The board of Reformed Fellowship and The Outlook was recently honored to receive a request from the Riga Reformed Theological Seminary for permission to translate two of Dr. Venema’s books into the Latvian language: But for the Grace of God (a treatment of the Canons of Dort), and What We Believe (a treatment of the Apostles’ Creed). The substance of both of these books was originally published in The Outlook and subsequently revised and bound into books. The board gladly granted the permission and congratulates Dr. Venema on this opportunity to extend the witness of the Reformed faith to this significant part of Europe.
Obituary
Rev. Edward Heerema, 87, of Cape Coral, Florida, died on August 31, 2000. The son of the late Albert and Gerdena Heerema, he was born in Orange City; Iowa, November 5, 1912. He attended Grundy College in Grundy Center, Iowa, Calvin College, University of Iowa and Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. He married Marietta Kuiper, daughter of the famous Professor R. B. Kuiper, fonner president of Calvin College, professorat Calvin and Westminster seminaries.
Rev. Heerema began his ministry as hospital chaplain at the Christian Sanatorium in Wyckoff, New Jersey. He then served the National Union of Christian Schools (now Christian Schools International [CSI]) and later became the pastor of Plymouth Heights Christian Refonned Church (Grand Rapids, MI). After serving the Bradenton Christian Refonned Church, he moved to Cape Coral, Florida where he was a member of the Trinity Refonned Church (URC).
Rev. Heerema’s first wife died in 1981, and he is survived by his second wife, Bertha, two sons and two daughters and their families, two step-sons and their families, thirteen grandchildren and thirteen greatgrandchildren.
The Reformed Fellowship honors Rev. Edward Heerema as a founding father of The Outlook magazine (then the Torch and Trumpet), and as a member of the first board of Mid-America Refonned Seminary.
TWO REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS UNITE, BECOME WORLD REFORMED FELLOWSHIP
Expanded International Body Now Circles the Globe (Columbia, SC November 4, 2000)
The World Fellowship of Reformed Churches (WFRC) and the International Reformed Fellowship (IRF) joined together October 24–26 at a meeting in Orlando, Florida to create the first truly worldwide fellowship among evangelical Presbyterian and Refonned Christians. The new name of the expanded organization is the World Reformed Fellowship (WRF). The historic meeting took place on the campus of Reformed Theological Seminary and the Canterbury Retreat Center in Orlando, FL and included leaders from five continents and twenty-three countries.
WRF’s leadership includes Dr. Paul Gilchrist, former Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church in America, named Executive Secretary; Dr. Luder Whitlock, President of Reformed Theological Seminary; Dr. Rick Perrin, pastor of Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Columbia, SC, elected Chairman; Dr. Joseph Tong, President of International Theological Seminary; and Dr. John E. Kim of Korea. WRF has a twenty-six member Governing Board representing eighteen nations.
The World Reformed Fellowship encourages understanding and cooperation among evangelical Presbyterian and Reformed denominations and institutions, and links those having ministry resources with those possessing vision but few resources. The group promotes Reformed thinking and a Reformed world and life view, and fosters evangelism, missions and church planting, theological education and international communication.
The January issue of The Outlook will include complete coverage of this significant event.