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

Byron Center Dedication

Both our Byron Center Church in Byron Center, Michigan and the Southwest Church in Grandville, Michigan chose the evening of September 16 as the dedication of their new church sanctuaries. Can anyone ever remember that happening in our churches before? Southwest moved their dedication back one week to avoid any conflict.

What a joy it was to attend the dedication of Byron Center. As has been the history of our churches in the past, Byron Center was erected with much volunteer help from their congregation. One could feel the excitement of the congregation as the thought of finally having a place to call their own began to sink in.

The sanctuary is all on one floor and includes a spacious auditorium connected to a roomy all-purpose room. Between these two main rooms are restrooms, a kitchen, a pastor’s study (shown on the front cover) which will double as a consistory room, and a nursery. It looks as if the entire building will serve Byron’s needs for some years to come.

At the dedication program that night, Rev. Barry Gritters, Byron’s pastor, spoke of dedicating the sanctuary to the honor and glory of God, to the maintenance of the truth, the promotion of unity, the preaching of the gospel, and the obedience of Gods Word.

The program also included a nice variety of special numbers from the congregation. Lunch followed in the all-purpose room, at which time visitors could look around.

One week later, Southwest held the dedication of their new sanctuary and organ. I have been promised information on their dedication, along with a history of Southwest, which hopefully will be included in the “News” at the same time. Let me just add that, having been at Southwest once in August, I can say that I really liked the looks of their new auditorium. I am sure that if you are in the area of either of these churches some day soon, you will be very welcome to stop in and have a look. Both are very nicely done.

Congregation Highlights

Once again a six-week course, especially designed for visitors from the community to our church in Randolph, Wisconsin, is being planned. This course, the subject of which is “The Signs of the Return of our Lord,” was scheduled to begin October 11.

A special Singspiration to celebrate the new organ of the Randolph congregation was held on September 22. An hour of fellowship followed.

By now catechism has started in all our churches. I couldn’t help but notice an announcement which was in the bulletin of our Byron Center Protestant Reformed Church. “Catechism begins tomorrow evening. All students are asked to wail (sic) outside and away from the classrooms, or quietly in the narthex before their class begins.” Sounds as if Byron Center’s new church might include a wailing wall.

A committee has been appointed by the consistory of our church in Doon, Iowa to begin investigating the possibility of a new organ for their sanctuary.

It is possible that the Covenant Protestant Reformed Church in Wyckoff, New Jersey may also be completed this year. They recently received a portion of a will, amounting to nearly $12,000.00, from the Council of the Southeast Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This money was left to Southeast to be given to a needy church. May this encourage them to continue building the house of our Lord.

Church Activities

Rev. Kuiper, pastor of the Immanuel Protestant Reformed Church in Lacombe, Canada, gave two lectures during the month of August. August 10 he spoke on “The Biblical Doctrine of Infallibility” and on August 30 he spoke on “As in Adam All Die.”

September 27, Prof. Decker spoke at the Mr. and Mrs. and Adult Bible Society Fall League Meeting at Hope Church in Walker, Michigan on the subject “Ministering to our Ministers.”

The Evangelism Committee of Southeast Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan sponsored a lecture in the Fine Arts Building on the Calvin College campus on September 22. Prof. Herman Hanko spoke on “I Believe in God the Creator.”

On September 28, Prof. Hanko spoke also at the Seminary Convocation, held this year in our Southwest Church in Grandville, Michigan.

Ministerial Calls

Rev. Wayne Bekkering declined the call he received from Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Isabel, South Dakota.

Rev. Wilbur Bruinsma, missionary to Jamaica, is considering a call to serve as pastor of our church in Holland, Michigan.

From a trio which included also the Revs. Russell Dykstra and Carl Haak, First Church of Grand Rapids called Rev. Kenneth Koole to serve as second missionary to Jamaica.

South Holland Protestant Reformed Church (Illinois) has called Rev. Kortering, from a trio which included also Revs. Gritters and Dykstra.

Rev. Kortering is also considering a call from Faith Church, in Jenison, Michigan.