23 July 2014
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“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.“ [Ephesians 6:12]
Presbyterians Week Headlines
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[3] Former Homosexuals Rise Up to Declare that Jesus Christ Can Change the Homosexual
[4] News from the Deepest Recesses of Hell
[5] Headlines from The Christian Institute
[7] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining
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ISIS Muslims are marking Christian residences in Mosul, Iraq with the Arabic letter ‘nuun’, equivalent to the English letter ‘en’, meaning ‘Nazarene’, the Arabic word for ‘Christian’.
The houses are thus marked for the Muslims to loot and steal, and to liquidate any remaining Christians inside that have not already fled Mosul.
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+ Assyrian International News Agency (Nineveh Software Corporation, 2317 West Farwell, Chicago, Illinois 60645, 773-575-5863, Fax: 773-761-8534)
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By the Rev. Dr. Chuck Wilson, ARPTalk BlogEditor
On Friday morning, July 19, 2014, at about 11:00 AM, the Erskine board voted unanimously NOT to confirm Dr. Paul Kooistra as Interim President but AS the sixteenth President of Erskine College and Seminary. Dr. Kooistra is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (BA), Columbia Theological Seminary (MDiv), and the University of Alabama (PhD). An ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), Dr. Kooistra served in Florida where he was also principal of a Christian school, he held professorships at Belhaven College (Jackson, MS) and Reformed Theological Seminary (Jackson, MS), he was President of Covenant Seminary (PCA) (St. Louis, MO), and, most recently, he served as the Coordinator of Mission to the World (MTW) (PCA) in Atlanta, GA. In 2008, he was elected to serve as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the PCA.
When Dr. Kooistra became President of Covenant Theological Seminary (CTS) in 1984, CTS was struggling with no endowment and barely 100 students. In 1994, when he left CTS to lead MTW, CTS had about 800 students and an endowment of about 8 million dollars. At MTW, he was met with debt, a small budget, and no endowment. During his stewardship at MTW, debt was eliminated, the budget was increased from less than 20 million dollars to over 50 million dollars, an endowment was created and grown to nearly 25 million dollars, a mortgage of 4 million dollars was satisfied in the first year-and-a-half, administrative costs were reduced from 15% to less than 10% while increasing the administrative staff, and the outreach of MTW expanded from 50 to 80 countries. Certainly, it is not an overstatement to say Dr. Kooista’s stewardship at CTS and MTW is the standard by which others will be measured for a long time.
Along the way, Dr. Kooistra authored five books, published a multitude of articles, developed an extensive national and international speaking ministry and served on multiple church committees and civic organizations. Both Paul and his wife Sandi experienced the grief of the death of their first spouses. Experiencing God’s gift of second-love, they reside in Suwanee, GA, where their home is often filled with the laughter of the seven grandchildren in which they delight.
Regarding Dr. Kooistra’s appointment, former Moderator of Synod, Erskine trustee, advisory member of the Moderator’s Commission on Erskine, and denominational chairman of the Synod’s legal defense committee, Mr. Steve Maye says:
I am very encouraged to hear of the appointment of Dr. Paul Kooistra as the President of Erskine College & Seminary. While I do not know him, there are many Christian leaders that I trust who speak very highly of his godly character, his intellectual prowess, his proven track record as a turnaround specialist, and his leadership ability. It sounds like Erskine is on the right trajectory.
Having attended CTS in the 1990s because of Dr. Kooistra’s reputation, Rev. Paul Patrick, Erskine Chaplain and RUF Campus Minister, responds:
Kudos to the Interim Presidential Search Committee! I was thrilled to hear of Dr. Kooistra’s willingness to serve at Erskine. Covenant Seminary, where I attended (1995-1998), was “the seminary that Dr. Kooistra built.” He was able to foster a robust, academic context in a culture of Gospel-nurturing ministry. The standards were high, the faculty and staff were excellent and the Christ-honoring mission was crystal clear to everyone. What is more, he was known for having led the institution from financial stress into a season of financial stability. I understand these to be the repeated legacies of Dr. Kooistra’s leadership everywhere he has served. I am truly excited for Erskine and am hopeful for our future with the proven, faithful, decisive and mission-defining leadership of Dr. Kooistra in place. Let’s all be praying for Paul and Sandi Kooistra as they lead Erskine at such a critical time. May the Lord be pleased to have Erskine’s best days in the very near future!
Rev. Don Clements, former editor of the Aquila Report and Director of Metokos Ministries (www.metokos.org), writes”
Paul Kooistra has a special gift in administration as it applies to agencies of the church. During his time at Covenant Seminary it grew not only in numbers of students and faculty, but also in reputation in the world of evangelical schools. On a personal note, I can attest to the fact that he can work with people who hold opinions quite different from his own and come to a consensus that solves problems and brings glory to Jesus. From my understanding of the current needs at Erskine College and Seminary, I believe he will be a great blessing to both the institution and the ARP Church.
The Rev. Bill Marsh, former member of the Moderator’s Commission, said the following:
Paul Kooistra has a long and distinguished record as a man whom God uses to get things done in the power of the Spirit. At long last, we have a courageous board with strong and godly leadership. With this hire, they have signaled to Satan and his minions that business in Due West will no longer be “as usual.” This board has hired a man with a decades-long pattern of leading the people of God in Kingdom advancement. My great hope is that the decades of bland pieties, missional confusion, and studied mediocrity are finally over. Dr. Kooistra is no Superman, though. He will need the prayers of faithful ARPs throughout the world. The survival and thriving of Erskine is a work that only the Lord can do and Providence has brought Dr. Kooistra to the tip of the spear. Surely men and women of every ARP tribe can unite on our knees in thanksgiving to God and intercession for the work ahead.
When former Moderator Dr. Dick deWitt learned of Dr. Kooistra’s appointment as President of Erskine, he shouted “Hallelujah” and spoke in an unknown tongue to me – and, before anyone accuses him of becoming a Charismatic, it was a Dutch blessing. His comment is below:
When I learned that Dr. Paul D. Kooistra had been appointed president of Erskine College and Theological Seminary I immediately gave thanks to God. Dr. Kooistra has had a distinguished career as a member of the faculty of Belhaven College and of Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, has been the singularly effective president of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, and for many years has served as Coordinator of Mission to the World, the foreign missions agency of the Presbyterian Church in America. For more than seven years he and I were colleagues in Jackson. I know him to be a devout believer with a brilliant mind and a carefully developed Christian world and life view. He has had extraordinarily broad and comprehensive experience in administration and development. His remarkable gifts and background equip him in a wonderfully impressive way to give the leadership for which many of us have been praying. It is thrilling and a great encouragement that this excellent man will be guiding institutions very important to our church as they move into what we hope will be an ever brighter future.
Moderator-elect Rev. Jamie Hunt expressed his delight in the appointment of Dr. Kooistra as President of Erskine in these words:
Paul, a seasoned leader, has a strong record in leading an institution in particular need. Apparently, he has the ability to make strategic, if difficult, decisions and has the respect of character which enables him to be successful in spite of those difficult decisions. Perhaps we have found, now, a man who can understand, embrace, and implement Synod’s Statement on the Philosophy of Christian Higher Education.
When contacted, Immediate-Past Moderator Jeff Kingswood was elated. Below is copy of his comment:
It is certainly with great thanks to God that the news of Dr. Kooistra’s appointment as President of Erskine College and Seminary must be received. As the Board of Erskine has come face to face with the massive challenges that are ahead it must be seen as a wonderful provision of God. Dr. Kooistra is a man who has lead notable institutions in our sister denomination, the PCA, and who has solid academic qualifications. We look forward to seeing Erskine recover and flourish under a Christian leadership there that is both orthodox and Presbyterian. Let us be faithful in our intercession for our brother in this important task.
Dr. Bill Evans, Younts Professor of Bible and Religion at Erskine and a former Moderator of General Synod, says:
Dr. Paul Kooistra brings a remarkable range of successful academic and administrative experience–at Belhaven College, Reformed Theological Seminary, Covenant Seminary, and the PCA’s Mission to the World–to Erskine College and Theological Seminary. I am confident that the search committee and Board of Trustees have identified God’s man for the job, and I look forward with anticipation to his leadership at Erskine.
In a telephone conversation with Dr. RJ Gore, former Vice President and Dean of Erskine Seminary, he says:
“I am stunned at the goodness of God. We have been blessed above and beyond anything I imagined possible.”
I met Paul Kooistra during the school year of 1975/76 while a student at RTS/Jackson. Dr. Kooistra was one of my teachers. Though younger than most of his students, he was highly respected by all. His reputation was he never slept. He is an indefatigable worker who functions on four or five hours of sleep, and, by the time most are getting out of bed, he has already put in a good half-day’s work. I am thrilled he is at the helm at Erskine. I am surprised the search committee was able to find such a capable leader. A tip of the hat is due to both Mr. Bobby McDonald, the chairman of the search committee, and Rev. Bill Cain, the chairman of the board of trustees, for their outstanding leadership.
Since leaving RTS/Jackson in 1976, I have followed Dr. Kooistra’s career with keen interest. If anything, he knows how to reset the course for a Christian institution that has lost its way. After 175 years of drifting – and badly drifting the last fifty years, Erskine College & Seminary is in desperate need of a course correction, and, with a sound understanding of the Christian world and life view, Dr. Kooistra is more than capable of this course correction.
The challenges before Dr. Kooistra at CTS and MTW were formidable; the challenges before him at Erskine are the equivalent of rock climbing without safety ropes. The presidency of Erskine is probably the hardest undertaking of his long and distinguished career. Below is a laundry list of some of the vexing challenges awaiting his attention.
One, President Kooistra is inheriting a financial crisis from former Presidents Ruble and Norman. At least a million dollars is needed immediately. The alternatives are to draw on the Endowment and face the wrath of SACS, borrow the money and add to an already substantial debt, or close down programs and lay off people. And, perhaps, a fourth alternative, declare “exigency” and hit the restart button. The level of difficulty for handling this challenge is HARD.
Two, the accreditation challenge with SACS is near catastrophic. Presently, Erskine is on “warning” status, and the outlook is for Erskine to be placed on “probation” status during the December meeting of SACS. Apart from a gift of US$20-25 million, this storm cannot be avoided. The level of difficulty for this challenge is INEVITABLE.
Three, how will President Kooistra rebuild both Erskine’s focus on the Liberal Arts and her academic reputation of excellence? At the present time, enrollment is athletically driven which runs counter to Erskine’s academic tradition. The challenges are many. There is the challenge of rebuilding the college faculty so that it faithfully affirms our statement on Christian higher education and reflects a Christian world and life view, and, in so doing, there is the challenge of identifying and recruiting mission-interested students.
There is also the challenge of weathering the negative reputation of Erskine in the Reformed and evangelical community. The reputation, “Erskine is like a secular college with some Jesus language,” repels quality students from the homes of Reformed and evangelical Christians. Indeed, the challenges of rebuilding the faculty as one that reflects a Christian world and life view, re-establishing the academic reputation of excellence, and initiating a Christ-focused reputation that is not held suspect as bait-and-switch will take time as a new constituency is identified. The level of difficulty for these challenges are PERSEVERANCE and PATIENCE.
Four, the administrative challenge will be painful. The Erskine way of retreading present administrators with different titles is counterproductive. They have already demonstrated the challenges of their jobs are beyond their reach. President Kooistra needs the freedom to reach out beyond the usual parameters and build his staff with fresh faces who have new ideas. He needs a team that knows how to win!! The level of difficulty for this challenge is DOABLE. Indeed, with his contacts, it is very doable.
Five, the legacy of the “ol’ Erskine” Alumni Association is “Culture Christianity.” “Culture Christianity” is a syncretism of Christian ethos and secularism. It is a reconfiguration of Deism in that it rejects the theology of Christianity but clings to the language and symbols of Christianity. For at least the last 40 years, the form of Christianity mainly promoted by the administration and the faculty at Erskine is “Culture Christianity.” This is why there has been an ongoing conflict between the ARP Church and Erskine, for “Culture Christianity” and Reformed and evangelical Christianity cannot coexist. As one who is committed to Reformed and evangelical Christianity, President Kooistra will clash with the Alumni Association as it is presently constituted. President Kooistra is a churchman who has spent his life expanding and husbanding the Reformed and evangelical church, and he is one who clearly sees Erskine as an “agency” of the ARP Church to advance the faith and mission of the church. I doubt if it is possible to convince him that the Alumni Association and the ARP Church are equal shareholders in Erskine. The task of reforming the Alumni Association is going to be knotty and ongoing. The level of difficulty in this challenge is DOABLE.
Six, the secularized and anti-evangelical Christian culture at Erskine will present a significant challenge for President Kooistra. The current attitude is antinomian permissiveness. A gay and lesbian community has been tolerated for years. Now, one of the most pressing matters confronting any college president trying to deflect the divisive wedge being driven between Christian colleges and their doctrinal roots is the legal challenge of how to circumvent the Obama Administration’s executive order to not discriminate against homosexuals. Because Erskine receives federal monies from students in the form of grants and guaranteed loans, Obama is using a monetary whip to coerce institutions into diluting their evangelical doctrinal stance and message. Christian colleges are being forced to choose God or federal money. The level of this challenge is UNCERTAINTY.
Seven, the challenges at Erskine Theological Seminary (ETS) are discouraging. Classrooms are nearly empty, faculty morale is flagging, constituency identification is uncertain, theological focus is confused, faculty is significantly overstaffed in places, and financially ETS is broken. Interestingly, the only program working is the Army chaplaincy’s MEDCOM program, and that program, because of the non-Christian chaplains enrolled, brings division and ill-will from the ARP Church. The level of difficulty in this challenge for Dr. Kooistra is RESTART the seminary.
Eight, how will President Kooista deal with the ARP Church? The challenge for him is convincing General Synod (which is often in conflict with itself) to continue nominating trustees to the Erskine board who are not “good ol’ Erskine boys” but men and women of substantive Reformed and evangelical Christian faith, who understand and affirm the vision and mission of Erskine as Reformed and evangelically Christian, and who are informed and engaged in pursuing the success of Erskine College & Seminary to the glory of God. The level of this challenge is VIGILANCE but DOABLE.
Like a man sitting on an anthill, President Kooistra’s life will be interesting in Due West. Joyfully, he embraces this. He is a president who is unlike the former presidents of Erskine. He is nationally and internationally known and highly respected. He is a man who has been spectacularly successful in life. He is theologically astute. Not only does he understand Erskine’s tradition of Liberal Arts and academic excellence, he also understands, believes, and fully embraces Biblical Christianity. He is more than a capable administrator. If there is a book entitled Who’s Who in Evangelical Christianity, President Kooistra has a page, and he also knows most of the other notables. Rev. Henry Louis Smith, a former ARP pastor, says, “If any one can turn Erskine around, Paul Kooistra can.”
Dr. Paul Kooistra, the sixteenth president of Erskine, enjoys the affirmation of the Reformed and evangelical community. Many of us have received phone calls and e-mail from friends outside the ARP Church like this one: “Wow! Praise the Lord! How did you guys do it?” The following Facebook comment by President Derek Halvorson of Covenant College is an example of the goodwill being shown to President Kooistra: “Very excited about this news out of Due West.”
The time for course correction at Erskine is overdue; the man to accomplish the task is in place. Paul Kooistra is not a man to confabulate about course correction; he will do it!
Paul Kooistra’s appointment is a token of divine mercy. God has given the ARP Church a second chance. What will we do with this second chance?
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+ ARPTalk Blog, 864-882-6337, wilson6114@bellsouth.net
+ Erskine College and Theological Seminary, 2 Washington Street, Due West, South Carolina 29639, 864-379-2131, Fax: 864-379-2167, jguyette@erskine.edu
+ Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 1 Cleveland Street Suite 110, Greenville, South Carolina, 29601, 864-232-8297, Fax: 864-271-3729
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[3] Former Homosexuals Rise Up to Declare that Jesus Christ Can Change the Homosexual
Newly released documentary “Such Were Some of You” confronts the rising tide of popular opinion by chronicling the stories of Twenty-Nine former homosexual men and women who say that Jesus Christ has transformed their lives. Experts in psychology, (Dr. Julie Hamilton), biblical scholarship (Dr. Robert Gagnon) and ministry (Dr. Neil Anderson) add their voice to the claim that people have been leaving homosexuality for millennia.
Created to be used in Sunday School classes, support groups and other group settings, “Such Were Some of You” has been designed as a discipleship and equipping tool for the Body of Christ. The “witnesses to change” describe how they developed homosexual confusion, what the gay lifestyle was really like, how Jesus Christ set them free and the many ways that He has been healing and transforming their lives ever since. Participants include ex-gays from numerous ethnic backgrounds and age brackets, including one former gay activist who dramatically declares at one point, “I am free!”
This two-hour documentary is available on DVD in a “Regular Edition” and a “Leader’s Edition” (which includes a Discussion Guide and a license to screen the video in group settings). For more information, go to: www.SuchWereSomeOfYou.org and www.PurePassionMedia.org. Also available for screening in churches and conferences.
About “Mastering Life Ministries”- For twenty-seven years, Mastering Life Ministries has been creating teaching resources for sexually bound and broken people as well as for the larger body of Christ that help them more redemptively minister to friends and loved ones. Our radio, TV, and video productions have garnered Angel, Covenant and Telly Awards. For further information, contact Dr. David Kyle Foster (producer) at MLifeM@aol.com or by calling 1-615-507-4166. For a Press Kit, or to interview Dr. David Kyle Foster, contact Veritas Incorporated at 719.275.7775.
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[4] News from the Deepest Recesses of Hell
— Black Mass Scheduled 21 September 2014 in Oklahoma City
— She Did an At-Home Abortion and Then Put the Baby’s Body in a Box on Her Porch
— Planned Parenthood Confirms it Gave Clinic Award for Killing More Babies in Abortions
— “Pro-Life” West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin Votes to Overturn Ruling Protecting Hobby Lobby
— New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Launches New Third Party To Promote Late-Term Abortion
— Planned Parenthood Suggests Teen Girl “Poop” on Her Partner for “Sexual Exploration”
— New Video Shows Planned Parenthood Teaching Teens to Use Whipping and Asphyxiation
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+ LifeNews.com, Post Office Box 270841, Fort Collins, Colorado 80527, news@lifenews.com
+ LifeSiteNews.com, Incorporated, 4 Family Life Lane, Front Royal, Virginia 22630, 888-678-6008, Contact Page
+ Aleteia, editorial_en@aleteia.org
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[5] Headlines from The Christian Institute
Headlines of the past week from The Christian Institute:
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+ The Christian Institute, Wilberforce House, 4 Park Road, Gosforth Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne NE12 8DG, England, 44-0-191-281-5664, Fax: 44-0-191-281-4272, info@christian.org.uk
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— Florida Inmate Was Gassed To Death While Locked In Solitary Confinement
— Webster, New York Police Wake Taxpayer Up at 2:30 a.m. for a Report of a Loud Bird in a Tree
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+ THEBLAZE.COM LLC, 1270 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10036, contact@theblaze.com
+ The Free Thought Project, contact@thefreethoughtproject.com
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[7] Raging Heathen and Vain Imagining
Articles from the past week regarding kings and rulers setting themselves against the LORD and against his anointed:
— US$6.5 Billion for Border Crisis Was Funded by U.S. Senate In 2013
— Evidence Mounts of a Manufactured Border Crisis
— Chinese Pastor Shaojie Zhang Sentenced to Twelve Years
— Obama Signs Executive Order to Force Companies to Hire LGBT
— Obama Quietly Passed Housing Rule to Force Cities to Accept Illegal Migrant Border Criminals
— Roman Catholic Pope Francis Says United States Must Care for Illegal Alien Migrants
— Child Evangelism Fellowship Accused of Psychologically Damaging Children
— Obama Using U.S. Department of Justice to Eliminate Private Businesses He Considers Objectionable
— Central American Parents Giving Birth Control to Girls–‘In Case They’re Raped’ on Way to U.S.
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+YouTube, LLC, 901 Cherry Avenue, San Bruno, California 94066, 650-253-0000, Fax: 650-253-0001, press@youtube.com
+ Assist USA, Post Office Box 609, Lake Forest, California92609, 949-380-1558, danjuma1@aol.com
+ Now the End Begins, Contact Page
+ Answers in Genesis, 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg, Kentucky 41080, 859-727-2222
+ Godfather Politics, 457 Nathan Dean Boulevard, Dallas, Georgia 30132
+ CNSNews.com, 325 South Patrick Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314, 877-267-6397, newsdesk@cnsnews.com
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Articles from the past week about the religion of peace:
— Obama Celebrates Muslim Holiday of Ramadan in the White House
— After 2,000 Years, the Last Christian is Forced to Leave Mosul
— Libya: Jihadists BEHEAD Filipino for Not Being Muslim
— Facing Fines, Conversion, or Death, Christian Families Flee Mosul
— Gaza Death Toll Tops 500 as Calls for Ceasefire Fall on Deaf Ears
— Hamas Tells Gaza Civilians to Disregard Israel’s Warnings to Evacuate
— Islamic State Forcing Christians to Convert or Die
— ISIS Plundered Assyrians as They Fled Mosul; Families March Forty-Two Miles
— Christian Holocaust Underway in Iraq, USA and World Look On
— Islamic State Kills 270 in Syrian Gas Field ‘Massacre’
— Thousands of Muslim Protesters Storm Europe Calling for the Destruction of Israel
— Philadelphia Mosque Imams Try to Cut Off Man’s Hand
— Prison Imams Linked to Islamic Radicals
— Leaked Report Reveals ‘Aggressive Islamist Agenda’ in Birmingham, England Schools
— Human Rights Watch Reports Boko Haram Has Killed at Least 2,053 Civilians in First Half of 2014
— Devout Muslim Group Boko Haram Machine-Guns 38 at Christian Farming Community
— Sixty Muslims in Bangladesh Break into Church, Take Three Nuns, and Rape Them
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+ The Tea Party News Network, 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Suite 300, PMB-433, Washington DC 20006, 866-928-6555, Fax: 480-907-2495, info@theteaparty.net
+ The Christian Post, National Press Building, 529 14th Street Northwest, Suite 420, Washington DC 20045, 202-347-7734, info@christianpost.com
+ Now the End Begins, Contact Page
+ Assyrian International News Agency (Nineveh Software Corporation, 2317 West Farwell, Chicago, Illinois 60645, 773-575-5863, Fax: 773-761-8534)
+ Jihad Watch and Dhimmi Watch
+ Atlas Shrugs, writeatlas@aol.com
+ Assist USA, Post Office Box 609, Lake Forest, California92609, 949-380-1558, danjuma1@aol.com
+ The National, Post Office Box 111434, Abu Dhabi, 971-2-4145328, newsdesk@thenational.ae
+ International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Post Office Box 1192, Jerusalem, 91010, Israel, 972-2-539-9700, 972-2-539-9701, Contact Page
+ The Times, Times House, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1TT, England, 44-0-20-7782-5971, pressoffice@thetimes.co.uk
+ The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU, England, 0-20-3353-2000, reader@guardian.co.uk
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