The following may be reported concerning ministerial calls that were to be answered by Sunday, October 19, 2014:

• Rev.C.Spronk (Peace PRC, Lansing, IL) accepted the call to Faith PRC in Jenison, MI.
• Rev.A.Lanning (minister-on-loan, Grandville PRC) accepted the call to become the pastor of the Covenant ERC in Singapore.
• Rev.C.Griess (Calvary PRC) declined the call to serve as missionary in the Philippines, replacing Rev.R.Smit.

May the Lord give peace and contentment to these pastors and congregations in the way in which the Lord has led them with regard to these calls. And may the King of the church use these decisions for the furtherance of the gospel at home and abroad.

We continue to remember Rev.B.Huizinga (Hope PRC, Redlands, CA) as he considers the call to First PRC, Grand Rapids, MI.

Report of Classis East

September 10, 2014 with a continued Session on October 15, 2014
Grandville Protestant Reformed Church

Classis East met in regular session on Wednesday, September 10, 2014 with a continued session on October 15, 2014.  All the churches were represented by two delegates.  Rev. R. VanOverloop was the chairman for these sessions.

What occasioned the continued session on October 15^th was the decision of the September 10^th session to place four protests against the decision of classis at its May, 2014 relative Article 67 of the Church Order.  At the May, 2014 meeting, an appeal of a consistory’s decision to change the date of its Prayer Day service was treated.  At the May meeting, classis upheld this appeal and decided that any change to the meeting date of the Prayer Day service should be sought by overture to the broader assemblies.  Four protests—three from consistories in Classis East and one from an individual in Classis West—were lodged at the September, 2014 meeting of classis against this decision.  Classis then placed these protests in the hands of a committee of pre-advise whose report was received at the continued session on October, 2014.

Classis received the majority and minority reports of this committee of pre-advice at the October continued session.  Classis adopted the advice of the majority report, namely, that classis uphold the protests received and therefore rescind its decision of May, 2014 that a decision to change the date of the annual Prayer Day service should be sought by way of overture to the broader assemblies.  The grounds (summarized):

1. 1)      The letter, spirit, and historical interpretation of Article 67 of the Church Order do not require the churches to celebrate Prayer Day together on a specific date.  Further, the consistory’s decision to change the date for its Prayer Day service does not constitute a substantial change to Article 67 of the Church Order
2. 2)      The consistory’s decision to change the date for its Prayer Day service does not violate Article 86 of Church Order as the May decision asserts since, as stated in Ground 1 above, the decision of the consistory did not substantially change Article 67 of the Church Order.

At its September session, Classis granted classical appointments to Faith PRC and First PRC.  At its October session, Classis granted a request from a consistory to increase censure to the second step for one of its members.

The expenses of both sessions amounted to $366.24.  Classis will meet next on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at the First PRC of Holland, MI.

Respectfully submitted,

Jon J. Huisken, Stated Clerk

The latest issue of The Standard Bearer  is out, and this year's special Reformation issue (October 15, 2014) is devoted to the important church father Augustine (AD 354-430). A wide variety of articles cover subjects from Augustine's life and Confessions  to his doctrines of predestination and marriage. See the cover image below for details on all the excellent, edifying articles which fill this issue.

Here are editor R.Dykstra's comments introducing the issue:

Although it might seem a bit strange, at first blush, to devote the annual Reformation issue to a church father who died almost 1100 years before the great sixteenth century Reformation, we have good grounds for doing so. Our two main reasons are expressed well by the noted church historian Philip Schaff.

First, Augustine’s theology was foundational for the Reformation. In his History of the Christian Church, Schaff contends that “Augustine is, of all the fathers, nearest to evangelical Protestantism, and may be called, in respect to his doctrine of sin and grace, the first forerunner of the Reformation” (Vol. 3, p. 1021, his emphasis).

Second, among the church fathers, Augustine had unparalleled influence on the Reformers. In the same volume, Schaff maintains that “Augustine, of all the fathers, most resembles, in experience and doctrine, this very apostle [Paul], and stands next to him in his influence upon the Reformers” (p. 787). Well documented it is that Calvin, Luther, and the rest of the Reformers quoted none more than Augustine. The theology of the Reformation was a return to, and development of (the better parts of) Augustine’s theology – long discarded or perverted by the church of the Middle Ages.

 In this issue we highlight a few areas of Augustine’s teaching – some predictable and foundational for the Reformation, and others a bit less well known. May God use it for the continued defense and development of Reformation truth.

If you are not a "SB" subscriber, you are encouraged to become one. Visit the "SB" link above for more information on receiving this significant Reformed semi-monthly magazine published by the Reformed Free Publishing Association.

And if you are a subscriber, this is an issue that you will profitably read from cover to cover to learn why this servant of God was so vital to the recovery of the gospel during the great Reformation of the church in the 16th century!

The PRC Seminary has now entered its third month since classes began anew, and a few news items may be mentioned to keep you updated. Fall is definitely in the air here in West Michigan as temperatures have fallen into the 50s and 60s and the trees have begun to turn. We have plenty of beauty to behold right around us, as you can see.

First, we wish to congratulate our 2014 graduate (Rev.) Joshua Engelsma on his successful examination at the meeting of Classis West on Sept.24 and his subsequent ordination and installation into the office of the ministry of the Word in Doon, IA PRC on Oct.3. With humble thanksgiving to our faithful God and Father we share in the joy of this occasion and pray that the Lord may give him a rich and fruitful ministry in our churches.

Second, senior Sem. Ryan Barnhill continues to experience the rich benefits of his internship in Edgerton (MN) PRC, where he is already over half-way through this program. From his own testimony, he is enjoying and growing from the full range of pastoral experiences under his mentor Rev.Doug Kuiper. Lord willing, he will rejoin Seminary for his second semester in January of 2015.

Third, the nine second year students are busy with their classes and course work (Hebrew reading, NT Exegesis, Dogmatics, Church history, Catechetics, and Church polity). But, most significantly, their first round of practice preaching begins this week, with three Seminarians delivering their first "real" sermons today and Wednesday. This is, of course, the heart of their preparation for the ministry of the Word, so remember to pray for them and our professors as they go through this process. This makes for a rather busy - and nervous! - time for them.

Lastly, besides their busy teaching and preaching (weekly!) schedules, our professors have plenty of "extra" work they do and will be doing in the churches, especially this month and next. On Sept.23 they participated in a special Classis West conference on preaching, which the students also attended. And with this being Reformation commemoration season, all three professors will be giving lectures in churches nearby and far away. Here is a list of those:

• Prof.B.Gritters, Oct.24 - "What Does It Mean to be Reformed?" - at Dordt College, Sioux Center, IA.
• Prof.R.Dykstra, Oct.25 - "The Reformation's Zeal for Christian Education" - at Hope PRC, Redlands, CA.
• Prof.R.Dykstra, Oct.31 - "Abraham Kuyper: A Flawed Reformer" - at Crete (IL) PRC.
• Prof.R.Cammenga, Oct.31 - "What Was the Reformation?" - at First PRC, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
• Prof.B.Gritters, Nov.7 - "What Does It Mean to be Reformed?" - at Pittsburgh, PA PR Fellowship
• Prof.B.Gritters, Nov.14 - "The Prince of Darkness Grim: The Reformed Teaching About Satan" - at Kalamazoo (MI) PRC.

At her special congregational meeting this past Thursday, October 2, First PRC in Grand Rapids voted to extend a call to Rev.Brian Huizinga (Hope PRC, Redlands, CA) to be her next pastor.

Pastor Huizinga has served the Hope-Redlands congregation since September of 2011. First PRC has been vacant since the first of July 2014 and this is her second call since then (Cand.J.Engelsma received her first call).

May the King of the church by His Spirit and providence give plain guidance to Rev.Huizinga.

Oct 5  The Church: The Body of Christ  Eph.1:3-6

Oct.12 The Church Institute  Titus 1:5

Oct.19 The Marks of the Church  Romans 10:13-15

Oct. 26 The Communion of the Saints  Eph.4:1-6

"Covenant Keepers", the youth ministry of the Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church of Singapore (our sister church), has just published issue #28 of "Salt Shakers", their youth magazine.

This is another issue packed with interesting and edifying articles, and our PRC young people especially are invited and encouraged to read it.

Below you will find the table of contents and introduction page of the magazine. You are encouraged to visit the"Salt Shakers" webpage where you will find a downloadable e-copy for your reading and spiritual growth. Or you may find the full copy attached here in pdf form.

The tenth issue of "Reformed News Asia" has been released by the Christian Literature Ministry of our sister church in Singapore, the Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church, and it is another issue filled with informative and edifying content (for information on the previous issue, #9, visit this page)!

One of the special features of this issue is once again the devotions on the Belgic Confession, covering Articles 28-31 (see pdf attachment) on the doctrine of the church (membership, marks, government, etc.). Written by Missionary-pastors D.Kleyn (the Philippines) and M.MeGeown (Limerick Reformed Fellowship, Ireland), these devotions on the "BC" take you through the month of October (October 2-Nov.5) for the beginning of Oct., see issue 9). You will find great spiritual profit in using these devotions day by day.

In addition, the newsletter also contains information about the CLM's pamphlet (For example, there's a new children's devotional written by Connie Meyer!) and book ministries and about activities going on in the CERC, such as their recent 27th anniversary (see picture below) and their up-coming Reformation conference with Rev.D.Kleyn speaking.

Be sure to check out all the details by subscribing to this important newsletter from our Singapore sister.