25 August 2010
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Presbyterians Week Headlines
[1] Correction – Scotti Semper Liberi, Almost, and Sometimes Presbyterian
[2] PCA Presbytery Consideration of Administrative Committee Funding BCO Amendments Begins
[5] Church of Scotland Minister Selected for Top Chaplaincy Post in the Royal Navy
[7] Heidelberg Theological Seminary Moves to Sioux Falls, South Dakota
[8] László Megyeri, Secretary Treasurer of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America (HRFA), Decorated 20 August 2010 with the Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
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[1] Correction – Scotti Semper Liberi, Almost, and Sometimes Presbyterian
The editor has again tripped over Scotland’s Free Churches, again referencing the Free Church of Scotland instead of the correct reference to the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
The 18 August 2010 Presbyterians article “[6] Scotland’s Lord Advocate, Lord Mackay of Clashfern, Urges Sheriffs and Judges to Consider Biblical Principles when Presiding over Court Cases” should have said that Lord Mackay is a former elder in the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
The editor again extends apologies to both august bodies and to Lord Mackay, and promises in the future to better proofread the Scots Free Church references.
The editor has additionally determined that if he ever gets to visit Scotland, that a pseudonym may be needed for protection (from embarrassment), and that the editor’s first and middle names might be appropriate to use, i.e., Robert Bruce.
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+ Christian Observer, Post Office Box 1371, Lexington, Virginia 20110, christianobserver@christianobserver.org
+ Free Church of Scotland, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 2LS, 0131-226-5286, Fax: 0131-220-0597, catherine@freechurchofscotland.org.uk
+ Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, c/o Rev. Donald A. Ross, Free Presbyterian Manse, Laide, Ross-shire IV22 2NB, Scotland, daross@donaldalexander.freeserve.co.uk
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[2] PCA Presbytery Consideration of Administrative Committee Funding BCO Amendments Begins
Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) are beginning to consider the Book of Church Order (BCO) amendments approved at the 38th (2010) General Assembly regarding the Funding Plan for the Administrative Committee.
Blue Ridge Presbytery (BRP) will be hosting a discussion on 18 September 2010 in Roanoke, Virginia, on the proposed amendments at a non-stated meeting. Teaching Elder (TE) David Silvernail, a member of the Administrative Committee, will present reasons for voting in favor and TE Dominic Aquila will present reasons for voting against; each of whom will have twenty minutes to present. There will be questions from the floor. It is expected that the entire meeting will be audio recorded and that both twenty-minute presentations will be video recorded, and that these recordings will be made available for purchase with the BRP subsequently providing details.
A document titled “Reasons for Voting Against Amending BCO 14-1 (4) and 14-2:
The Funding Plan for the Administrative Committee” has been made available for TE’s and RE’s to study in advance of their presbytery’s consideration of the BCO amendments, and is reproduced here:
A majority vote of twenty-seven or more presbyteries for or against the BCO amendments is needed for their respective passage or rejection.
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+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org
+ Blue Ridge Presbytery
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[3] Former United Church of Christ President Divorcing Wife and Pursuing Adulterous Relationship with Former National UCC Staffer
A 20 August 2010 media advisory from the Biblical Witness Fellowship (BWF), a confessing movement in the United Church of Christ (UCC), states:
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“Dr. John Thomas, who completed his final term as President of the [UCC] in September 2009, recently announced that he is living in an adulterous relationship with a fellow national UCC staff member and is consequently separated from and divorcing his wife. The duration of the adulterous relationship with his co-worker, engaged in while he served as President of the UCC in Cleveland, or whether she was a subordinate has not been revealed.”
The BWF responded to the news by saying:
“It is a great sadness for all of us that our former President John Thomas has broken his covenant commitment to marriage in exchange for an adulterous relationship. His action deepens the crisis of integrity in the UCC with consequences well beyond the tragic dissolution of his own family. During his administration, Dr. Thomas was a champion for the religious legitimization of sexual license and the redefinition of marriage. It now appears that his agenda may have been driven by personal justification of his own behavior rather than by any authentic conviction. The whole church is deeply hurt when our leaders fail to keep their vows and engage in this form of duplicity. It compromises the witness of all of us in the body of Christ. We understand that all of us sin and fall short of the glory of God, and call on our brother John Thomas to repent and seek restoration.”
The UCC Collegium of Officers issued a 16 August 2010 statement titled “Collegium Underscores Denomination’s Review Processes in Wake of Information from Former [General Minister President],” which underscored support for UCC processes in place to handle matters that can impact the wider church.
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+ United Church of Christ, 700 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, 216-736-2100, ogm@ucc.org
+ Biblical Witness Fellowship, c/o Clifford & Associates, 4150 Belden Village Street Northwest, Suite 601, Canton, Ohio 44718, areformer@aol.com
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[4] Married Church of Scotland Minister Suspended for Relationship with Widow in Congregation whose Husband he Helped Bury
A 24 August 2010 article in the Daily Express titled “Kirk Kicks Shamed Minister Out of Manse over Affair with Widow” reports that the Judicial Commission of the Church of Scotland, on 20 August 2010, suspended from the ministry for a minimum of two years married father of two the Rev. Michael Erskine for having an affair with a widow in the congregation whose husband he helped bury. Erskine has additionally been evicted from the manse of the Crail and Kingsbarns Church in Fife, Scotland, where he had been minister for almost eight years.
Details of the affair were first reported to the Presbytery of St. Andrews in March 2010.
Erskine is now separated from his wife Jill, and currently lives in Crail, Scotland, with his teenage son and daughter.
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+ Daily Express, The Northern & Shell Building, Number 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3R 6EN, England, 0871-434-1010, expressletters@express.co.uk
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722
+ Presbytery of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, Contact Page
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[5] Church of Scotland Minister Selected for Top Chaplaincy Post in the Royal Navy
An 18 August 2010 article on AllScotlandMedia.com titled “Kirk Minister Selected for Top Chaplaincy Post in Royal Navy” reports that the Rev. Scott J. Brown, QHC Royal Navy, will assume the post of Chaplain of the Fleet and Director General Naval Chaplaincy Service on 1 November 2010, succeeding the Venerable John Green CB QHC.
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+ AllScotlandMedia.com, Third floor, 44 Hanover Street, Edinburgh EH2 2DR, Scotland, 7710-721-478, info@allmediascotland.com
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722
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[6] Free Church of Scotland Holds “Worship Wars” Conference to Debate Continuation of Unaccompanied Exclusive Psalmody
A 20 August 2010 Press and Journal article by Alex MacLeod titled “Free Church in ‘Worship Wars’ Dispute” reports that the Free Church of Scotland (FCS) held a 23-24 August 2010 conference in Dingwall, Scotland, to debate proposals to include musical instruments and hymns in worship services, contrary to the longstanding FCS policy of exclusive unaccompanied psalmody for use in worship services. Proponents of the changes believe that potential new members and Church of Scotland congregations disaffected by the Kirk’s appointment of a homosexual minister are more likely to choose the FCS if worship services are opened to musical instruments and hymns.
The FCS board of trustees will subsequently make a final recommendation regarding worship music that will be acted upon by a special FCS assembly in November 2010.
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+ Press and Journal, Lang Stracht, Mastrick, Aberdeen AB15 6DF, Scotland, 01224-343311, pj.newsdesk@ajl.co.uk
+ Free Church of Scotland, 15 North Bank Street, The Mound, Edinburgh, Scotland EH1 2LS, 0131-226-5286, Fax: 0131-220-0597, catherine@freechurchofscotland.org.uk
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[7] Heidelberg Theological Seminary Moves to Sioux Falls, South Dakota
A 21 August 2010 article by Megan Luther in the Argus Leader titled “Reformed Church moves seminary to Sioux Falls” reports that Heidelberg Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church in the United States has moved from Vermillion, South Dakota, to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and will begin classes the second week of September 2010 at the Trinity Reformed Church, which on 15 August 2010 dedicated a new US$520,000 building addition for seminary classes and Sunday school programs.
The move was undertaken to give students the support of a larger congregation, and to give them better access to jobs and housing.
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+ Argus Leader, 200 South Minnesota Avenue, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104, 605-331-2200, Contact Page
+ Heidelberg Theological Seminary, 7301 South Louise Avenue, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57108, 309-657-1384, Contact Page
+ Reformed Church in the United States, Post Office Box 486, Eureka, South Dakota 57437
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[8] László Megyeri, Secretary Treasurer of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America (HRFA), Decorated 20 August 2010 with the Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary
On the 20 August 2010 Hungarian National Holiday at the Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Washington DC, Ambassador of Hungary to the U.S. H.E. Mr. Béla Szombati decorated László Megyeri, Secretary Treasurer of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America (HRFA), with the Gold Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary for his outstanding behavior during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, his promotion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) membership of Hungary, and his achievements among Hungarian Americans.
From 1982 to 1995, László Megyeri worked for different committees of the U.S. Congress. From 1995 to 2000, Megyeri primarily dealt with immigration cases as a lawyer. Starting in 2000, Megyeri began supporting Hungarian Americans as the legal advisor of the HRFA. Since 2003, Megyeri has been the secretary treasurer of the HRFA. He is a retired lieutenant colonel of the United States Army Reserve.
+ Embassy of the Republic of Hungary, 3910 Shoemaker Street Northwest, Washington DC 20008, 202-362-6730, Fax: 202-966-8135, ambassador.was@kum.hu
+ Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, 2001 Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20036-1011, 202-328-2630, 202- 328-7984, hrfa@hrfa.org
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