“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13) Growing up in Michigan I recall Thanksgivings where snow covered the ground and relatives filled our home. It was quite the festive time! I remember being very excited to see family I saw all too infrequently, and how wonderful it was to smell […]

In my short time as a pastor, I have heard a common theme expressed among elders and deacons in various churches: “I don’t feel equipped for the task of serving God’s people.” Whether they know it or not, they are expressing a frustration with the prevalent approach to office-bearer preparation: there is none. Not unlike […]

Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless. Proverbs 13:6a Did you ever go outside in the winter without a coat? Maybe you had to run to your car to get something or throw a snowball at a friend who was talking outside of school. I remember a student in college who never wore his coat. […]

Rev. Clarence Werkema was called home by the Lord on Wednesday, October 2, 2002 at the age of 82. During his life, Rev. Werkema faithfully served as Minister of the Word and Sacraments in three denominations and several independent churches. Rev. Werkema began studies at Westminster Theological Seminary East after serving in the U.S. Navy […]

If you run out of small talk, you can always talk about the weather. When you get up in the morning, you check what kind of day it is. People have always been fascinated by weather forecasts and climate change. They pay careful attention to weather reports. Some even constantly watch the All-Weather channel on […]

Classis Michigan United Reformed Churches September 10, 2002 A lovely drive in the country brought the delegates of Classis Michigan to the Grace United Reformed Church in Alto, Michigan for their eleventh classis meeting. Joining us at the meeting were several emeritus ministers, Rev. Zach Anderson of the Seventh Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, and […]

I took the trouble in a previous article to consider briefly several forerunners of the new perspective on Paul, since they pioneered emphases in New Testament and Pauline studies that form the background to the work of E. P. Sanders and other advocates of the new view. Though Sanders is undoubtedly the leading figure in […]

Serious reading today has to a large degree become a lost art. Since the office of Elder is primarily dependent on the self-read, and self-trained layman. This bids fare to become a serious matter with regard to the future welfare of the church. Already a common complaint for many consistories is that they are hard […]

January 1967 “…we must desist from labeling believers and churches as either ‘conservative’ or ‘progressive’ (liberal) as if the former are solely interested in preserving the heritage of the past and the latter concerned only with speaking appropriately to their own time. The self-conscious, committed Christian always strives to be both at the same time.” […]

Marv sat nervously before the Elders. His voice cracked as he spoke. Marv was a retired farmer in his mid-seventies. Upon retirement he worked at the local lumber yard. He did not want to be in the Council Room. Not then, not ever. The trouble was that he had just been nominated to serve as […]