This Fellowship was organized on February 23, 1951. It is composed of members whose annual contribution of $10.00 or more per year makes the publication of TORCH AND TRUMPET possible. (Interested students may become members without voting privileges at $3.00 per year.) The membership of the Fellowship is increasing from year to year. It has a Board composed of 12 members. The president at the present time is Mr. Marvin Muller, Grand Rapids realtor. The vice-president is Rev. Rein Leestma, pastor of the West Leonard Street Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids. Mr. Derton Sevensma, local attorney and one of the commissioners of the city of Grand Rapids, is the secretary. The assistant secretary and managing editor of TORCH AND TRUMPET is Rev. Hcnry J. Kuiper. The business manager and treasurer is Mr. Leonard Kloet, elder and clerk of the Broadway Avenue Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, the treasurer of Classis Grand Rapids West, and chairman of our city Zoning Board. The assistant treasurer and chairman of the Editorial Committee is Rev. Edward Heerema, pastor of the Plymouth Heights Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids. Other members of the Board arc: Rev. Leonard Greenway, pastor of the Bethel Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids; Rev. William Kok, teacher of Bible at South Christian High School, Grand Rapids; Rev. Nicholas J. Monsma, assistant pastor of the Fuller Avenue Christian Reformed Church, also of Grand Rapids; Rev. John Piersma, pastor of the Grandville Avenue Christian Reformed Church of the same city; and Rev. Henry Vander Kam, pastor of the Twelfth Avenue Christian Reformed Church of Jenison, Michigan, We give a bit of information concerning all these men since some of our supporters and many of our readers do not know all of them personally.
This year‘s annual meeting was held on November 27 in the beautiful and commodious parlors of the Grandville Avenue church building. Among those present at the morn, ing and afternoon session were two of our members from California, several from the Lansing, Illinois,Munster, Tndiana area, and a number from Ontario, Canada. Our president, Marvin Muller, did not deem it wise to preside at the meeting since he is recovering from a heart attack but he was present at both sessions and at the evening banquet. Rev. Rein Leestma presided and reviewed the activities of the Board during the past year. He stressed the Scriptural truth that we are captives of the Lord jesus Christ. He reported on the lecture series by Prof. Rookmaker of the Netherlands, the completion of the manuscript for publication of last year’s lectures by Prof. Fred Klooster on Aspects of Barth’s Theology, the growth of our organization, the increase in circulation of our periodical and the mailing of sample copies to all former readers of the now defunct Reformed Guardian, the well-edited periodical of the Protestant Reformed group which recently affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church. A few years ago we were in the red finanCially but we are now in the black, thanks to our members, readers, and a few generous contributors, but above all to our God. We have failed in many ways but we may also believe that we have been an influence for good in the church and for the Kingdom of God.
Our treasurer, Leonard Kloet, presented an encouraging financial report. A budget for 1962 was presented and adopted by those present.
The chairman of the Editorial Committee gave a bird’s-eye view of its activities. He commented on the keenly felt loss of Prof. Henry R. Van Til who was very active in this Committee, told about its regular monthly meetings, touched on the various types of articles planned for the coming year, and stated that a critical evaluation of the contents of our paper by its readers will always be appreciated.
We also present a digest of the report of the Managing Editor, as follows. There has been a gratifying increase in the membership of our Fellowship. In 1958 we had 85 members, a year ago 149, today 167. Newsletters were sent out every three months to all members. With reference to TORCH AND TRUMPET, the managing editor‘s report of last year indicated that this magazine has a twofold purpose: (1) to promote and help preserve the purity of the church, first, by expounding the Reformed faith and, second, by defending it against deviations and attacks; (2) to advance the interests of the Kingdom of God in the wider sense by endeavoring to interpret the Reformed faith in its bearing on such areas as the family, the school, the state, industry and labor, literature, and art. This is still one of our objectives and we have sought to underline it. Analyzing the same city; and Rev. Henry Vander Kam, pastor of the Twelfth Avenue Christian Reformed Church of Jenison, Michigan, We give a bit of information concerning all these men since some of our supporters and many of our readers do not know all of them personally.
This year’s annual meeting was held on November 27 in the beautiful and commodious parlors of the Grandville Avenue church building. Among those present at the morn, ing and afternoon session were two of our members from California, several from the Lansing, Illinois, Munster, Indiana area, and a number from Ontario, Canada. Our president, Marvin Muller, did not deem it wise to preside at the meeting since he is recovering from a heart attack but he was present at both sessions and at the evening banquet. Rev. Rein Leestma presided and reviewed the activities of the Board during the past year. He stressed the Scriptural truth that we are captives of the Lord Jesus Christ. He reported on the lecture series by Prof. Rookmaker of the Netherlands, the completion of the manuscript for publication of last year’s lectures by Prof. Fred Klooster on Aspects of Barth‘s Theology, the growth of our organization, the increase in circulation of our periodical and the mailing of sample copies to all former readers of the now defunct Reformed Guardian, the well-edited periodical of the Protestant Reformed group which recently affiliated with the Christian Reformed Church. A few years ago we were in the red financially but we are now in the black, thanks to our members, readers, and a few generous contributors, but above all to our God. We have failed in many ways but we may also believe that we have been an influence for good in the church and for the Kingdom of God.
Our treasurer, Leonard Kloet, presented an encouraging financial report. A budget for 1962 was presented and adopted by those present.
The chairman of the Editorial Committee gave a bird’s-eye view of its activities. He commented on the keenly felt loss of Prof. Henry R. Van Til who was very active in this Committee, told about its regular monthly meetings, touched on the various types of articles planned for the earning year, and stated that a critical evaluation of the contents of our paper by its readers will always be appreciated.
We also present a digest of the report of the managing Editor, as follows. There has been a gratifying increase in the membership of our Fellowship. In 1958 we had 85 members, a year ago 149, today 167. Newsletters were sent out every three months to all members. With reference to TORCH AND TRUMPET, the managing editor’s report of last year indicated that this magazine has a twofold purpose: (1) to promote and help preserve the purity of the church, first, by expounding the Reformed faith and, second, by defending it against deviations and attacks; (2) to advance the interests of the Kingdom of God in the wider sense by endeavoring to interpret the Reformed faith in its bearing on such areas as the family, the school, the state, industry and labor, literature, and art. This is still one of our objectives and we have sought to underline it. Analyzing the contents of the nine issues of the current year, January to November, we find that, in round numbers, 60 articles dealt with matters of doctrine and those pertaining to church life, while 40 articles, long or short, touched on Christian education, politics, international relations, missions, and ethics, while the rest offered Bible exposition. One of our younger ministers expressed appreciation for our frequent thrusts into the areas of economics and politics; yet we feel that more emphasis should be given to such matters in future issues and that they require far more study than we have devoted to them in the past.
The big news this year is the decision to send out many more samples of TORCH AND TRUMPET than in the past and to encourage our readers to order gift subscriptions for non–readers by reducing the subscription price to $1.50 when five or more gift subscriptions are ordered. This was suggested by one of our members and the response was wonderful. One reader alone gave us a check for $120.00 for 80 gift subscriptions! (Note: After the meeting even larger amounts for this purpose were promised for 1962.) In his closing words the managing editor urged all our readers to recommend TORCH AND TRUMPET to their friends.
Rev. John Piersma reported as chairman of the Circulation Committee. He dealt especially with the matter last mentioned in the above report of the managing editor. The plans for wider distribution of our paper originated especially with the energetic chairman of this Committee. Rev. Piersma also reported for the Lecture Committee on whose work the Vice President had already commented.
The count of all the votes of members of the organization showed that Rev. Leonard Greenway, Mr. Berton Sevensma, and Rev. H. J. Kuiper were re-elected and that Rev. N. J. Monsma was elected as board-members.
The afternoon session was devoted to a discussion of the topic: “Is the Christian Reformed Church ‘a Sleeping Giant’?” Prof. R. B. Kuiper had agreed to introduce the subject. A summary of his talk follows this article. The professor spoke with his usual clarity and incisiveness. The lively discussion that followed proved that the answer given to the question met with general approval.
The evening banquet and the short program which followed will long be remembered by those present. The food and the service, furnished by women of the Grandville A venue Church, were excellent. The attendance broke the record of former years. 138 persons (members, their wives, and invited guests ) were present. Rev. Anthony De Jager of Don Mills, Toronto, Ontario, served very acceptably as toastmaster. Mr. john Van Til, accompanied by Jerry Van Wieren, sang two beautiful solos. Both men, by the way, came from the Lansing, Illinois, area to attend the meeting. Dr. Leonard Greenway, who spoke on the subject: “With Torch and Trumpet,” was at his best. His stirring address raised our enthusiasm to a high pitch. The brother has promised to prepare a summary of at least parts of his speech for our January issue.
This annual meeting of Reformed Fellowship Inc. was the fourth we attended. It was the best in the spirit which marked it and the enthusiasm which it engendered.