All Articles For News From Our Churches

The Evangelism Committee of our South Holland, Illinois church has been informed that the Family Radio Network will be broadcasting a series of 12 to 13 or their pastor’s sermons on Ephesians 5 and Ephesians 6 during the months of July, August, and September. Some seven stations will broadcast Rev. Engelsma’s sermons to a large audience on both the east and west coasts.

Rev. Van Overloop declined the call from Kalamazoo. A new trio has subsequently been made—this one consisting of the Revs. W. Bekkering, C. Hanko, and J. Kortering.

Rev. David Engelsma, pastor of our church in South Holland, Illinois, declined the call extended to him by our new congregation in Houston, Texas. 

At this writing, two of our churches are without pastors. They are Kalamazoo, Michigan and Redlands California. Rev. Marvin Kamps accepted a call to Doon, Iowa and was scheduled to preach his farewell sermon in Redlands on August 22. From a trio of Rev. J. Kortering, Rev. G. VanBaren, and Rev. R. VanOverloop, Redlands has extended a call to Rev. Kortering. 

August 24-26 were the dates of the annual Protestant Reformed Young Peoples Convention. The 1976 convention was held at Camp Geneva on the shore of Lake Michigan just north of Holland, Michigan. Rev. Slopsema, Rev. VanOverloop, and Rev. Bekkering addressed the convention on successive evenings. The young people of our Southwest Church, Wyoming, Michigan were the host society for this year’s convention. They worked long and hard to make the 1976 convention possible. On June 10, the young people sponsored a “Family Night” in Grand Rapids to raise money for the convention.

Of a trio consisting of Revs. Wayne Bekkering, George Lubbers, and James Slopsema, our Houston, Texas, congregation has called Rev. Bekkering of Randolph, Wisconsin.

Hope Protestant Reformed Church in Isabel, South Dakota, has a trio consisting of Rev. Arie den Hartog, Rev. George Lanting, and Rev. James Slopsema. A congregational meeting was scheduled on April 30 after the afternoon services for the purpose of calling a minister from this trio. Isabel’s pastor, Rev. Rodney Miersma, has accepted the call to labor in Pella, Iowa.  Rev. James Slopsema and eider Dewey Engelsma have returned from their trip to Singapore with a positive report as to their contacts there. 

Everyone likes a pat on the back once in awhile, and here’s a rather lusty one for our Standard Bearer from a reader in Moorestown, New Jersey: “In today’s world of constant complaints and lack of contentment, this letter is written for the purpose of giving many thanks for your magazine. It is without a doubt THE BEST Christian periodical in the entire world! It is a perfect companion to Holy Scripture since it is 90% Scripture exposition combined with Reformed Theology written in a beautifully clear and understandable manner.

The July 3rd bulletin of our Hope Church (Walker, Michigan) reported on the return of our Home Missionary as follows, “Rev. and Mrs. Harbach returned from the investigative trip which they made to the area of Canada just north of Lynden, Washington. He expects to make a report of this trip to the next council meeting and to a Mission Committee meeting on July 12. We thank God for their safe trip and pray He might have used these efforts to further the cause of His kingdom.” 

Denomination Activities On Tuesday, November 15, and Wednesday, November 16, Revs. G. Eriks and K. Koole were in Atlanta, GA on behalf of our denomination’s Contact Committee to represent our churches as observers to the annual meeting of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council, as authorized by this year’s synod. For what this gathering of conservative Presbyterian and Reformed churches is all about, please confer Acts 2010, Arts. 22 and 27 (pp. 18, 21), and Acts 2011, Art. 34 (pp. 26-28). If you don’t have these Acts handy, we add here that this makes the second year these two...