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This Week's PRC and Sister-Church News, March 29 - April 5, 2020 (Updated)

Nahum1 7Today, March 29, is the thirteenth Lord's Day of 2020; we may note the following news and information concerning PRC congregations, the Seminary, sister churches, and mission fields.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

And nothing creates perspective on our troubles more than the thought of Jesus hanging on his cross in the pitch blackness. The thought has often come to me in the last week or so of the isolation Jesus felt on the cross. We are feeling something of the isolation of quarantine and social distancing. Now it is to the point where we cannot even see our friends and family on a regular basis, apart from those who live in our homes with us. And yet we know our friends and family still love us and want to have contact with us when circumstances change. We can look hopefully ahead to a day a few weeks from now (the Lord willing!) when we can once again meet in the Lord's house together on the Sabbath Day. We can dial up a friend on our phone and hear his voice, or send an email to mom.

But Christ was alone. Utterly alone. He was forsaken by the crowds who used to follow him. He was forsaken by his disciples. He was forsaken by Peter. He was forsaken by the nation of Judah. He was forsaken by the world. He was forsaken even by his own Father. He was alone not because of quarantine. He was alone because he was rejected. In his rejection, he hung suspended between heaven and earth with iron spikes piercing his hands and feet. And yet the agony of the crucifixion was nothing comparing to the anguish of hell which rushed upon him in all its horrifying force in the darkness. Maybe today you are sitting in your home alone, but still with access to friends and family by technology, and still with access to God by faith. Think of Christ who was alone. We dare not even attempt to imagine what utter loneliness prompted him to cry out with these words - "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?" Psalm 22:1.

Again, the point is not to minimize our suffering, but to encourage us in the midst of it. Jesus was totally forsaken and rejected for your sake. You, now, can endure a short period of isolation and quarantine with patience for his sake. And you can even sing in the midst of it all, these words from Psalter 329, "Affliction has been for my profit; That I to Thy statutes might hold; Thy law to my soul is more precious; Than thousands of silver and gold." (Rev. J. Holstege in a pastoral letter to Zion PRC this past week)

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS:

  • The significant news this Sunday continues to be the impact of the pandemic coronavirus on the PRC congregations, sister churches, and mission fields. The Lord in His wise providential plan and hand has humbled us and the peoples of this world, that we may realize how frail we are, that we may see how dreadful our sin is that brought such disease and death into the world, but also that we may find anew our total help in God and our only hope of salvation in His Son, Jesus Christ. By God's grace may we humble ourselves before the Lord our God, hear His Word, and find peace and comfort in our Savior.

    Most of our congregations are not holding services today; some of our pastors are pre-recording or live-streaming sermons, songs, and prayers. Some members of our sister churches are under quaratine and forbidden to gather; our missionaries in the Philippines are limited in their travels and therefore in their labors; the saints in India are in lockdown. As we honor our local, state, and federal governments and submit to their mandates at this time, let us also thank and praise our God for the means we have to receive His Word and to stay connected as members of Christ's body, as well as for the constant access we have to His throne of grace.

    But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. Psalm 37:39,40

  • Rev. J. Engelsma (Doon PRC) is considering calls from Cornerstone PRC (Dyer, IN) and Kalamazoo (MI) PRC. Today he announced his decline of both calls.

  • On March 22 the congregation of Providence PRC voted to extend a call to Rev. M. McGeown (Limerick, Ireland mission).

  • The Consistory of First PRC, Edmonton has formed a new trio from which to call a new pastor: Rev J. Engelsma (Doon PRC), Rev. J. Laning (Hull PRC), and Rev. M. Vanderwal (Wingham PRC). The congregation is to vote today. *Rev. J. Laning has received this call.

  • The Council of Unity PRC formed the following trio from which to call her first pastor: Revs. E.Guichelaar (Randolph PRC), J. Mahtani (Grandville PRC), and C. Spronk (Faith PRC). A congregational meeting is scheduled for April 15.

  • The Council of Hope PRC (Grand Rapids, MI) has formed a trio consisting of Rev. C. Griess (First PRC-GR, Rev. J. Mahtani (Grandville PRC), and Rev. C. Spronk (Faith PRC).

  • "First Protestant Reformed Church of Edmonton has released their pastor, Rev. John Marcus, under Article 11 of the Church Order with the concurrence of Classis West and the synodical delegates. Rev. Marcus is now available for call within the Protestant Reformed Churches."

  • "The Council of Grandville Protestant Reformed Church has been informed by Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church that they have received a rejection of their last appeal with the Singapore government for an employment pass for Rev. J. Mahtani. CERC has now exhausted the appeal process with the Singapore government. In light of this information Grandville PRC announces to the churches that Rev. Mahtani is eligible for a call on April 1, 2020."

  • From Immanuel PRC's bulletin today (Lacombe, AB): After their negative experience at the border, the Bleyenbergs are uncertain as to what they should do. We have advised them to wait with any further attempt to cross the border until things settle down. Keep the Bleyenbergs in your prayers during this difficult time. As we remain separated at this time from our pastor and his wife, and from each other, may we be persuaded by the words of Romans 8:38,39: “that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

  • Did you know... that Rev. C. Hanko's book of memoirs contains his personal remembrance of the disastrous worldwide flu (Spanish influenza) of 1918-19. Hear his story as the church and her saints dealt with a great affliction in those days too:

And then, to make matters worse, the influenza epidemic hit in the winter of 1918-1919. Once more schools and churches were closed for six weeks. Almost no one went to work. Nearly every home had one or more sick with the flu. Doctors could not keep up with the calls that came in. They worked day and night. But the worst of all was that they knew no cure. They tried the usual medicines, and they tried the most caustic medicines, all to no avail. Hundreds died. Funeral services were held outside. Very few went to the cemetery.

A little girl in our neighborhood died also. Her coffin was placed by the front window for the neighbors to see. The minister preached the funeral sermon in the street.

A gloom hung over all. Everyone wondered, 'Will it strike us next?' There were some homes in which the whole family was stricken, and one home in which there were five deaths. My future mother-in-law, Mrs. Alida Griffioen, gave birth to a child in a room shut off by sheets while others in the family had the flu.

Ministers were in a quandary as to what to do. Rev. Groen was so afraid of catching the flu that he refused to visit any one. Rev. Peter Jonker Jr. of Dennis Avenue Christian Reformed Church was out almost day and night visiting the sick. He would place a ladder next to an upstairs window in order to visit someone upstairs. He wore himself out to the point where he could hardly preach. The consistory allowed him to preach old sermons for awhile.

Our family was spared. We sat at home, trying to seek a bit of entertainment amongst ourselves. But sitting home day after day can grow very wearisome. I remember walking along Wealthy Street just to get out, but the streets were void of pedestrians. The street was 'like a painted ship on a painted ocean.' [a line from a poem of Samuel T. Coleridge] It hardly seemed real. The break came on Sunday when we had our home service in the morning. To prevent further spreading of the sickness, no more than seven people were allowed to meet together; but we did invite in a few neighbors. These were times when prayer was no longer a mere formality, but a cry of the anxious soul pleading for the sick and bereaved.

As the nation struggled to deal with this public health disaster, it also had to contend with sick and crippled men returning from the front (Cornelius Hanko, Less Than the Least, 2nd ed. pp. 42-43).

DENOMINATIONAL NEWS:

PRC Contact Committee News: (repeated from last week)

First, our sister church, the Covenant Protestant Reformed Church in Northern Ireland, reports that they have decided to close the mission station in Limerick, Ireland that they had been overseeing for the past ten years. Rev. McGeown will likely stay in Limerick for the next six months and will then, the Lord willing, move to the United States. We submit this disappointment to the good Providence of God who is alone wise. Remember the saints in Limerick and Rev. McGeown in your prayers.

Second, the Singapore government is placing anyone who visits Singapore under quarantine for two weeks. This will hamper for some time the PRCA's attempts to supply CERCS' pulpit. Remember our brothers and sisters in Singapore in a time when they are without an under-shepherd and now are cut off from our help in many ways. May the Great Shepherd of the sheep care for his flock in these circumstances, as we trust He will.

Third, the government of the Philippines has restricted travel inside the country. This limits the work our missionaries are able to do in areas outside their immediate vicinity. We remain confident that in spite of this"...the word of God is not bound" 2 Timothy 2:9. May that word yet go forth in these uncertain times to the saving and strengthening of His people, and to the glory of His name.

Calvinist Conference Postponed: The Calvinist conference on the doctrine of God sponsored by several Presbyterian churches in Tennessee in April at which Prof. D. Engelsma was to speak has been postponed because of the health alarm. Likely, the conference will now be held this Fall.

KKoole chapel March 2020
Rev. K. Koole leading a recent Wednesday chapel at seminary this month

PRC Seminary News:

  • The seminary is entering its eleventh week of the second semester. Due to the latest "stay-at-home" order from our governor, the faculty and students have switched to all online classes until the restrictions are lifted. Some classes are using previously recorded videos and receiving assignments via email, while other classes are being livestreamed using Zoom. So far this has worked well and we are thankful to be able to continue in this way. The second round of practice preaching has been put on hold for the time being.

  • Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, seminary is open only for essential work at this time. No auditors or visitors should come until the restrictions are lifted. The staff can try to assist you with any needs, however. Call or email the seminary with your important needs.

  • Future Teachers and Ministers: Information for the 2020 PR Scholarship Fund essay competition is now available. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive the essay topics and submission requirements. Completed essays must be submitted by May 30th. 

  • Need for Ministers: Synod 2019 took a decision to place the urgent need for seminary students before our churches. Please remember in your prayers to petition the Lord of the harvest for pastors, and please encourage young men, whom you observe to have the gifts, to consider the ministry. If you wish to listen to a couple of sermons by our professors that address this need, listen to "The (Suffering) Minister's Steadfast Confession" and "The Beautiful Feet of the Gospel Preacher."

Ephesians 2 13

Let us remember to pray for the blood-bought body of Christ throughout the world!

SISTER-CHURCH NEWS:

  • Concerning our sister church in Singapore, Covenant ERC, the following may be mentioned:
    • From her bulletin today: Today is the first time in our history that we have to worship the Lord fully online. ...We hope and pray that we can adjust to this arrangement for the time being and the Lord willing, in the near future we can worship together once again when the COVID-19 situation improves. Let us, however, be thankful that we can still worship together though many activities have to be suspended. Do pray for the spiritual well-being of all the members of the church during this trying time. Also do remember our brethren in CERCI, Kolkata who are not able to meet as they do not have the online facilities in most of their homes. Do pray that the Lord will sustain them and provide them the means to be fed with the word of God.
    • The 2020 Church Camp Committee has decided to postpone Church Camp in 2020 to December 21-24, 2020.
    • *The February 2020 newsletter - Reformed News Asia - was posted recently and may be found on this page. 
  • Concerning our sister church in Ballymena, N. Ireland, Covenant PRC,  the following may be noted:
    • From last week's bulletin: Now that we are unable to “diligently frequent the church of God” physically because of the coronavirus, we can be thankful for the good gift of God to us (or at least many of us) of the internet. We will be livestreaming from church today at the usual time: 11AM and 6PM. Go to https://cprc.co.uk/livestreaming/ to watch.
    • Sadly, the CPRC Council has decided to close our mission work, the Limerick Reformed Fellowship (LRF). After almost 10 years of having a missionary there and 6 years before that of the LRF meeting without a missionary, there has been insufficient growth. Rev. Martyn McGeown of the LRF is eligible for a call by the Protestant Reformed churches. Upon receipt and acceptance of a call, God willing, it would take some months for him to gain legal permission to work and reside in the US or Canada. This would enable him to preach and pastor the members of the LRF before they move to join the CPRC (for several of them need a similar amount of time to tidy up their affairs in Limerick before relocating), and it will provide ministry longer for those who, for various reasons, are not able to move.
    • Read the latest CPRC newsletter - February 2020!
    • Read the new February 2020 issue of the "Covenant Reformed News"!
    • Join Reformed believers from around the world at the 2020 British Reformed Fellowship family conference at Castlewellan Castle in Northern Ireland from Saturday, July 11 to Saturday, July 18.  Our speakers, Prof. David Engelsma and Rev. Andy Lanning, will lecture on "Union with Christ".  For information see the website http://brfconference.weebly.com or contact Briana Prins at 616-214-2779;  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  Rooms are filling quickly, so complete your booking form today!
  • Concerning the PRC in the Philippines, the following may be gleaned from the bulletins of the Berean PRC, PRC in Bulacan, Maranatha PRC, and Provident CC:
    • Congregational and Denominational News:

~ Berean PRC: Rev. V. Ibe will lead us in our worship services today via live streaming on our Facebook page. Our brothers and sisters in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija will join us today in our worship services via Facebook live, the Lord willing.

~ Maranatha PRC: Rev. L. Trinidad will lead us in both Worship Services lvia livestream on Facebook: Maranatha Protestant Reformed Church. This is in compliance to the declaration of our President to have a self-quarantine (total lock-down) that is to stay at home to avoid contamination of that virus with other person. This will take affect in the wholeIsland of the Philippines from March 15 to April 12, 2020.

~ Provident PRC: Like last Sunday, we are not able to gather at church again today. May our gracious God give rest to our souls as we keep the Sabbath day holy in our homes. The elders have sent links to two worship services of Zion PRC (Rev. J. Holstege), one for the morning and one for the evening. Let us watch them in our homes with our families and participate with our voices by singing. Let us set aside our offerings for general fund and benevolence, as we are able, to bring them to church after the enhanced community quarantine.

~ The most recent mission newsletter (January 2020) was published and distributed in February.

~ And for more on the life and work of our "sisters" in the Far East read the news under Philippine missions.

  • The PRC also has a "corresponding relationship" with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC) of Australia. We remember these brothers and sisters in our prayers and labors also.

john 15 13 1

Do you think you too great a sinner to be saved by the blood of Jesus? Is it too late for you to be redeemed? Read this resource to learn more.

SPECIAL NOTICES:

  • With many PRC members and fellow saints worshipping at home due to the present pandemic, the entire collection of Psalm Choir videos is a valuable resource. You may find the playlists on YouTube here. Also, all volumes of the Psalm Choir CDs are being available FREE during this time. These too can be used for family or personal devotions, as well as for personal comfort and peace in seasons of fear and distress.
  • The Reformed Book Outlet will be closed through April 4 for the safety of our volunteers. If you need to place an order or have questions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will not be answering the phone. Thank you.

  • Are you looking for good Reformed literature and a solid Reformed and biblical magazine? Visit the Reformed Free Publishing Association's website (www.rfpa.org), where you will find information on books in all major Christian categories, as well as on the bi-monthly periodical, the Standard Bearer.

  • Would you like to learn more about the PRC and her doctrines and practices? Are you in need of some pamphlets and/or articles published by the PRC for use in evangelism and/or witnessing? Visit the PRCA Evangelism page for a complete list of materials available in digital format or by order from the publishing church.

RWH Logo 2019

  • Llisten to the Reformed Witness Hour each Sunday - on a radio station near you or on Sermonaudio wherever you are!
    • Continuing this month, Rev. R. Kleyn (Covenant of Grace PRC in Spokane, WA) is delivering a series on prayer, with today's message titled "The Certainty of Prayer" based on Matthew 6:13. Listen to the broadcast on the station near you or visit the links provided here to listen to this program.
    • From the Reformed Witness Hour Committee:

~ The Reformed Witness Hour Committee wishes to remind everyone that you can receive their bi-monthly newsletter via email simply by signing up at http://eepurl.com/gikNsL.  Each newsletter contains information about places around our globe where the RWH is downloaded; news about the RWH’s witness on the radio and via the internet, printed booklet, and CD and links to many popular and relevant RWH messages.

~ A Spanish edition of the RWH has been produced and may be found on this YouTube channel (PRC Espanol). Why not check it out - and help spread the word!

 young peoples convention header 2020

ESPECIALLY FOR PRC Young People and Young Adults:

  • 2020 PRYP's Convention News! Registration for the 2020 Young People’s Convention opened on Monday, March 16!
  • Young Men's Conference - Young men of High School and College age, please plan to attend the GPRC Young Men’s Conference, with the theme of "Run, Fight, Lead!", on Saturday morning, April 25, from 8 am-12:00 pm, at Georgetown Protestant Reformed Church. Breakfast is included! Don’t wait, register today!  For more details and to register please visit georgetownprc.org/runfightlead

  • Future Teachers and Ministers: Information for the 2020 PR Scholarship Fund essay competition is now available. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive the essay topics and submission requirements. Completed essays must be submitted by May 30th. 

  • The Western Young People's Retreat, hosted by the Lynden and Spokane Young Peoples, will be held July 14-17, 2020, at Camp Sanders in N. Idaho.  This is a retreat for Young People ages 13-18 (going into 9th-12th grade).  More information and registration will be available in March. Contact Rev. Kleyn at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions.

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PRC MISSION NEWS:

Domestic Labors:

  • Remember in prayer our home missionary, Rev. A. Spriensma, who continues to labor in the West Michigan area and beyond through Byron Center PRC, the calling church.
  • Limerick Reformed Fellowship News:
    • Rev. M. McGeown led the services today.
    • (From the PRC Contact Commitee) Our sister church, the Covenant Protestant Reformed Church in Northern Ireland, reports that they have decided to close the mission station in Limerick, Ireland that they had been overseeing for the past ten years. Rev. McGeown will likely stay in Limerick for the next six months and will then, the Lord willing, move to the United States. We submit this disappointment to the good providence of God who is alone wise. Remember the saints in Limerick and Rev. McGeown in your prayers.

Philippine Missions:

  • Berean PRC News: This congregation continues to work in Gabaldon, Nueve Ecija (the saints join Berean PRC services via livestream).
  • Provident PRC News: The trip of our two missionaries Rev. D. Kleyn and Rev. R. Smit to Canturay Church and Inayawan Church, Sipalay, Negros Occ. to preach and teach to the two congregations is cancelled due to the Community Quarantine from March 15 to April 12, 2020. Let us remember to pray for their missionary work.
  • The newest Philippines mission newsletter has been published and posted! The January 2020 issue may be read here.
  • For more on life and activities in the Philippines from the personal perspective of the missionary's, visit the Kleyn's blog, the Holstege's, and the Smits!

We remember in prayer the needs of these busy pastors and missionaries in the Philippines, especially in these difficult days of quarantine. May the Lord of the harvest give them grace to be faithful and encouraged in all their labors.

India:

  • Let us pray for our sister church's work (Covenant ERC in Singapore) in Kolkata, through Rev. E. Singh. In the CERC's bulletin today was this notice about the work there: Also do remember our brethren in CERCI, Kolkata who are not able to meet as they do not have the online facilities in most of their homes. Do pray that the Lord will sustain them and provide them the means to be fed with the word of God.

Myanmar:

  • We also remember Hope PRC's (Grand Rapids, MI) support of and involvement with Rev. Titus' work in Myanmar; for his latest report, visit this page.
Last modified on 30 March 2020
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