co-worker is the preferred way to go in Jamaica. However, if God does not provide men for this work, the Synod of 1990 also approved an interim plan. These guidelines provide that until a full-time missionary and elder co-worker arrive in Jamaica, a minister and an elder or ex-elder will twice a year hold conference-like educational sessions for the men of the Jamaican churches. The curriculum will focus on the six loci of Dogmatics. The theological instruction will be given by the minister, and the practical implications of this instruction will be under the leadership of the elder. The materials will be in writing, with provisions for homework. Currently Rev. Joostens and Mr. Clare Prince are working on this.

These sessions could continue for up to four years, if the Lord does not provide a resident missionary and elder co-worker.

Congregational Highlights

At the same congregational meeting in which First Church called a missionary to Jamaica, they also approved a proposal to build a canopy on the northwest entrance of their church.

A congregational meeting was also held in our Southwest PRC in Grandville, MI. There the membership also approved a proposal to erect a canopy at the north entrance of their church. And a proposal to remove the cross from the chancel wall was defeated. Their chancel wall will remain as it is.