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The following was supplied by Mr. Ben Wigger. We thank him for the interesting information! The Hudsonville, MI PRC was organized on July 26, 1926 at a meeting in Cornelius Spoelman’s barn. A classical committee consisting of Revs. H. Danhof, H. Hoeksema and G. Ophoff led the organizational meeting. At that meeting a group of 22 families and several individuals presented their membership papers and were organized into one of the first PR congregations besides the three already in existence through the deposition of their pastors in 1924. Hull, Iowa had been first to organize; Hudsonville followed about a year...

Tiny. Unseen. Hidden in darkness and safety. An intricate wonder. A display of the creative and glorious power of God. Precious. Loved—by family and even more by God. Each little baby in the womb of a godly mother is a life, with a soul, and a specially determined, God-given purpose. This purpose may be carried out in a long life with many years on the earth and many visible works accomplished. Or this purpose may be carried out entirely in the mother’s womb, ending after a few brief months, weeks, days, or even hours. The inscrutable wisdom of a loving...

It has come as a surprise to me that the current controversy in our churches has been over the question of the place of good works in God’s work of salvation. Most of us were taught the truth of this question in our covenant homes, our catechism classes, the preaching we heard every Lord’s Day and it is, as far as I am concerned, what I was taught in the Seminary. It was part of our heritage with its glorious emphasis on sovereign grace. That we face controversy over the question is puzzling to me. Let me briefly spell out...

This November Peace PRC will celebrate her 30th year as an organized church. Peace is the elder of two daughters of South Holland PRC (now Crete PRC) and was organized November 11, 1988. We began worship services in the local Christian high school in Lansing, Illinois. We worshiped in the chapel of Illiana for seven-plus years. In 1995 the Lord blessed us with our own brand-new building in Lansing. Even then, we anticipated needing expansion later as we grew, possibly adding a sanctuary to the west. The Lord did bless us with growth, along with three pastors, many young families,...

“I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.” Psalm 9:1-2 This is simply a humble attempt of showing my gratitude to God for the amazing time I had at the British Reformed Fellowship (BRF) Conference this year. The conference took place in Hebron Hall, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, on the super-hot days of July 21 to 28, 2018. Upon knowing that I would be given the opportu­nity of going, my heart...

The second week of July 2018 was an exciting and special time for the congregation of Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, MI. On Tuesday July 10, Trinity held a dedication program for their new 11,100 sq. ft. sanctuary and narthex. The cornerstone was set and a program was held, consisting of special numbers from the Sunday School children and the choir, as well as a demonstration of the new organ, all of which set the tone of a joyful evening. The following Sunday, July 15, Trinity conducted her first worship service in the new sanctuary and, for the first time in...

In my previous article (May 15, 2018), I asked and gave what I believe is the biblical and confessional answer to the question, “Is the law part of the gospel?” We saw that there are two ways the Bible uses the word “gospel,” and that the answer to the above question depends on understanding what way we use the word “gospel.” In this article I ask, “Is the gospel part of the law?” The answer to this question depends in large part on what one means by “law.” Just as there is a broad use and a narrow use of...

I remember being quite confused for a long time by the question that titles this article. I remember being further confused by statements made by Protestant Reformed authors, such as the following: “In fact, Scripture makes clear that the law is gospel, for it has the power to convert the soul, to make wise the simple, and to enlighten the eyes.”1 And, “The law is gospel. If anyone doubts it, let him read Psalm 19 and Psalm 119.”2 And, “For Calvin and Calvinism, with regard to the elect believer law is an aspect of gospel.”3 How can this be? The...

Mr. Mingerink is the administrator of Adams Christian School, the Executive Secretary of the Federation Board of the Protestant Reformed Schools, and a member of Grandville Protestant Reformed Church. Editor’s Note: Although the subject matter of this article and the recent editorials is nearly identical, there is no inherent (cause or effect) connection between them. As you might expect, I am delighted in the development reported in the article.—RJD In 1956, the final book in the Narnia Chronicles was published. Readers of good literature witnessed the ending of a great saga. In November of that same year, Fidel Castro boarded...

Mr. Lanning is a member of the Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church and, along with his wife Pat, attended the BRF Conference held last summer. July 16-July 23, 2016 marked the fourteenth British Reformed Fellowship Conference. The venue was the Castlewellan Castle, in Castlewellan, Northern Ireland. The theme was “‘Behold I Come Quickly:’ The Reformed, Biblical Truth of the End.” One hundred twenty-four attendees from ten different countries registered and attended all seven days, while several more visitors attended various speeches. Attendees came from the following countries (number of attendees in parentheses): Australia (4), Canada (4), England (6), Hungary (3), Northern...