Mr. Wigger is an elder in the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, Michigan.

Mission Activities

Rev. A. Brummel, pastor of the Edgerton, MN PRC, left for the Philippines Tuesday morning, December 2. He was scheduled to meet Rev. A. denHartog, pastor of the Hope PRC in Redlands, CA, in Osaka, Japan. Together from there, the Lord willing, they planned to travel to and visit two locations on the island of Mindanao, then proceed to the island of Luzon for a conference on Calvinism in the city of Daet, and conclude with meeting contacts in Manila. They will have a busy schedule of speaking and preaching for several groups of people with whom we have been in contact for quite some time. They will be giving lectures and preaching in four locations, following up on the visit of the Korterings earlier in 1997. The men expect to return home on Monday, December 15. This visit is on behalf of our Foreign Mission Committee, as mandated by Synod 1997.

Prof. H. Hanko, from our churches’ seminary, recently returned from Singapore, where he had been busy for a month assisting Rev. Kortering with the Bible School that the ERCS has established. However, the professor did not get much time to relax, since he and his wife were anticipating leaving on December 11 for a visit to Northern Ireland to assist Rev. Ron Hanko, especially in the work in Wales. God willing, Prof. Hanko will travel first to South Wales and spend a long weekend there. Then, after the Christmas holidays, he planned to travel to North Wales and spend some time there. Among other things, he will be speaking and preaching about 15 times in the space of a couple of weeks. Between the visits to North and South Wales, Prof. and Mrs. Hanko hoped to spend some time in Northern Ireland to visit with his son, his wife, and their family, and also to meet with the consistory of the Covenant PRC in Northern Ireland and to preach for the congregation there.

Congregational Activities

Candidate Daniel Kleyn and his wife Sharon were expected to arrive on November 29 in Edgerton, MN. Plans called for him to fill the pulpit, teach catechism, and lead societies in our PR congregation there, while their pastor, Rev. A. Brummel, was gone for two weeks to the Philippines.

We also note, in passing, that the same responsibilities fell to Seminarian Nathan Brummel, who spent the last few months in Hope PRC in Redlands, CA on part of his internship.

The Men’s and Ladies’ Societies of Edgerton PRC met on December 8 for their annual Christmas social. Candidate Kleyn was scheduled to give a presentation on the Evangelical Presbyterian Churches of Australia, and also inform the society members about our mission work in Northern Ireland and Wales.

The consistory of the Trinity PRC in Houston, TX has recommended to their congregation that they disband by the end of 1998 if there is no significant growth in the congregation. With sadness, but in the confidence that this is the Lord’s will and is for the spiritual welfare of their members, the consistory adopted this recommendation. Grounds for this decision were the decreasing membership and the lack of potential for an ongoing consistory. How can we not remember these members in our prayers as they look for God’s leading in the coming months?

At a November 11 congregational meeting, the members of our Edgerton, MN PRC made decisions regarding money left to them in the estate of one of their late members. A five-year financial proposal was approved, with approximately $102,000 being put in one fund and $50,000 in another. The smaller fund will pay monthly checks to the church and will be paid out in five years. This will take the place of their subsidy and provide the ability to give to other valid causes. The larger will remain untouched until needs arise.

Minister Activities

Afew weeks ago, emeritus minister Rev. George Lubbers suffered another heart attack, and a bacterial infection in his blood. Presently he continues to make good progress toward recovery. His infection has cleared up and he has even taken a few steps again with the aid of a walker. It is hoped that, by the time you read this, he will have moved to the assisted living section of Raybrook Manor in Grand Rapids, MI. We remember him and all our emeriti ministers in our prayers.

Rev. A. denHartog has declined the call he received from the South Holland, IL PRC.