Dear saints in the Protestant Reformed Churches,

 

            Christian greetings from the Emerald Isle on St. Patrick’s Day. On Friday (14 March) the CPRF held a special lecture on the Real St. Patrick (covering material similar to the series currently running in the Standard Bearer).  We had a number of visitors, but several who had said that they were hoping to come didn’t make it.  The speech was well received, and a number of questions were fielded afterwards. Present was a man from the town of Duns, in Berwickshire, Scotland, the birthplace of the famous medieval scholastic theologian Duns Scotus (c. 1265-1308).  Duns Scotus was entitled “the Subtle Doctor” by the Roman Catholics, and the Protestants called anyone whose ideas were obscure a “duns.” This is how we get our word “dunce.”

 

            On the day after the Patrick speech, the Orangemen held a parade in honour of St. Patrick.  Since the bands were to meet in the same hall where we hold our worship services, we made 50 copies of the Patrick speech and set them out free for the Orangemen.  By Sunday only one tape was left.  I suppose it is a bit like cookies on a tray; no one wants to take the last one.  Hopefully, these tapes will be listened to and passed on.  We intend to advertise the Patrick tapes with the next issue of the Covenant Reformed News, and we have already had a good number of requests.

            Our last tape series, that on Romans 9, “The Most Avoided Chapter in the Bible,” has sold very well, for there are a lot of Christians in the UK keen to get their hands on solid Reformed teaching.  For this purpose the CPRF recently acquired some copies of Jerome Zanchius’ 100-page book Absolute Predestination, translated by Augustus Toplady.  This work is a fine presentation of the Reformed doctrine of election and reprobation and agrees fully with us.  We were able to obtain them very cheaply and may even distribute them free to interested parties.

 

            Another major evangelistic effort with which we are presently engaged is the Reformed Witness Hour.  Just this month it began broadcasting from Co. Donegal across Northern Ireland.  Even friends in SW Scotland can pick it up.  We advertised it widely and have heard from a number of our contacts that they are listening.  We are hopeful that the broadcast will attract a number of people to the CPRF.  One lady listener has told us that the Reformed Witness Hour is the best Christian programme she has ever heard. We agree wholeheartedly.  We know of no distinctively Reformed radio broadcast in Northern Ireland, most of it being fundamentalist.

 

            Our first Reformed Witness Hour broadcast, however, did not go so well.  Rev. Haak was just five minutes into his address when his voice faded out, only to be replaced by some country and western song holding out a welcome on the doormat for you.  We wondered what was going on.  Next they played “At the Hop” and by now we were even more disturbed.  Then they read the blurb advertising the Covenant Reformed News and the worship services of the CPRF.  They gave my address and telephone number and asked any listeners who had comments about the programme to get in contact with me.  Thankfully none did.  By next week the technical problems were solved and we had the privilege of listening to Rev. Haak’s sermon in full.  It is quite something to hear a PRC minister on the airwaves of Northern Ireland.

 

            In early February we were privileged to have Rev. Bruinsma and Elder Henry Boer of Hudsonville with us for visitation.  We had some good fellowship together and visited several of our contacts.  Rev. Bruinsma gave an excellent special lecture on “The Gospel:  God’s Power or Man’s  
Choice” and a number of visitors were present.  We always enjoy visitors from the PRC and see this as a good way of maintaining and strengthening our ties with you.

 

            We have recently been registered as a charity.  This enables us to recover about 28% of the CPRF offerings made by taxpayers on the covenant or gift aid schemes and so will help us regarding our budget.

 

            The work here in general is proceeding well.  The saints are prospering and growing in commitment to the Lord Christ.  Keep praying for the work in Northern Ireland.  We believe that we are seeing your and our prayers answered, as we know God’s blessing and peace in our midst.

 

In Christ,

 

Rev. & Mary Stewart