Unlike Father Neuhaus, I guess few readers of this space will know who Henk Navis was, but he died today. Henk did not participate in any famous negotiations with anyone. He did not leave one communion for another. He wasn’t celebrated or . . . Continue reading →
URCNA
Thinking Of Planting A Confessional Reformed Church On The Plains?
It is not easy to plant a confessional Reformed congregation on the American Plains (the area of the USA from the between the Rockies and the Mississippi River, from Canada to Mexico). In some places it is sparsely populated. The confessional Presbyterian . . . Continue reading →
In Memoriam: Rev Dr Derke P. Bergsma (1927–2020)
He was, in my experience, relentlessly cheerful. He had a ready smile and an encouraging word. A midwesterner, who earned his spurs on the Plains, he was an endless fount of stories. This was a source of irritation to some of my fellow students but on the Plains, stories are a part of life. I am sure that I learned as much about pastoral ministry from Derke’s stories about ministry as I did from his lectures. Continue reading →
Two Big Events In The Life Of A New Confessional Reformed Congregation
In Matthew 28:18–20 our Lord gave a mission to the visible, institutional church: preach the gospel, administer the sacraments, and make disciples. He did not give that mission to a million evangelical para-church organizations. He gave it to the visible church. The . . . Continue reading →
Grace United Reformed Church (Portland): Sitting On The Edge Of The Volcano
“Honestly, the physical presence of protests and related violence feels as distant to most of my congregation as it does to you,” he told [Christian Renewal]. “However, we are seeing and experiencing disturbing results on a daily basis. The impact on our . . . Continue reading →
The New York Times, Sioux Center, And Calvinism
I guess that Dutch Calvinists in Orange City and Sioux Center, IA do not often feature prominently in the New York Times but they did in an August 9, 2020 story by Elizabeth Dias. The dateline is Sioux Center, IA, one of . . . Continue reading →
IndyReformed On Baptism
Resources Subscribe to the Heidelblog Find Out More About Indy Reformed Contact Indy Reformed Resources On Covenant Theology and Baptism
Heidelcast 157: Calls On Eschatology, the Work of Holy Spirit In Jesus’ Ministry, The Ecumenical Councils, And Pragmatism
We are a little late with our call-in show but here it is with excellent calls from London, UK, New Jersey, Madison, IN, and St Louis among other places. As always we have great calls on a variety of topics. I must . . . Continue reading →
Indy Reformed: What Is Covenant Theology And Why Is It Important? (5 Minutes)
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Indy Reformed: Why Creeds And Confessions?
Why do Christians have creeds (e.g., the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed) and confessions (e.g., the Belgic Confession)? Does having a creed or confession push the Scriptures to one side? Is it really possible to be creed-less? Chris Smith, of Indy Reformed, answers these questions. Continue reading →
Why Communism Is Not The Answer
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Against Revising Church Order Art. 39 (Or Why We Should Not Sing Fewer Psalms) (Updated)
We sometimes talk about “the worship wars” as if they are a new thing. They are not. There are examples of ecclesiastical arguments over what should be sung in church dating to the ancient church. In one case a regional synod in Spain issued a ruling against the singing of hymns (non-canonical songs) that some churches had begun singing. Continue reading →
Explaining the Nine Points of Synod Schereville
In 2007 the Synod the United Reformed Churches in North America adopted a statement of pastoral advice concerning the self-described “Federal Vision” theology. One of the main matters of business at Synod Schereville was to address an overture brought by Classis Michigan regarding the Federal Vision theology. As part of dealing with that overture Synod took two actions. First it re-affirmed and strengthened the language first adopted at Synod Calgary regarding justification by faith alone (sola fide). Continue reading →
New Reformed Church In Vancouver, WA: Peace URC
Peace United Reformed Church, Vancouver, WA held her first worship service last Lord’s Day and 94 people attended. The introduction below is written by the Rev. Chris Coleman, the church-planting pastor. Chris is graduate of Biola University and Westminster Seminary California. He . . . Continue reading →
The United Reformed Churches In North America Reject Final Justification Through Works
Dear Fathers and Brothers in Christ: On November 24, 2002 our pastor Rev. BBB preached a sermon entitled “The Lion Won’t Bite the Innocent.” In this sermon he taught both the doctrine of justification on the ground of Christ’s imputed righteousness and . . . Continue reading →
Cornerstone Christian Church: From Calvary Chapel To Confessionally Reformed
Editor’s Note: Over the past few years I have had the opportunity to worship with the brothers and sisters at Cornerstone and even to speak at one of their conferences. It was a great joy. What a delight it was to find . . . Continue reading →
Gig Harbor United Reformed Church To Begin Weekly Worship Services
The following is an update by John Whitt on the Gig Harbor, WA church planting work under the supervision of the Lynden United Reformed Church, in Lynden, WA. § After seven months of twice monthly Bible studies covering the basics of Reformed . . . Continue reading →
Gig Harbor URCNA Church Planting Kickoff Meeting September 14, 2018
Under the supervision of the Lynden URC a new URCNA congregation is forming in Gig Harbor, WA. They holding an organizing meeting at 7:00 PM at the Rosedale Hall: 8205 86th Ave NW, Gig Harbor, WA. Rev Mark Vander Pol will be . . . Continue reading →
Good News In And From Missoula
Pastor Jared Beaird from Covenant Reformed Church (URCNA) in Missoula, MT sends some encouraging news from the congregation: They have a new family by transfer from the PCA. This year we have seen an increase in visitors and stayers. None of them . . . Continue reading →
The URCNA Committee Report On The Federal Vision
4. Justification by the Instrument of an “Obedient Faith” In the writings of FV authors, however, faith, even in respect to its instrumentality for justification, is defined differently. Norman Shepherd, for example, persistently speaks of the instrument of justification as a “living,” . . . Continue reading →