Thursday (cont.)--Major Reports Completed, Others Near Completion
“Miraculous healing” was the title of the Thursday devotional message. Rev. Frank van Dalen, executive director of World Witness for the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARP), delivered the message. A representative of the ARP had been invited to give one of the devotional messages this year. In addition, Rev. van Dalen gave a presentation on ARP mercy ministry later in the day.
Rev. van Dalen said in the devotional that the purposes of healing are to fulfill prophecies, to be a visible sign of Jesus as the Messiah, to be a sign of the coming of Christ’s kingdom, and to show the glories of heaven. With some of those aspects having been completed through Christ and with the foundation of the church being laid through the apostles, there is no longer a need for individual healers, he said. But God does still do miraculous healing, and integral to that healing is usually sincere prayer.
A communication dealt with by the Judicial Committee, Communication 2006-07, was an appeal by a member and forwarded by the Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery. Though the committee found no specific statement of grounds for the appeal, they believed the intent was that a Synod study committee be formed to study “what the Bible requires for church membership.” The committee found no need for such a committee on the grounds that “the Synod has already engaged in extensive studies to determine the basis for church membership vows; the necessity for a new study is not demonstrated; and the committee denies that the present membership vows go beyond the requirement of Scripture.” The Judicial Committee affirmed the actions of the session and presbytery involved.
It was announced that Titus Martin had passed his exams by Presbytery of the Alleghenies in conjunction with this Synod meeting and will be ordained and installed as associate pastor at College Hill (Beaver Falls, Pa.) RPC in August.
The Finance Committee report, a long report with 16 recommendations, was approved with minimal discussion. Elder Steve McMahan, chairman, gave thanks for increased congregational giving to Reformed Presbyterian Mission & Ministry (RPM&M) and for the stewardship and generosity of some whose estates had provided gifts to the denomination in the past year.
While Synod is ahead of schedule, several reports still remain to be completed before adjournment. The scheduled adjournment is 12:15 p.m. tomorrow (Friday).
Rev. van Dalen said in the devotional that the purposes of healing are to fulfill prophecies, to be a visible sign of Jesus as the Messiah, to be a sign of the coming of Christ’s kingdom, and to show the glories of heaven. With some of those aspects having been completed through Christ and with the foundation of the church being laid through the apostles, there is no longer a need for individual healers, he said. But God does still do miraculous healing, and integral to that healing is usually sincere prayer.
A communication dealt with by the Judicial Committee, Communication 2006-07, was an appeal by a member and forwarded by the Great Lakes-Gulf Presbytery. Though the committee found no specific statement of grounds for the appeal, they believed the intent was that a Synod study committee be formed to study “what the Bible requires for church membership.” The committee found no need for such a committee on the grounds that “the Synod has already engaged in extensive studies to determine the basis for church membership vows; the necessity for a new study is not demonstrated; and the committee denies that the present membership vows go beyond the requirement of Scripture.” The Judicial Committee affirmed the actions of the session and presbytery involved.
It was announced that Titus Martin had passed his exams by Presbytery of the Alleghenies in conjunction with this Synod meeting and will be ordained and installed as associate pastor at College Hill (Beaver Falls, Pa.) RPC in August.
The Finance Committee report, a long report with 16 recommendations, was approved with minimal discussion. Elder Steve McMahan, chairman, gave thanks for increased congregational giving to Reformed Presbyterian Mission & Ministry (RPM&M) and for the stewardship and generosity of some whose estates had provided gifts to the denomination in the past year.
While Synod is ahead of schedule, several reports still remain to be completed before adjournment. The scheduled adjournment is 12:15 p.m. tomorrow (Friday).
posted by RP Witness at 4:08 PM
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