24 September 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]
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Presbyterians Week Headlines
[1] Scotland Rejects Independence in a 55-45 Percent Vote
[3] Highland Park Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) Pays US$7.8 Million to Leave Denomination
[5] Reformed Theological Seminary, Redeemer City to City Announce Strategic Partnership
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[1] Scotland Rejects Independence in a 55-45 Percent Vote
A 19 September 2014 The Christian Post article by Stoyan Zaimov titled “Scotland Rejects Independence in a 55-45 Vote; PM Cameron ‘Delighted’ Scotland Will Remain Part of United Kingdom” reports that Scottish voters on 18 September 2014 rejected independence from Great Britain fifty-five percent to forty-five percent. 84.6 percent of an electorate of 4.2 million cast their ballots with 2,001,926 people voting “No” to independence and 1,617,989 voting “Yes.”
The Church of Scotland, which had remained neutral on the question of independence, had called for reconciliation and unity regardless of the results.
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+ The Christian Post, National Press Building, 529 14th Street Northwest, Suite 420, Washington DC 20045, 202-347-7734, info@christianpost.com
+ Church of Scotland, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN, Scotland, 0131-225-5722
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A 17 September 2014 blog article by Paul Mason of Channel 4 titled “Yes or No, This Social Movement Is Unlikely to Go Away” commented on concerns about what may have happened if the Scottish independence referendum had passed, and said that in defeat if the “Yes” votes were in the high forties percentile: “Westminster’s mandate to govern Scotland [would be] highly questionable.”
In Mason’s interview of Robin McAlpine, director of Common Weal, McAlpine is quoted as saying: “The Scottish working class has broken with the union. All the key issues – poverty, Trident [nuclear missiles], the [National Health Service] – are irrevocably aligned to the idea of independence.”
Mason additionally addressed McAlpine about the emotional reactions to the independence vote among the Scottish working class by asking: “Don’t you fear this Jacobin-style movement on the streets getting out of control?”
McAlpine responded: “Oh please, please give me an uncontrollable movement from the streets. Nothing in history has been achieved without them.”
[Editor’s Emphasis]
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+ Channel 4, 124 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2TX, England, 0207-396-4444, Contact Page
+ Common Weal, katie@allofusfirst.org
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[3] Highland Park Presbyterian Church (PCUSA) Pays US$7.8 Million to Leave Denomination
A 17 September 2014 LifeSiteNews article by Dustin Siggins titled “Presbyterian Church Pays $7.8m To Leave Denomination That Backs Abortion, Gay ‘Marriage’” reports that Highland Park Presbyterian Church (HPPC) of Dallas, Texas has agreed to pay US$7.8 million to Grace Presbytery in order to leave the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), retain HPPC property, and join the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians.
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+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005
+ Grace Presbytery, 6100 Colwell Boulevard, Suite 100, Irving, Texas 75039, 214-630-4502, Fax: 214-637-6324, jan@gracepresbytery.org
+ Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, 8134 New LaGrange Road, Suite 227, Louisville, Kentucky 40222, 502-425-4630, email@fellowship-pres.org
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A 19 September 2014 The Christian Post article by Michael Gryboski titled “Texas Megachurch’s Cave on Property Battle May Hurt Other Congregations Considering Leaving PCUSA” reports that Highland Park Presbyterian Church (HPPC)’s decision to pay Grace Presbytery US$7.8 million in order to leave the Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), retain HPPC property, and join the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, may cause problems for other PCUSA churches seeking to leave the denomination.
In October 2013, HPPC voted overwhelmingly to seek dismissal from PCUSA in order to join the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians. As HPPC concluded their process of seeking dismissal, HPPC also filed a lawsuit against Grace Presbytery seeking a court order clarifying that the Dallas church property was theirs.
Grace Presbytery contended that because of the PCUSA’s Trust Clause, the presbytery held all HPPC property in trust for the PCUSA. HPPC had received an initial injunction against Grace Presbytery and had a court date in October 2014 for a hearing, but decided instead to settle with the presbytery.
Alan F.H. Wisdom, adjunct fellow with the Institute on Religion and Democracy, was quoted as saying the trust clause “is a factor that dissuades congregations from leaving the PCUSA.” Wisdom additionally noted that “Presbyteries and national church leaders have a strong interest in maintaining the clause. The numbers of those who oppose the clause are going down as many of them depart the denomination.”
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+ The Christian Post, National Press Building, 529 14th Street Northwest, Suite 420, Washington DC 20045, 202-347-7734, info@christianpost.com
+ Presbyterian Church (PCUSA), 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, 888-728-7228, Fax: 502-569-8005
+ Grace Presbytery, 6100 Colwell Boulevard, Suite 100, Irving, Texas 75039, 214-630-4502, Fax: 214-637-6324, jan@gracepresbytery.org
+ Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians, 8134 New LaGrange Road, Suite 227, Louisville, Kentucky 40222, 502-425-4630, email@fellowship-pres.org
+ Institute on Religion and Democracy, 1023 15th Street Northwest, Suite 601, Washington DC 20005-2601, 202-682-4131, Fax: 202-682-4136, info@theird.org
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[5] Reformed Theological Seminary, Redeemer City to City Announce Strategic Partnership
Contact: Lyn Perez, RTS Chief Communications Officer, Reformed Theological Seminary, 407-366-9493, lperez@rts.edu
NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ — Redeemer City to City (CTC) and Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to provide a seminary education in New York City. This advances the vision of RTS to provide graduate theological education globally and that of Redeemer Presbyterian Church and its founding pastor, Dr. Timothy Keller, who started CTC to prepare ministry leaders, pastors and church planters for New York and cities internationally.
“The Bible calls us to take the gospel to the nations, but the nations of the world are pouring into the cities on a history-changing scale,” says Dr. Keller. “This massive migration is both a significant opportunity and challenge. Even in parts of the world where Christianity is growing rapidly, the national churches have difficulty reaching their own greatest urban areas. We are thankful for this new partnership with RTS, through which we hope to prepare leaders for ministry in New York and the other great global cities of the world.”
CTC will work with RTS to provide a seminary program in New York City that will prepare ministry leaders “in the city for the city.” This Redeemer City Ministry program will involve RTS providing a two-year Master of Arts (Biblical Studies) at a newly approved extension campus in New York City, complemented by a subsequent year of practical training provided by CTC.
“RTS is thrilled to collaborate with Redeemer City to City and with Tim Keller to prepare a new generation of ministry leaders and establish an RTS extension in New York,” says Dr. Ligon Duncan, chancellor & CEO of RTS. “I have known and admired Dr. Keller for many years. I count him as a friend and I am deeply grateful for his ministry and vision for planting churches in New York and in other major metropolitan centers around the world. The board of RTS and I are pleased to partner with CTC to offer a rigorous program of graduate theological study in NYC.”
You can obtain more information on the Redeemer City Ministry from RTS at rts.edu/seminary/redeemercontactus.aspx and CTCwww.redeemercitytocity.com. Links are available on both websites to receive more information. Applications for the program will be received by RTS beginning November 1, 2014. The program startup is scheduled for early fall 2015 in New York City.
Redeemer City to City was started in 2001 by Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and has helped start over 300 churches in 45 cities. The President of Redeemer City to City is Dr. John Hutchinson.
Reformed Theological Seminary was founded in 1966 and is one of the largest seminaries in the country, with campuses in Atlanta,Charlotte, Houston, Jackson, Memphis, Orlando and Washington D.C., in addition to RTS Global Education which offers three 100% online MA degrees.
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+ Reformed Theological Seminary, 2101 Carmel Road, Charlotte, North Carolina 28226, 704-366-5066, Fax: 704-366-9295
+ Presbyterian Church in America, 1700 North Brown Road, Suite 105, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043, 678-825-1000, Fax: 678-825-1001, ac@pcanet.org
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