Jesus lives tointercede for us

Faith thatjustifies neverstands alone

Volume 53, No. 10 • May 7, 2004

A shortage oforganists

A shortage oforganists

234 • MAY 7, 2004

EditorialJ.Visscher

We all know what happened to the dinosaur, or at the veryleast we think that we know – it became extinct.You will notfind one to look at or to pet in any local zoo. Bones abound invarious museums, especially in places like Alberta. Drawings orartistic images are everywhere, along with computer generatedmovies, but the real thing has disappeared.

A shortage of organistsDoes this same future await the organist, and in particular

the church organist in the ranks of the Canadian ReformedChurches? I have been led to ponder this thought as more andmore news trickles in about the growing shortage of organistsin quite a number of our local churches.There are churchesthat have not even one qualified or trained organist. Somechurches have resorted to contacting neighbouring churcheswho have more than one to see if the other can be borrowed,rented or hired. In other places pianists are being asked totackle the organ, often without knowing how to play thepedals or how to set the proper registration. Needless to saythis last situation has forced some churches to make more useof the piano, since pianists are not in short supply.

Other instrumentsAs such a move away from the organ to the piano is no

heresy. I too enjoy some musical variety in the worshipservice. Nevertheless, from both observing and talking withany number of pianists, I am led to conclude that the piano willnot do as a permanent alternative to the organ in any of ourlarger congregations. It will work fine as the occasionalsubstitute. It will work great in combination with the organ,especially if both the organist and the pianists areaccomplished players, but for the rest, the piano can notcompete with the organ in a church worship setting.

As for whether or not any other instrument or group ofinstruments can, I am not able to say with professional certainty.I have heard that in Korea some of the very large congregationsof our sister church make use of orchestras. How well that

works when it comes to accompanying congregational singing, Ido not know.What I do know is that it would be virtuallyimpossible for any of our churches to muster the talent neededfor an orchestra.Add to that the thought of playing all of thosedifferent psalm and hymns selections twice on the Lord’s Dayand the preparation that this would require, and you have adouble impossibility.And then we have not even discussedwhether or not an orchestra would be deemed to be liturgicallyacceptable in our worship services.

Congregational singingAnother important element to consider in all of this is the

matter just touched on, namely congregational singing.Whichinstrument best suits the promotion and expression of suchsinging? Again, I realize that in another of our sister churches,namely the Free Church of Scotland, the answer is very simpleand straight-forward, none! This church is of the convictionthat instruments should not be used at all in worship.Thehuman voice is the only suitable musical instrument. Naturally,such a position is to be respected, but it is not a position thathas garnered any real degree of support in our churches or inmost Reformed churches.

And then there is the band. It is a known fact that manychurches have abandoned solo instruments like the organ, andeven the piano, and opted for the band. Such a change ispopular with the younger crowd seeing that they have grownup in a culture where rock music and rock bands dominate.Again, this is not to say that there is anything intrinsicallywrong with a band.What is a band but a small orchestra madeup mostly of drums, acoustic guitars and synthesizers?

Still, any one who knows our churches knows as well thatjust as a cappella singing does not have the support of most ofthe members, neither does the band. Many churches that havegone this route have experienced “worship wars” and in theend have had to settle for two different worship formats: atraditional one and a contemporary one. Such a “solution”

The Organist as Dinosaur

As you can guess, I am not in favour ofrelegating either organs or organists to the ashheap of history, much less to the Tyrell Museumin Drumheller, Alberta.

Rev. J.Visscher is minister of theCanadian Reformed Church at

Langley, British Columbia.jvisscher@canrc.org

MAY 7, 2004 • 235

may have kept the peace somewhat but the price has oftenbeen a polarized and divided congregation.

The organSo where does this leave us? It leaves us with the organ as

still the best instrument when it comes to the maintenanceand promotion of congregational singing. It also leaves us withthe organ as the most flexible instrument to accompany anynumber of different types of musical performances andpresentations outside of the worship service.

And this should not surprise us, for what is an organ butan orchestra that can be played by one person. Look at thestops on any decent size organ and you will see that they runthe gamut of all sorts of musical instruments: trumpet, cello,viola, horn and so forth.

As a result, in some ways it is not at all surprising thatorgans are making a comeback. In particular, new custom-made pipe organs are in high demand today.Across North

Inside . . .Since I am a resident of Alberta, I became quite

excited when Dr. J.Visscher started his editorial with talkabout dinosaur bones and museums in places like Alberta.But he was not really talking about dinosaurs. He’s talkingabout church organists! Now what has a church organistin common with a dinosaur? You will have to read theeditorial to find out.

It has been a while since Rev. P.G. Feenstra submittedan article for Clarion.We are very grateful that he was ableto submit another article in his series, Living by theDoctrines of Scripture. He deals with the topic of “Faiththat justifies never stands alone.”

Rev. Cl. Stam presents us with his second instalmentWhat’s New???You will see that he deals with church newsin his own unique style. Hopefully all the churches in ourfederation will start sending Rev. Stam their bulletins.Since this can be done via email, it should be an easy andquick thing to do. It is wonderful to hear what is going onin our federation and also the sister churches.

It has been a while since Rev. G.Wieske retired fromthe active ministry. Recently we received a submissionwith respect to his retirement and we are publishing itnow.We wish Rev. and Mrs.Wieske the Lord’s blessingsduring their well-deserved retirement.

We have an update from MERF Canada News as wellas press releases from three Classes.We also have ourregular columns Treasures, New and Old, Children’sCatechism and Education Matters.

RA

Published biweekly by Premier Printing Ltd.,Winnipeg, MB

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:Editor: J. Visscher; Managing Editor: R. AasmanCoeditors: N.H. Gootjes, W.B. Slomp, Cl. Stam

ADDRESS FOR EDITORIAL MATTERS:CLARION, 26 Inverness Crescent, St. Albert, AB T8N 5J3Fax: (780) 418-1506 E-Mail: raasman@canrc.org

ADDRESS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS: (subscriptions, advertisements, etc.):CLARION, Premier Printing Ltd.One Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R2J 3X5Phone: (204) 663-9000 Fax: (204) 663-9202Email: clarion@premierprinting.caRETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:One Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R2J 3X5Email: premier@premierprinting.ca

Subscription Rates for 2004Canada*U.S.A. U.S. FundsInternational*Including 7% GST – No. 890967359RTAdvertisements: $13.50 per column inchFull Colour Display Advertisements: $19.00 per column inchWe reserve the right to refuse ads.We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through thePublication Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs.

Cancellation AgreementUnless a written subscription cancellation is received we assume you wish to con-tinue to subscribe. You will be invoiced prior to the subscription renewal date.Agreement No. 40063293; PAP Registration No. 9907; ISSN 0383-0438

Copyright © Premier Printing Ltd.All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced in any manner withoutpermission in writing from the publisher, except brief quotations used inconnection with a review in a magazine or newspaper.

Useful Link: www.canrc.org

IN THIS ISSUEEditorial – The Organist as Dinosaur — J.Visscher..................234Treasures New and Old – Jesus lives to intercede for us

— C.J.VanderVelde ........................................................................237Living by the Doctrines of Scripture – Faith that justifies

never stands alone — P.G. Feenstra..........................................238Retirement of Rev. (and Mrs.) G.Wieske

— H. Olij ........................................................................................240MERF Canada News......................................................................242What’s New??? — Cl. Stam ..........................................................244Children’s Catechism — J.Wiskerke van Dooren ......................246Education Matters..........................................................................247Press Releases: Classis Pacific East,

Classis Northern Ontario, Classis Pacific West ..................249

Regular Mail$42.00*$44.50$69.00

Air Mail$69.00*$57.50$103.00

236 • MAY 7, 2004

America and parts of Asia many marvellous new organs arebeing installed. In Canada too there is a pipe organrenaissance underway as churches and concert halls areplacing orders. Indeed, one of the newest and finest pipeorgans in the world has recently been completed in TheFrancis Winspear Centre, Edmonton, by a French Canadianorgan builder called Letourneau.

What to do?In light of all of these developments the question still

remains: what to do about our organist shortage? As you canguess, I am not in favour of relegating either organs ororganists to the ash heap of history, much less to the TyrrellMuseum in Drumheller,Alberta.To do so would be to doirreparable damage to our rich and biblical tradition ofcongregational singing in worship. It would have a major impacton our worship services. (If you are skeptical about that, pleaseread Thomas Day’s book, Why Catholics Can’t Sing.)

Where does this leave us? It leaves us with a need toencourage and stimulate the training of new and youngerorganists.

In our homesThe first place to look for such a revival is surely in our

homes. Parents must do more to encourage their children tostudy music. Ours is a computer dominated age filled withstrategy games, X Boxes, and GameBoys, but there is noindication that a lot of time spent devoted to such activitiesproduces any dividends in terms of real personal development.Better to have your children practising behind the piano or theorgan than to have them zapping the enemy on the screen.Hence parents need to make some serious choices about thesort of leadership and encouragement that they give to theirchildren.Are they really prodding and paying for their childrento develop the sort of skills and abilities that will enrich theirlives, as well as the life of the church?

In our schoolsIf parents can do and should do more, our Christian

schools should also be more involved. Does your school havea music program? Does your school have a qualified musicteacher? Does your school train young people to developtheir musical talents, as well as their understanding of whatconstitutes good music?

It is possible for our schools to be culturally deprivedplaces.Then most of the emphasis falls of the core subjects oflanguage and math, with perhaps a little on the more practicalareas of home economics and shop.As for art and music, theyare left to sink to the bottom of the curriculum.

Little wonder, therefore, that in such a situation the churchhas a hard time recruiting organists, even pianists and othermusically qualified people.When a culture prizes something

and esteems it highly, the effects will filter down and can enrichit in wonderful and surprising ways.

In our churchesStill, parents and schools are not the only parts of the

equation; the local church belongs to it as well. For openersthe church should do all it can to support its organist(s).Thiscan be done in various ways: paying for their music lessons andsheet music, urging them to attend conferences andworkshops, ensuring that there is a good quality instrument toplay on, and giving them an honorarium.

Most likely, the last two things just mentioned will raise afew eyebrows.What constitutes a good instrument? Here I amin full agreement with the Rev.W.W.J.VanOene, who on morethan one occasion in this magazine has expressed himself asbeing in favour of a pipe organ. Over the years I have preachedin many churches and heard many an organ and without failthe electronic versions have always disappointed. I know thatsometimes a good quality pipe organ is hard to find and can becostly, but in the end it is money well-spent.

Then too, there is the matter of an honorarium. Should theorganist be paid? The most common rejoinder to that is:“thereare a lot of volunteers in our church who are not paid.Whysingle out the organist?” For the very simple reason that it isunlikely that anyone in the church, besides the minister, hasspent more time in study, in taking lessons, and in preparation.If a church wants a quality organist, it must be prepared tohonour him or her with an honorarium.

Why, from my perspective it would be even better if someof our largest churches were to pay their organists a salaryand put him or her on staff. Such a development would dowonders for the musical ministry of the church.Think of howit would stimulate the children and young people, enhancechoirs and create new ones, and promote the development ofReformed church music.

The opportunities are many.What so often holds us backis our lack of vision and determination. So how is it in yourchurch? How is the music in your worship services? How isthe congregational singing? Finally, what are you doing toprevent your organist from becoming a brontosaurus?

Nevertheless, from both observing andtalking with any number of pianists, Iam led to conclude that the piano will notdo as a permanent alternative to theorgan in any of our larger congregations.

MAY 7, 2004 • 237

At this time of year, the churchcommemorates the ascension of ourLord Jesus Christ into heaven.AscensionDay is not one of those cherished dayson the Christian calendar such asChristmas, Good Friday, and Easter.Weknow that the birth of our Lord Jesusmeans that the Saviour came into theworld, and we know that his death meansthat He took our sins upon Himself.Weknow that his resurrection means thatHe conquered sin and death. But whatdoes the ascension of our Lord signify?

Concerning Christ’s ascension intoheaven, the Heidelberg Catechismidentifies three benefits, of which the firstis that “…He is our Advocate in heavenbefore his Father” (Lord’s Day 18 Q/A49). Indeed, the writer to the Hebrewssays that we have a High Priest who is “…exalted above the heavens” (7:26)and who “…always lives to intercede for[us]” (7:25). Christ now applies thebenefits of his death and resurrection tous by speaking on our behalf in thepresence of his Father.

The Levitical priests were preventedby death from continuing in office, butJesus has a permanent priesthoodbecause He lives forever (7:23,24).Notice that the writer uses the Name“Jesus” within this context (7:22),thereby pointing to the earthly ministryof our Saviour.This is the Name of whichan angel said to Joseph in a dream,“…you are to give Him the name Jesus,

because He will save his people fromtheir sins” (Matt 1:21). Because Jesusdied but rose again, his priesthood ispermanent and, as our ascended Saviour,He exercises his priesthood in theheavenly tabernacle. Jesus Christ sits atthe Father’s right hand, where Heintercedes for us.This is the flow ofthought when the writer says,“Therefore,He is able to save completely those whocome to God through Him, because Healways lives to intercede for them.” JesusChrist lives and therefore He acts asSaviour to this very day!

The Levitical priests appeared in theLORD’s presence with the blood of goatsand bulls, but Christ “…entered the MostHoly Place once for all by his own blood,having obtained eternal redemption”(Heb 9:12). On the basis of his ownblood which He shed for us on the crossfor the forgiveness of all our sins, theLord Jesus Christ can intercede for uswith the Father.When we come to Godfor the forgiveness of our sins in theName of Jesus, the Saviour speaks on ourbehalf.When we pray to God in theName of Jesus Christ, Christ intercedesfor us.We can approach God and enterthe heavenly throne room in prayer sincewe have a great High Priest in heaven(Heb 9:19-22).

This is a tremendous comfort for uswhen we approach God in true faith.Christ is able to save us completelybecause of his redeeming work on the

cross, and He indeed intercedes for uswith the Father to that effect. Sin was thegreat obstacle between God and us afterthe Fall, but Christ came to clear awaythe obstacle and reconcile us to theFather.We can again have fellowship withthe Father.

There was a time when our accuser,the devil, spoke about us in the presenceof the Father (cf. Job 1:6-11; 2:1-4).Thedevil entered the heavenly throne roomto point out the weaknesses and sins ofGod’s people, but after Christ’sresurrection and ascension this is nolonger possible (Rev 12:9,10).There is nolonger someone appearing before Godto make a case against us, but there isSomeone making a case for us! There isno longer an accuser in heaven, but anAdvocate! As John writes,“…we have onewho speaks to the Father in our defence– Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1John 2:1).The good news of Christ’sascension is that our High Priestintercedes for us as our Advocate inheaven.As such, the Lord Jesus Christapplies his redeeming work to us.

The wonderfully liberating messageof the text is that salvation is guaranteedfor us as believers because Jesus Christlives to intercede for us.As Paul writes,“…there is now no condemnation forthose who are in Christ Jesus…” (Rom8:1). Complete and eternal salvation isguaranteed in Christ Jesus for believers!

Rev. C.J.VanderVelde isminister of the Canadian

Reformed Church atYarrow, British Columbia.

cjvandervelde@canrc.org

Treasures, New and OldC.J.VanderVelde

MATTHEW 13:52Jesus lives to intercede for us

Therefore He is able to save completely those whocome to God through Him, because He always lives tointercede for them.

Hebrews 7:25

Read: Hebrews 7:11-28

238 • MAY 7, 2004

Luther’s difficultyOne of the main teachings of the

Great Reformation of the sixteenthcentury was the doctrine of justificationby faith alone. By the grace of God MartinLuther rediscovered this glorious truthwhen studying the book of Romans andcoming across the phrase,“The just shalllive by faith” (1:17). Luther’s emphasis onthe doctrine of justification by faith alonemade it difficult for him to accept theletter of James as the inspired word ofGod. He had trouble deciphering whatJames meant when he wrote,“You seethat a person is justified by what he doesand not by faith alone” (2:24). Luther’sreaction was an overreaction.The factthat we are justified by faith alone doesnot take away the necessity of works.James does not overthrow the doctrineof justification by faith alone.Those whoare justified are also sanctified.“Faithalone justifies, but the faith that justifies isnever alone” (John Calvin).

Faith is not separated fromworks

The relationship between justification,faith and works is introduced by James inchapter 2:14. He writes,“What good is it,my brothers, if a man claims to have faithbut has not deeds?” We may sayrepeatedly that we believe in the Lord, inthe saving merit and grace of Jesus Christ,in the forgiveness of sins and in the powerof the Holy Spirit. But what is the benefit

of such a claim if there are no fruits offaith? When righteous deeds are not thepattern of our life, all our pious talk goesout the window. It is an empty confessionof faith because Christ’s disciples areknown by their fruits( John 15:8).

Faith in God is more than being ableto speak eloquently about the doctrinesof Scripture. Doctrine must always beapplied.When we publicly profess ourfaith we declare that we believe thedoctrines of the Old and New Testament.At the same time we promise to commitour whole life to the Lord’s service as aliving member of his church. Faith thatstands alone, that is not followed throughwith righteous works, is dead.What isdead is useless.As believers we are to ridourselves of the notion that a person cansay he believes in God but in themeantime lives a very worldly life.

To make a point, James uses languagethat is far from complimentary. Herebukes his readers bluntly,“You foolishman, do you want evidence that faithwithout deeds is useless?” (2:20).To thinkyou can be a Christian without showingany evidence of it in your daily task andcalling exposes spiritual superficiality.

Abraham as an illustration Abraham, the father of all believers, is a

clear example of the relationship betweenfaith and works. James says,“Was not ourancestor Abraham considered righteousfor what he did when he offered his sonIsaac on the altar” (2:21).When James

refers to Abraham as “our ancestor” hespeaks of him as the father of all believers.It’s the same matter Paul discusses inGalatians 3:6-9 where he writes:

Consider Abraham:“He believed God,and it was credited to him asrighteousness.” Understand, then, thatthose who believe are children ofAbraham.The Scripture foresaw thatGod would justify the Gentiles byfaith, and announced the gospel inadvance to Abraham:“All nations willbe blessed through you.” So thosewho have faith are blessed along withAbraham, the man of faith.

All believers are connected to Abrahamby faith.The life of Abraham is a classicillustration of one who is justified by faithalone.At the same time his life exhibitsvery persuasively that the faith whichjustifies never stands alone.

Does James 2 negate Romans 4?

Reformed believers have becomeconfused by what James writes in 2:24,“You see that a person is justified by whathe does and not by faith alone.” Whatdoes James mean when he argues thatAbraham was justified by works? Doesthis not contradict what the apostlewrites in Romans 4? Paul says,“Whatthen shall we say about Abraham, ourforefather according to the flesh? For ifAbraham was justified by works, he hassomething to boast about, but not beforeGod. For what does the Scripture say?

Living by the Doctrines of ScriptureP.G. Feenstra

Faith that justifies never stands alone

Our gracious God, without any doing of our own, transfers and deposits into our account therighteousness and holiness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev. P.G. Feenstra is minister of theCanadian Reformed Church at

Owen Sound, Ontario.pfeenstra@canrc.org

MAY 7, 2004 • 239

‘Abraham believed God, and it wasreckoned to him as righteousness.’”

Whereas James says Abraham wasjustified by works, Paul argues that ifAbraham was justified by works, hewould have something to boast aboutbut not before God. How can we makesense of this? Although we know MartinLuther was wrong, we can understandwhy he had trouble accepting what Jameswrites.These two passages underlinehow important it is to read the Biblewith precision. For there is a noteworthydistinction being made.

Romans 4:2 speaks about ourjustification before God.A person may pathimself on the back for all the good andwonderful works he does but hisboasting will never hold up before theLord. No one can be placed in the rightrelationship with God through works.Righteousness is imputed through faith.Every child of God is justified before Himby faith.The Lord transfers Christ’srighteousness to your account throughthe vehicle and instrument of faith.

All mankind is spiritually bankruptbefore the Lord. Our gracious God,without any doing of our own, transfersand deposits into our account therighteousness and holiness of our LordJesus Christ.This is our justification beforeGod. It is also the justification Abrahamreceived. Romans 4 goes back to Genesis15 where the Scripture says verydefinitely that Abraham “believed theLord, and it was credited to him asrighteousness” (Gen 15:6).Abraham heardthe covenant promises of the Lord andresponded in faith.The LORD, as it were,deposited righteousness into his account.

Righteousness and justification arenever earned through our works but arealways received as gifts of grace. PraiseGod for the marvel of salvation by gracethrough faith! We stand before the Lordwith nothing! We are mere beggars withnothing to give.Yet God in his sovereigngrace imputes to us the righteousnesswe need. He enables us to stand rightwith Him through Christ.Abrahamexperienced this when he believed thepromises of the Lord.That is how theLord works justification, whether that bewith Abraham or with you and me.

What Paul writes in Romans 4 isn’tcontradicted by James. In fact James alsoquotes Genesis 15:6 when he writes in2:23,“and the scripture was fulfilled thatsays, ‘Abraham believed God, and it wascredited to him as righteousness.’” Jamesknew exactly what that passage meant.But the point he makes is different fromthat of the apostle Paul. His mainconcern is: how was it evident beforemen that Abraham was justified?Abraham’s justification was seen in hisobedience to the Lord.This is whatJames means when he says,“Was notour ancestor Abraham consideredrighteous for what he did when heoffered his son Isaac on the altar?” Notethe distinction:Abraham was justified byfaith before God but he was justified bywhat he did (by works) before men.Abraham’s faith in God, his justificationand righteousness, were demonstratedby his works.The way in which someonecan see that you and I are justified beforeGod is through faith in action.WhereasPaul emphasizes our justification beforeGod, James takes it one step further andshows how our claim to salvation isverified before others.

The word “righteous” as used inJames 2:21 has two general meanings. Itmeans “to acquit or to treat asrighteous” but it also means “to show orto demonstrate as righteous.” In Romans4 the first meaning is in the foreground –Abraham was acquitted, treated anddescribed as righteous before God. Inour text the second meaning ishighlighted – Abraham was shown anddemonstrated to be righteous by hiswillingness to sacrifice his son.At MountMoriah we are given a beautiful exampleof how true it is that faith alone justifies,but the faith that justifies is never alone.

Going back to Genesis 22The story is told to us in Genesis 22.

The Lord tests Abraham to display thegenuineness of his faith. He tells Abrahamto take his son, his only son, whom heloves and to go offer him for a burntoffering on one of the mountains. Such arequest puzzles us! How can the Lord dothis? Had God not promised that Hewould make Abraham’s children as

numerous as the stars of heaven? Andwas Abraham considered righteousbecause he believed it?

Abraham waited many years beforethis promise was fulfilled.After enjoyingthe child for approximately fifteen yearsthe Lord says to him,“Take your onlyson, whom you love and offer him tome.” Yet we are not told of the remotesthesitation on Abraham’s part. Hisjustification before God was clearly seenin his obedience. He did not argue withthe Lord. Instead he makes a remarkablestatement of faith.As they come to theedge of the mountain he says to hisservants.“Stay here with the donkey; Iand the lad will go yonder and worship,and come again to you.” The Lord said,“Offer up your son,” but Abraham says,“Iwill be back and Isaac will be too!”

We read in Hebrews 11:19 thatAbraham considered God was able toraise men even from the dead. He wentall the way, put Isaac on the altar, tied himup and was completely prepared tosacrifice him because he believed in theGod who could raise the dead.Abrahambelieved in something which to that pointin time had never happened! And yet hisfaith was so strong he believed that Isaacwould go home with him even if it took amiracle – a resurrection from the dead.Having faith in the Lord he had thespiritual energy and fortitude to obey.Abraham believed God would keep hiscovenant and under no circumstancecould ever violate his promise. In beingwilling to sacrifice his son,Abraham waswilling to sacrifice himself in obedience.

James 2:22 summarizes whathappened in Genesis 22,“You see that hisfaith and his actions were workingtogether, and his faith was madecomplete by what he did.” Those whoreceive righteousness will display thatrighteousness because Christ dwellswithin their hearts. By our works faith isbrought to its purpose and goal.Justification before God is manifest injustification before men. May the Spirit ofChrist bring forth an abundance of fruitof his own work in our lives.

By our works faith is brought to itspurpose and goal.

240 • MAY 7, 2004

Sunday, February 23, 2003 will beremembered as a special day for theChurch at Rockway for several reasons.The first was unexpected. A wintrystorm in the early hours caused a poweroutage which sent various members ofthe congregation searching for campinglanterns and flashlights for use in theworship service. The morning servicewould was conducted by Rev. G.Wieskein a dark gym by the light of a campinglantern perched to the side of the pulpit.A reminder to us that the Lord in hisprovidence determines all things!Secondly, we will remember this Sundayas eight young members made publicprofession of their faith before thecongregation during the morning service.It was an occasion for joy to hear theseyoung men and women respond to theprecious promises of God sealed tothem in their baptism.

But this day will be especiallyremembered as the last Sunday that Rev.Garrelt Wieske served as minister inRockway since beginning his ministry inour congregation on June 15, 1997. Onthis day he retired from the ministry ofthe Word. This made the afternoonservice special for our minister, thecongregation, family and guests.

For his farewell sermon, Rev.Wieskechose Colossians 2: 6, 7 as his text andthe theme:“Christ Alone – That’s theGospel!” This text was explained as theapostle Paul’s instruction how we cameto know Christ, how we must continuein Christ and how we must show love in

Christ. In introducing the theme, Rev.Wieske noted how he began his ministryof the Word in Rockway with a sermonon Mark 10:35. In that text, Christinstructed his disciples how officebearers in his church are called not tolord it over the flock, but to serve thechurch. In so doing, they must follow theteaching and example of their Lord,Whocame not to be served but to serve andwho gave his life as a ransom for many.

The text for the farewell service alsoshows how the Bible can be summarized

in one message, the gospel of JesusChrist who left his divine glory behind,who came as a servant to redeem andtransform his people. In the text, theapostle Paul spoke against the falseteachers that were seeking to lead theColossians astray. They taught that faithin Jesus Christ and Him crucified was notenough. Combining pagan philosophyand legalism, they taught that, apart fromChrist, the believers needed somethingmore, a special knowledge or wisdomwhich the false teachers could provide.

H. Olij

Retirement of Rev. (and Mrs.) G. Wieske1

MAY 7, 2004 • 241

Paul reminds and stresses to theColossians that he taught them the truthof Christ Jesus the Lord, whose namecomprises the entire gospel. The nameof Christ speaks of our Messiah, anointedas prophet, priest and king for his people.The name of Jesus is that mostwonderful Name which tells us of God’sgreat love that He will save his peoplefrom their sins. Outside of Christ, thereis no godly wisdom. Being rooted inHim, we may find all that we need. Inturn, this will also enable us to overflowin thankfulness overwhelmed by thegospel of Christ also.With this message,despite whatever sadness thecongregation and the minister may havefelt with his retirement, we were pointedto the unsurpassable comfort of thegospel of our Lord and Saviour who ismore than sufficient for all our needs.

After the conclusion of the service,the vice-chairman of Rockway’s councilspoke a few words on behalf of thecouncil and the congregation inappreciation of what the Lord enabledRev.Wieske and Mrs.Wieske to doduring his ministry in Rockway since June15, 1997. Rev. J.VanVliet spoke on behalfof the churches of Classis Niagara, andon behalf of the Church at Lincoln whichRev.Wieske served as minister of theWord from October 6, 1985 to August14, 1989. A representative spoke for theChurch at Chatham served by Rev.Wieske as their minister fromSeptember 14, 1992 to June 2, 1997.Aletter from the Church at Neerlandiaserved by Rev.Wieske from August 27,1989 to September 13, 1992 was alsoread expressing the appreciation for hisservice at their congregation. Theneighbouring United Reformedcongregations were also represented byRev. J. Bouwers who spoke a few wordson behalf of the Immanuel OrthodoxReformed Church, at Jordan, Ontario,

and a letter of greeting was read fromthe Trinity Orthodox Reformed Churchat St. Catharines, Ontario.

The following Friday evening,members of the congregation had theiropportunity to bid farewell personally toRev. and Mrs.Wieske. During theevening there were presentations byvarious groups in the congregation underthe capable direction of br. GordonTenhage as the master of ceremonies.The children and young people set themusical tone for the evening with well-rehearsed contributions. Later in theevening the minister and congregationwere serenaded in song by the youngpeople’s society and women’s society.Skits by the deacons, young peoples, andour master of ceremonies kept theevening light-hearted. At various parts ofthe program, representatives of thevarious societies could expressappreciation for the contribution of Rev.and Mrs.Wieske to our church life. Theevening concluded with the presentationof a few gifts to Rev. and Mrs.Wieske anda prayer of thanksgiving and intercessionthat the Lord would continue tosurround his church at Rockway and Rev.and Mrs.Wieske with his providentialcare.

During the evening we also had thebenefit of a speech by br. Leo Rozemainforming (warning?) Rev. and Mrs.Wieske of the busy daily schedules of“so-called” retirees. Rev. and Mrs.Wieskeobviously took his speech to heart andhave since been able to assist both theChurches at Neerlandia and Launceston,Australia. It is our hope and prayer thatthe Lord may continue to bless themwith good health and enable them tocontinue to serve his church in this newstage of their lives together.

1 This article was submitted along withapologies for being late.

242 • MAY 7, 2004

Forty-one men from south Sudan,Ethiopia and Kenya have completed thefirst study term at MERF’s newLokichoggio Ministry Center. During theclosing session each of the trainees hadthe opportunity to comment on hisexperience through the three monthcourse.All expressed overwhelming joyat gaining greater knowledge andunderstanding of the Bible and theology.Several praised other things – such as thewonderful fellowship, medical care,nutritious food and the comfort of thefacilities.

A Graduate’s PersonalTestimony

The testimony of 34-year-oldevangelist Simon Gail Riek is especiallymoving. Simon came from southernSudan’s Western Upper Nile state. Hegrew up in an animist family. His fatherdied during inter-tribal warfare whileSimon was still inside his mother’s womb.

When he was twelve, Simon’s entirevillage was forced to flee fromgovernment troops and foreigncompanies when oil was discovered intheir area. Simon’s family abandonedtheir home and moved south with a fewgoats and all the belongings they couldcarry.They were welcomed by otherNuer people and settled about ninetymiles south of their native area.

It was there that the Lord’s gracecaptured the life of Simon’s eldest

brother, who began zealously evangelizingto his entire family.At age sixteen, Simoncommitted his life to Jesus Christ. Hewas discipled by his brother and anotherNuer convert.

Simon’s brother went away forseveral months and eventually returned

with an educated Nuer believer.Theirvision was to educate and evangelize tothe people. Simon was a beneficiary. Helearned to read and write and do simplemath as well as quite a bit of Bible and alittle English. More importantly, Simonsensed a strong call to preach the gospelto the Nuer people. Simon married ayoung woman who shared his outlook.The Lord has blessed them with fourboys, a few goats to support their familyand a small piece of land to raise maizeand vegetables.

Simon gave most of his energy to hiswork as an evangelist. In the 1990’s,revival spread among many animist Nuerpeople in the Western Upper Nile.TheLord used Simon to convert severalthousands! Simon organized fivecongregations.The largest is 4,500 strong today!

First Graduating Class atLokichoggio Ministry Center

MERF’s initial class of 41 Lokichoggio trainees were honored in a graduation service on Febru-ary 8, 2004.The inaugural study term had begun November 10, 2003.The graduates have

since returned home to serve.

Evangelist Simon GailRiek recentlycompleted a3 - monthtrainingcourse atMERF’s newLoki center.

MAY 7, 2004 • 243

Simon praised his Lokichoggiotraining experience:

“I had never been beyond our area inthe western upper Nile. I had only seenmud and straw buildings. I heard aboutkerosene lamps and electricity, but hadnever seen anything of the sort, otherthan some lights of military vehicles usedby the anti-government resistance whenthey came near. I went to board theplane in Koc to come here, after walkingfor most of a day. It felt like a dream!

“When the plane reached northernKenya, I saw modern buildings for thefirst time. It took me several days to getused to sleeping on a bed and using thetap for water and understanding otherthings which use water. Until now it isdifficult for me to actually believe wehave light at night through some hanginglines. I came here quite a bit thinner. Mystomach pains are gone and I feel veryhealthy. It took me many days to begininteracting with people here. Now Ienjoy the fellowship of my fellow traineesthroughout the day.

“I will miss this place and the peopleI met here; but I cannot wait to go backto my family and people to share withthem my experiences and the riches ofGod’s Word.”

After a February 8th graduationservice attended by approximately 200,MERF-chartered missionary aircraft flewthe trainees back to resume ministry totheir respective homes in Sudan.

MERF’s Outreach toLokichoggio’s Turkanas

Kenya’s northwestern frontier townof Lokichoggio is a remarkablycosmopolitan place. It is built around oneof the busiest airports in Africa. Fromdawn to dusk, engines roar as planes ofall sizes take off and land, mostlytransporting relief supplies to southernSudan as well as Uganda, Congo, Somaliaand Ethiopia.

Built on Turkana tribal land,Lokichoggio is home to huge UN relieffacilities as well as office and storagecompounds of numerous non-government organizations (NGOs).Streets are busy with supply trucks andfour-wheel drive NGO vehicles. Kenyansof various tribal backgrounds have movedto Loki in pursuit of UN and NGO jobs.Yet, indigenous Turkanas remain the mostnumerous people group.Thousands livein mud huts surrounding the airport andthe modern buildings of the variousNGO’s.While Turkana land constitutesover 25% of Kenya, it remains one of EastAfrica’s most underdeveloped regions.Most Turkana people live primitively andremain poor.

Soon after its new compoundopened in Lokichoggio, MERF beganministering to the local Turkana people.Sudanese Pastor Tut Wan, MERF EastAfrica Coordinator, has established manyhelpful contacts with local Turkanas andtheir leaders. MERF recently appointedKenyan Pastor Jeremiah Nyarango toserve as an evangelist and Bible teacheramong the Turkanas.

Please pray for the Lord’s provisionof additional workers to minister tothese needy people.

Yours’ in the Lord’s service,J. Mulder, ChairmanJ.VanDam, Secretary

Simon had neverbefore travelled beyond his homearea in south Sudan’s WesternUpper Nilestate.

Over 150 local Turkana people regularly attend Sunday worship services inMERF’s Lokichoggio chapel.

244 • MAY 7, 2004

Yearbook 2004As we look at what’s new over the

past months, perhaps it is good to beginwith the publication of the Yearbook2004.This yearbook was received at theend of March, and is a very functionaltool for those involved in church life. Itshould actually appear in January of eachyear, but that’s probably a pipe-dream.Weare grateful that it is published at all.

I am not going to give a review ofthis yearbook; the idea is that you readit yourself. I want to mention that theChurch of Ancaster is the largest (555),while the church at Denver is thesmallest (32). Smithville comes close tothe higher ranking in numbers with 542members. I remember what a brothersaid in the time when we were thinkingabout institution in Attercliffe:Attercliffewill never grow and Smithville will dieout.Well now, a prophet is known bythe truth of his words. Meanwhilechurches in Grassie and Dunnville havebeen instituted, and still the Niagaraarea is booming with church growth. It’sa good thing we did not at the timelisten to the doomsayers.

I am notoriously bad at simplearithmetic. But if I have added the statsup correctly, our churches have grownwith 402 members.That’s not bad,considering that many churches all overthe world are losing membership.Numbers are not really important assuch.At the same time, a living churchmust be a growing church. Kudos to Dr. J.Visscher for his excellent editing workon this project. Hamilton’s missionary,however, is not B. de Graaf but A. deGraaf (Bram whose real name is Abram).

I know by experience that it is easy tobecome a little confused.

I do not know if every church still hasthe custom of handing out theseyearbooks free to each communicantmember.That may have been a goodthing years ago, but nowadays in ourpostmodern society we should becharged for at least part of the cost.“Freebies” belong to the past, when wewere all poor immigrants.There is muchmoney spent on other items that are lessimportant. Hopefully the publisher willnot be duped when churches startcharging for these yearbooks.

The new yearbooks are here; usethem well, lest they become dustcollectors on the shelves in someforgotten corner.

New E-mail addressWe have this email address @

canrc.org. Something strange ishappening there, however. Someone isusing that list or name to send corruptemails to ministers (and otherunsuspecting persons), mails whichcontain worms or viruses and otheryucky stuff. Hence I am always cautionedby my server not to open attachments.This really cramps my style.

I have a new email address. Pleasesend all matters related to this columnto: clstam@mountaincable.net.Yes, I havegone on cable and someone evensuggested that it’s “digital,” but I don’tknow what that means. Please use thisemail address when sending items forthe What’s New??? column.Then you willbe assured that it will arrive and maybeeven published.

Close to homeWe start our survey close to home. In

the Hamilton area there is a “ParticipationHouse” for the handicapped.The churchat Glanbrook has decided that a newoutreach program for this house isnecessary. From the bulletin we glean thefollowing,“The formal part of the eveningwill start at 7:00 p.m. and will run no laterthan 7:45 p.m. It will include Bible reading,a brief presentation based on Scripture,singing and prayer.Thereafter, there will betime to visit informally with the residentsin the common room.” This is a goodinitiative, although one might wonderwhat effect this can have.

Through the years I have participatedin many such programs in care homesand residences for the elderly. It took alot of time and effort, but often Iwondered if we were really gettingthrough.The bulletin tells us thatthirteen men have made themselvesavailable as “future speakers.” Wow.Hopefully this grand initiative will besustained. It is important for a church tobe involved in “outreach.”

Another item from Glanbrook’sbulletin is a little confusing.We readunder the heading “Glanbrook Gobbleand Go” that the “YPS would like toremind all who are interested and havenot already done so, to sign up for the allnew Gobble and Goat the back of thechurch.” Yup, that’s what it says.Theword goat must be a typo while there isalso a word missing in the sentence.Can you find the missing word? I findthe expression “gobble and go” ratherintriguing. I don’t think it suggests thatthe members there are a bunch of

Cl. Stam

Rev. Cl. Stam is minister of theCanadian Reformed Church at

Hamilton, Ontario.clstam@mountaincable.net

What’sNew???

MAY 7, 2004 • 245

turkeys. Sometimes an attempt atalliteration can lead to wrongconclusions.Turkeys and goats, what acombination. Everything’s possible inthe country.

The Church at Ancaster has thepleasant duty of extending a call to thenew professor, Dr.A. de Visser. Rev. G. vanPopta gives the following explanation,“This morning the council announcedthat we have decided to extend a call tothe Rev. Dr.A.J. de Visser of Pretoria,South Africa.Why, you may ask, are wecalling another minister? The pastGeneral Synod appointed Dr. de Visser toserve as a professor at our TheologicalCollege.Why is Ancaster calling him?

There is a good reason for this call. Inthe Reformed churches, ministers arealways bound to a specific local church.We state this in Article 6 of the ChurchOrder (please see page 658 of your Bookof Praise).The “special ministerial task”that Dr. de Visser will “be charged with”is the training of students of theology forthe work of minister of the Word (seeArticle 19 of the Church Order, page662, Book of Praise).

General Synod 1968 decided that if aCanadian Reformed minister is appointedto the College, he shall remain bound tothe church he last served.An example ofthis scenario would be Prof. G.H.Visscher who remains a minister of theChurch at Burlington-Waterdown. Synod1968 decided that if a minister comesfrom one of our sister churches abroad,the church within whose geographicalboundaries the College lies shall beasked to extend a call to him.Anexample of this scenario would be Dr.N.H. Gootjes who came from Korea.Ancaster Church was asked to call him.He is a minister of Ancaster Church butcharged with the special task of teachingat the College. Dr. de Visser will beanother example of this latter scenario.

It is a great honour for AncasterChurch to serve the federation ofchurches in this way. Because a call cannotbe extended unless the congregationapproves of it, the proposed call will beannounced today and next Sunday. If thereare no lawful objections, the call will beformally extended after that.

This call has a certain formality to itin that Dr. de Visser will not have anynormal ministerial responsibilities in thecongregation; neither will thecongregation have any responsibilitiestowards the proper support of Dr. deVisser and his family.And yet the call is

important.We know of no such thing asa freelance minister.The professors arefirst of all ministers of the Word.Theoffice of a minister is intimately tied tothe local church.And so, as we haveagreed in Article 6 of the Church Order,“No one shall serve in the ministryunless he is bound to a certain church.”

In Hamilton we have three learnedmen who are now emeriti. It can be kindof intimidating to a local lowly ministerto have such highly trained academiciansin one’s congregation. But I’m sure theRev. G. van Popta is quite comfortable onthe pulpit; he’s had some practice withthree other professors. One Dutchprofessor once assured me that“professors are such benevolentlisteners.” Yeah, sure.

From a previous Ancaster bulletin wealso note the following (Press release ofa council meeting),“An update on thecurrent Streetlight finances is received.There can be thankfulness at the supportthat has been received so far.We willcontinue working towards settingsufficient funding in place to call aMissionary for Streetlight in due course.

Council also receives an updated listof members from within our Ancastercongregation who currently serveStreetlight in a volunteer capacity.”

Farther awayTrying to glean some information

from parts farther removed, I have beenpromised various bulletins.These can besent nowadays via email. But please donot send them as attachments, but placethem in the main body of the letter. Mycomputer program removes allattachments as being unsafe.

The Manitoba Church News, whichis a printed in fine format (you needAdobe to open it) represents no lessthan five churches, namely, four inManitoba and one in Denver. In theMarch 28 issue, Rev. K. Jonker gives anoverview of some of Synod Chatham’sdecisions. It would be nice to see suchan effort published in Clarion, so that wecan all take note of it.

I noticed that two of the ministersmentioned in this bulletin are listed aspastor instead of “reverend” (Rev. forshort). In Nederlands Dagblad I readsome time ago that one of the ministers(a former missionary of one of ourCanadian churches) in The Netherlandsout rightly rejects the title “reverend”(or the Dutch dominee, from the Latindominus, master) and wishes only to be

called “pastor.” Our beloved colleaguehit the national press with this request.

The title “reverend” would not be inaccordance with Scripture.The textused was Matthew 23: 8-10.“But youare not to be called ‘Rabbi’; for you haveonly one master and you are allbrothers.And do not call anyone onearth ‘father,’ for you have one Father,and He is in heaven. Nor are you to becalled ‘teacher’ for you have one Teacher,the Christ.” I love humility.

The reason I have not insisted on theuse of the name pastor lies elsewhere. Ihave always understood that all elders arepastors (cf.Acts 20: 28). I was also taughtthat the office of the minister is a distinctoffice.The minister/pastor is first andforemost a preacher.The task of thepreacher is that he above and besides thetask of pasturing also has the calling topreach the Word, and is therefore rightlycalled a “minister of the Word.” In fact,preaching (and teaching) may well be theminister’s main calling, for which he hasstudied extensively. He should perhapsbe called Preacher (or Qoheleth,Hebrew, as in the book Ecclesiastes).

If we consider the minister to be anelder, then of this elder it is written,“…the elders who direct the affairs ofthe church are worthy of double honour,especially those whose work is preachingand teaching.” (1 Tim 5: 17, italics mine,Cl.S). Preachers and teachers especiallyare worthy of double honour (henceprobably the adjective “reverend”).Thishonour is also shown in the fact thatthese men have the right to be paid fortheir work (cf. verse 18).What’s in aname? I only question a name when it isspecifically altered and purposely chosen.Hopefully the respect for the office of aminister does not erode.

I do have a question, however. Doesour confession teach a two office or athree office view? This may be ofimportance also in our discussions withPresbyterian brothers and sisters.Asmuch as I love humility, I also love clarity.The reading of bulletins can lead to a far-reaching chain of thought.

Signing off for todayWell, I’ve managed to get only from

Hamilton to Winnipeg, and my space islong gone. So I’ll have to sign off for theday. But please keep the bulletins coming.

There is so much happening! There ismuch that needs to be reported on. Ipromise not to hurt anyone’s feelings.Well, I promise to try.Till next time.

246 • MAY 7, 2004

The Lord God dwells in heaven. Byhis might and power He looks after allthe things He created in the beginning.As the result of our sin, much sorrowand pain has entered into the lives ofus all. I am sure you, too, know that.That was God’s punishment which we deserve.

When they happen, you wonderwhy. Isn’t God our Father and are wenot his children? He promised to forgive

our sins, when we pray him for it.Whydoes He allow all those bad experiencesto enter into our lives? Is thatpunishment? Did Jesus not take uponhimself our punishment?

That is true; Jesus did suffer thepunishment we deserve. But there issomething else we should keep in mind.Imagine your parents would allow you todo whatever you like. Imagine they wouldnever tell you to do something that is

hard. Imagine they would be friendly toyou when you had been very annoying.What would be the result? You would bea spoiled brat!

Our Father in heaven is a goodfather. He wants us to grow up as peoplewho believe Him and who are brave. Hewants us to be people who trust Himalways and everywhere. Do you knowwhat that means?

It means that you trust him when youhave enough to eat.And also when youdon’t have enough.When you are healthyand strong.And also when you are sickor disabled.We have to trust himwhatever happens to us, good or bad.

God is your Father, but that doesnot mean you will experience onlyhappy events.

The daily news reports tell you aboutearthquakes, famine, war – the list goeson and on.All kinds of bad things happen.

And you wonder: Is God notpowerful? Would He not be able toprevent such evil things fromhappening? True, he could prevent thesefrom happening. But often He does notdo that. For He wants to teach uspatience. He wants to teach us to relyon Him always.

Later, we may live on the new earth.No sin or pain or sorrow exists there.Then, we will also understand this better.

Lord’s Day 10

Children’s CatechismJ.Wiskerke van Dooren

Mrs. J.Wiskerke van Doorenpublished a Children’s Catechismin Dutch.This has been translated

with her permission.

MAY 7, 2004 • 247

On October 23 and 24, 2003, over150 teachers converged on Smithville,Ontario, for a time of reflection, study,camaraderie, growth, andencouragement.The venue for theconvention was John Calvin School(established 1964), as well as the adjacentchurch building and the local arena.Thisreview highlights some of the events.Keynote speeches will be publishedseparately in this column inasmuch as thepresenters have agreed to do so.

Miss Jane Holtvluwer (Burlington), onbehalf of the CRTA-East executive,opened the 2003 convention. Shehanded over the “reigns” to Mr. KeithSikkema (Smithville) who made severalannouncements and introduced the threepanellists: Mr. Lammert Jagt, Miss JudyKingma and Mrs. Christine Van Halen-Faber. The panellists all addressed thequestion:What makes our Reformedschools unique?

Mr. Lammert JagtMr. Jagt discussed the organizational

structures which make our Reformedschools unique. He discussed theimportance and necessity of boardmembers to educate and re-educatethemselves as to what it means to run aReformed school. He urged the board

to maintain vision and to have a plan thatimplements that vision for the school.Secondly, he stated that the necessity ofparental involvement is key tomaintaining a Reformed school, whereparents are involved in the educationcommittee, other committees, and in theday-to-day learning at school. If parentalinvolvement simply means “paying thebills,” then the school doesn’t have orhasn’t shared with the parents their tasksin maintaining a Reformed school.Thirdly, Mr. Jagt urged schools to shareand network together to maintain anduphold Reformed education:“We areeach other’s best resources,” he stated.Boards, principals, and staff must keepnetworking as part of their vision tomaintain Reformed education. Plansshould be developed by boards,teachers and even CRTA to further thisaspect of networking.

Miss Judy KingmaIn her prepared statement, Miss

Kingma highlighted four characteristicsthat define Reformed education. Ourschools are first of all confessional. Inthe schools classrooms, teachers must“say the same as God”; in other words,they must see the Bible as normativeover all content taught in the school,

over staff and students, and over thegoals established by the school. Forexample, when we write units, we should not write units from a beautifulnew textbook, but we should first think of what we want to teach,and then find resources and activities,including beautiful new textbooks, toimplement our new curriculum units inthe classroom.

Secondly, our schools are covenantal.Teachers and learners are children of aliving God who established a relationshipwith his people and says,“I love you, loveme in return.” Love is expressed inobedience to God and to the neighbour.Love without obedience is not love.Obedience without love is notobedience. Students and staff must walkin love, living in the household of faith,obedient to the God of the covenant.

Thirdly, Reformed education isantithetical. Miss Kingma quoted Prof.Holwerda who had once written,“Maythe theme of the great enmity seize usagain. . . .” She stated that Reformededucation involves that struggle betweenthe woman and Satan. God’s victoryover Satan is manifest in the daily lovingobedience of the children at school.There will be a constant struggle

Teachers Meet in the Hub of the Niagara Peninsula

Conventions like these are certainly worthwhileevents that teachers and boards continue to do well to invest in.

Education MattersA. Kingma and K. Sikkema

Mr.Arthur Kingma is principalof Attercliffe

Canadian Reformed ElementarySchool in Ontario.

abkingma@kwic.com

Mr. Keith Sikkema is a grade 8 teacher and

vice-principal at John CalvinSchool in Smithville, Ontario.

ksikkema@juno.com

248 • MAY 7, 2004

between the seed of the woman and theseed of the serpent, but God will use the“praise from the mouth of babes andinfants to still the enemy and theavenger.” It is therefore part ofReformed education to teach andprepare the children so that they maypraise their Maker and Redeemer, and sothat they may say no to the temptationsand teachings of the avenger.

Fourthly, Reformed educationupholds a unity of purpose. Here MissKingma paralleled Mr. Jagt by highlightingthe necessity of a close relationshipbetween home, church and school.Reformed education is a “hand-foot” taskto parents. There is a communaldimension to Reformed education thatneeds to be maintained.

Mrs. Christine Van Halen-Faber

Mrs.VanHalen-Faber grappled (afavourite word of hers) with the topic ofpedagogy. She urged teachers to think offive key concepts for Reformed pedagogy:1. Teachers must call upon the Name of

the Lord. They need to ask the Lordto help them in their task of teachingand reaching to the students.

2. Teachers need “mensen kennis” orpoorly translated as “peoplewisdom.” They need to knowinglyspeak, reprimand, re-teach, ignore orrephrase. They need to be wise inhandling and teaching their students.

3. Teachers must be pedagogues. Apedagogue was a slave who picked upand brought children of the masterto and from school, who walked andtalked with the children along theway. They were the ones who dealtwith the small things, unimportant toadults, perhaps, but important tochildren. Teachers must be faithful inthe small things.

4. Teachers must be aware of God’stime. We live between the Gardenand the New City. We live inshortened days; we live in a timewhere ungodliness is increasingrapidly in our western culture. We

also need to realize that our days arenumbered. So teachers should notbe busy with all kinds of things (e.g.school activities, covering thecurriculum), but with teaching. Thecurriculum could possibly be re-examined in the light of God’s time.

5. Lastly, teachers are professionals: inlove to the Father. We need to doour tasks prayerfully, with depth ofinsight, sensitively, and with love forstudents and work. If we do notlove students or our work, get out(of teaching), Mrs.VanHalenemphatically stated.

DiscussionIn the discussion it was

acknowledged that Reformed educationis hard to define. Is Reformed educationcovered totally in all the parts listedabove, or is it greater than the sum of itsparts? It is not just a matter ofbelieving teachers following a list, but it isa matter of obedience, willingness,wisdom, sensitivity and the like which isworked in us by the Holy Spirit throughthe preaching of the gospel.The HolySpirit’s work should not beunderestimated. The antithetical aspectof education was discussed further, notonly looking at the work of Christ inhumble submission to his Father’s will,but also looking at the need for teachersto know the “thetical” aspects ofReformed thinking and working that intoour curriculums and classrooms. After

the discussion, Mr. Henk Nobel, themoderator, made some concludingremarks on the topic, thanked thepanellists, and urged us to enjoy the restof the day.

During the rest of the day, teacherscould attend, before and after a heartyand tasty lunch in the Smithville Arena,two of the eighteen workshops (wow!)provided. Topics covered “Get itTogether” math, Four Blocks Phonics,Ultimate Frisbee, building a schoolwebsite, substance use, healthy eating,student evaluation, French Plus, Life skillswriting,The Courage to Teach, and yetother topics and a smorgasbord for all tochoose from.

Rev. D.AgemaFriday morning, the convention

reconvened in the Smithville churchbuilding. Rev. D.Agema (Attercliffe)presented a devotional address on thetheme for the convention, which wastaken from Jeremiah 29:12-13: Then youwill call upon me and come and pray to me,and I will listen to you.You will seek me andfind me when you seek me with all yourheart. Rev.Agema placed the devotionalin the context of being child-like, as Jesusdemonstrated in answer to the disciples’question about who would be thegreatest in the kingdom of heaven. Forthem, as well as for the people inJeremiah’s days who thought that theBabylonian exile would be of shortduration, it takes humility and therecognition of one’s shortcomings andsins – of which they must daily repent –to “find Him” or to be in the kingdom of

Mr. Jagt urged schools toshare and networktogether to maintain anduphold Reformededucation: Reformededucation involves thatstruggle between thewoman and Satan.

ChurChurch Newsch NewsCalled by the church ofCloverdale, British Columbia:Rev. R.E. Potof Orangeville, Ontario.

Called by the church ofRockway, OntarioRev. C.J.Vander Veldeof Yarrow, British Columbia.

MAY 7, 2004 • 249

heaven. God requires a heartfelt humilityfrom us and from the children we teach.We also learn from the address in theLord ’s Prayer that childlike reverenceand trust in God the Father must beawakened in our lives. In that case, whenwe call upon him, He will listen.

WorkshopsAfter the devotional, teachers had a

choice of eight workshops to attend,which catered to people interested incomputers, special education, reporting,socialization, and personality traits, aswell as teaching Bible and music.Following a break of chatting, nibblingand browsing, the CRTA businessmeeting generated some discussion onthe presentation by members of the

Salary Committee and a number ofproposed constitutional changes.Themembership was quite willing to adoptchanges that recognized current practice,

but not those that would lead todifferent interpretations of theassociation’s aims. Some took theopportunity to take better notice ofdisplays from various publishers andother organizations.Another deliciouslunch was served by the local ladiesauxiliary.Teachers then had the choice of

eight more workshops to attend,including one on archaeology, learningdifficulties, dealing with evolution,bullying, and how to make the best of anhour of ice time.

Judging by the evaluations teachersgave of the convention, it was a goodone. Much formal learning took place, butample opportunity was also given forinformally (re-)connecting with other(student-) teachers from Ontario andMichigan.The two days were packed,busy, meaningful and enjoyable.Conventions like these are certainlyworthwhile events that teachers andboards continue to do well to invest in,as they can enhance and support thequality and character of reformededucation in our schools.

So teachers should not bebusy with all kinds ofthings, but with teaching.

Press Release of ClassisPacific East, March 25, 2004,held in Vernon, B.C.

On behalf of the convening Churchat Vernon, Rev. J. Moesker welcomed thedelegates to Vernon. He read from 2Peter 1:1-11, requested the singing ofPsalm 107:1,2 and lead in prayer. Rev.Moesker noted with thankfulness thatthe vacancy of a professor at theTheological College could be filled withthe appointment Dr.A.J. de Visser. Healso noted that Rev.W.Wielengareceived and declined a call to theChurch at Neerlandia and is nowconsidering a call from the Churchat Cloverdale.

The delegates from the Church atLynden find the credentials to be in goodorder and Classis is constituted. It isnoted the minister of Abbotsford, Rev. R.Schouten is not present due to healthconcerns in his family. The followingofficers are appointed, Rev. M. Moeskeras chairman, Rev. M.H.VanLuik as vice-chairman and Rev. P.H. Holtvluwer asclerk. The agenda is adopted.

Correspondence Received:a. A letter from a sister appealing the

decision of her consistory to placeher under discipline is received.Theappeal is declared admissible. Classisdeals with the matter in closedsession. The appeal is denied.

Reports.a. Classis receives a report from Rev.

Holtvlüwer on his delegation to theWestern Classis of the ReformedChurch in the United States March 9-11, 2004. The report notes thatthere are needy chapels in theWestern Classis of the RCUS andthere are possibilities for thechurches to help in a financial way. Itis also reported that the RCUSchurches of the Western Classis areopen to the possibility of pulpitexchanges as a way to promotegreater knowledge of one another.

b. Church visitors give reports on theirvisits to the Churches at Abbotsfordand Vernon.

c. Classis receives a report from thetreasurer of Classis Pacific East.Words of appreciation are spoken for

the report and the work that thetreasurer has done on behalf of thechurches of Classis.

d. Classis receives a report from thetreasurer of the Needy ChurchesFund.

Question period according to Art 44,CO.

All Churches affirm that the ministryof the office-bearers is being continuedand that the decisions of the majorassemblies are being honoured. Thereare two churches that need the judgmentand help of Classis for the propergovernment of their churcha. The Church at Abbotsford asks for

advice with regard to a matter of

Press Releases

250 • MAY 7, 2004

discipline. Advice is given for theconsistory to proceed with discipline.

b. The consistory at Chilliwack asks foradvice with regard to the discipline ofsix members. Classis gives advice forthe consistory to proceed withdiscipline in all cases.

Appointments:a. The Church at Yarrow is appointed as

the convening church for the nextClassis. Classis will be convened inYarrow on June 10 at 9 AM: alternatedate is September 23, 2004.

b. The suggested officers for nextClassis are: Chairman – Rev. M.H.VanLuik,Vice-chairman – Rev. P.H.Holtvlüwer and clerk – Rev. R.Schouten.

c. The committee for examination ofstudents for the ministry isreappointed.

d. The Church Visitors, Rev. J. Moesker,Rev. R. Schouten, Rev. M.H.VanLuik(convener) and Rev.W.M.Wielengaare reappointed as is the alternateRev. C.J.VanderVelde.

e. The Church at Abbotsford isreappointed as church for taking careof the archives of Classis and theChurch at Yarrow as the church toinspect the archives.

f. Brother R. Leyenhorst is reappointedas treasurer of Classis and theChurch at Vernon is reappointed asthe church for auditing the books ofthe treasurer.

g. The Committee for Financial Aid toStudents for the Ministry isreappointed as well as theCommittee for Needy Churches.

h. Appointed as deputy for preachingarrangements is Rev. P.H. Holtvlüwer.

Question Period was used.The chairman thankfully notes that

Christian Censure (Art 34 CO) was notnecessary.

Acts of classis are adopted and PressRelease is approved.

The chairman requests the singing ofPsalm 107:12 and the chairman gavethanks in prayer.

Rev. M.H.VanLuikVice-chairman e.t

Press Release of ClassisNorthern Ontario, March 26,2004, held in Fergus, Ontario

Opening.On behalf of the convening Church

of Fergus, Rev. J. Louwerse called themeeting to order. He requested thesinging of Psalm 147:1,4 and then readfrom Revelation 1:4-end, after which heled in prayer.

Examination of the Credentials.The delegates from Elora examined

the credentials and found them to be ingood order. Three churches hadrequested advice.

Constitution of Classis.Classis was declared constituted. The

officers are Rev. B. Berends – chairman,Rev. C.Vermeulen – vice-chairman; Rev. P.Aasman – clerk. The chairmanwelcomed all. With respect to matters ofmemorabilia, it was mentioned that Rev.R. Pot has received and declined a callfrom the Canadian Reformed Church inNeerlandia, Rev. J.Van Woudenberg hadreceived and declined a call from the FreeReformed Church in Launceston, that theRev. J.Van Popta was moving to Ontarioand available for pulpit supply, and that anew professor, Rev.A.J. de Visser, had beenappointed at the Theological College.

Adoption of the agenda.The agenda for this meeting was

adopted after some minor alterationsand additions.

Reports.a. The Committee for Needy Churches

for Classis Northern Ontarioreported on their fund, and alsorequested Classis to appoint areplacement for brother C. Lodder,whose term had come to an end.Brother C.Van Raalte was appointedto replace him.

b. Church Visitation report was read ofvisit to Owen Sound Church, and wasreceived with gratitude.

Proposals and or Instructions of theChurches.

In closed session classis dealt withtwo appeals.

Question period according toArticle 44 of the Church Order.

All churches affirm that the ministryof the office-bearers is being continuedand the decisions of broader assembliesare being honoured. The Churches atOrangeville, Guelph and Owen Soundrequested advice from Classis. Advicewas given.

Address by Observers to Classis.a. Rev.A. Merwin passed on greetings

from the United Reformed Churchesvia an email.

b Rev. J. Louwerse presented a reportabout his visit to the Classis South-Western Ontario of the UnitedReformed Churches convened atGrace United Reformed Church ofSimcoe County.

Appointments.Convening Church for next Classis –

Grand Valley.Suggested Officers for next Classis –

Chairman – Rev. P. Feenstra;Vice-chairman – Rev. P.Aasman; Clerk – Rev. B.Berends.

Invitation of observers to the nextclassis.

The Church at Grand Valley willreceive and extend any invitations to theURC Classis.

Question period.Nobody made use of question

period.

Censure according to Article 34 ofthe CO.

The chairman thankfully noted thatcensure was not necessary.

Adoption of the Acts and PressRelease.

The Acts are adopted and a PressRelease was approved.

Closing.The chairman requested classis to

sing Psalm 16:1,4 and then led in prayer.The chairman closed classis.

Rev. C.Vermeulen,for Classis Northern Ontario,

March 26, 2004

MAY 7, 2004 • 251

Press Release of ClassisPacific West, March 30, 2004held in Willoughby Heights,B.C.

Opening

On behalf of the convening church,Rev. D. Poppe opened the meeting withthe reading of Colossians 1:1-23 andprayer. He then invited the delegates tosing together from Psalm 92:1, 2 andextended some words of welcome,especially to Rev.William VanderWoerdof the Abbotsford United ReformedChurch of North America. We reflectedwith thanksgiving and praise on theretirement of Rev. C.VanSpronsenfollowing many years of faithful service.With thankfulness it is also noted thatCloverdale celebrated its 50thanniversary. Cloverdale has also calledRev.W.Wielenga. The Church ofSmithers reports that there has been amember in Fort Babine who has publiclyprofessed her faith. Rev. E. Kampen iscongratulated for completing his Master’sof Theology and it is noted that theChurch of Langley has decided to call asecond minister.

The Church of Cloverdale examinedthe credentials and found them to be ingood order. Classis was declaredconstituted and the following officerswere appointed: Chairman: Rev. C.VanSpronsen,Vice-chairman: Rev. D.Poppe, Clerk: Rev. J.Visscher. Thechairman thanked the convening churchand the agenda is adopted.

Correspondence

A letter was received from Rev. E.Kampen as contact person for thechurches with whom we haveecclesiastical fellowship. Classis decidedto appoint a deputy as coordinator formaintaining contact with the URC, OPCand PCK as necessary via delegates totheir classical assemblies and to informClassis Pacific East of this decision.

Reports1. The classical treasurer reported on

the income and expenditures ofClassis for the year 2003 and wasthanked for his work.

2. The Church of Cloverdale reportedthat the books of the treasurer werein good order.

3. The Church of Houston reportedthat the archives are in good order.

4. The church visitors reported on theirvisits to the Churches of Surrey andWilloughby Heights.

5. A report was given on a visit toClassis Western Canada of theURCNA held November 21, 2003 inEdmonton,Alberta.We adopted arecommendation to send delegatesto these meetings on a rotating basis.

Question Period Question period ad Church Order

Article 44 was held. The Church ofCloverdale asks and receives advice intwo matters of discipline. In both casesClassis concurs with this church toproceed with the second announcementof discipline. The Church of Langleyasks and receives advice from themembers of Classis with respect to apastoral matter.

Appointmentsa) Convening church for next Classis,

place and time:Church at Langley, in Langley’s churchbuilding on June 22, 2004 withSeptember 28, 2004 as alternate date.

b) Suggested officers for next classis:Chairman: Rev. D. PoppeVice-Chairman: Rev. J.VisscherClerk: Rev. E. Kampen

c) Committee for examinations:1. Coordinators/sermon –

Revs. J.Visscher and E. Kampen2. Exegesis Old Testament –

Rev. J.VanSpronsen3. Exegesis New Testament –

Rev. E. Kampen4. Knowledge of Scripture –

Rev. J.VanSpronsen5. Doctrine and creeds –

Rev. J.Visscher

6. Church history –Rev. J.Visscher

7. Ethics –Rev. D. Poppe

8. Church Polity –Rev. E. Kampen

9. Diaconiology –Rev. D. Poppe

d) Church visitors: Revs. E. Kampen(convener) J.Visscher, and D. Poppe.

e) Church for taking care of thearchives: Smithers

f) Church to inspect the archives:Houston

g) Classical Treasurer: Br. R. H. Mulder,#208-6247 – 121 St. Surrey, BC,V3X3J2, ph. (604) 596-6657

h) Church for auditing the books of thetreasurer: Cloverdale.

i) Committee for Financial Aid toStudents for the Ministry: R. H.Mulder, M.VanDriel and J.Winkel(convener).

j) Committee for Financial Aid toNeedy Churches: H. Leyenhorst, R.VanOene, P. Vandergugten (convener).

k) Deputy for preaching arrangementsin vacant churches: Rev. E. Kampen

l) Deputy for contact with churcheswith whom we have ecclesiasticalcontact: Rev. E. Kampen

m) Counsellors for vacant churches:Cloverdale: Rev. J.Visscher and Surrey:Rev. E. Kampen. The Church of Surreyand Cloverdale both request andreceive pulpit supply once per month.It is decided to ask Classis Pacific Eastfor aid in this respect.

ClosingDelegates were given opportunity for

question period. Opportunity was givenfor Christian censure. The Acts wereadopted and the press release wasapproved. In closing we read fromEcclesiastes 12:9-14, sang from Hymn46:1, 2, and the chairman closed themeeting with thanksgiving prayer.

For Classis Pacific WestD. Ph. Poppe

Vice-chairman at that time

252 • MAY 7, 2004

Together with our parents Mr. and Mrs. Albert van der Heide ofSurrey, BC and Mr. and Mrs. Adri Louwerse of St. Albert, AB, we

KKARINA EVERARINA EVERTINA THEODORTINA THEODORA VA VANDERHEIDE ANDERHEIDE

andand

ARARTHUR LOUWERSE THUR LOUWERSE invite you to share in our joy as we are united as one before theLord on Saturday, the Fifteenth of May, Two Thousand and Four

at one o’clock in the afternoon.Canadian Reformed Church of Langley

21804 - 52nd Avenue, Langley, BC Reverend James Visscher officiating.

Future address: 21761 - 49a Langley, BC V3A 6C4

45th Wedding Anniversary1959 ~ May 15 ~ 2004

The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord make his face to shine uponyou and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up his countenance upon you,

and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

PETER PETER andand ANNE DOORANNE DOORTENTEN (nee Zeldenr(nee Zeldenrust)ust)We thank the Lord for blessing our parents and grandparents with

45 years of marriage.Mom and Dad / Oma and Opa: You are such a blessing in our lives.

We love you!Edmonton, AB: Carolyn and Henry Vanderveen

Daniel, Vanessa (and Jon Smeding), Carmen, Leanne

Shirley and Chris RypstraAshley, Emily, Bridgette

Ron and Michelle DoortenPeter, Luke, Rachelle

Darcy and Carolyn DoortenHolly, Hannah, Spencer

12323 - 135th Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5L 4M7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his pre-cepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise.

Psalm 111:10With joy, we are pleased to announce the 30th Wedding

Anniversary of our loving parents

LEO LEO andand AFKE LODDER AFKE LODDER (nee Bouwman)(nee Bouwman)Our parents were married on June 1, 1974 in Fergus, Ontario.Congratulations, mom and dad! May the LORD grant you both

many more years together. Love from:

Crystal and Dave HeikampBrigette and Paul VanHuisstede

Tim LodderConrad Lodder

Advertisements:Advertisements:Announcements of Weddings, Anniversaries (with Open House)should be submitted six weeks in advance.

WWEDDINGSEDDINGS

CLARION ADVERTISEMENTS

n n

AANNIVERSARIESNNIVERSARIES

OOBITUBITUARIESARIES

December 1, 1989 - April 9, 2004He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more

death or mourning or crying or pain. . . Revelation 21:4aIn His infite wisdom, and in His own perfect timing, the Lord

took home to glory our son and brotherMARMARTEN JOHN KTEN JOHN KORNELIS JORNELIS JANSENANSEN

After overcoming a battle with leukemia, Marten stillstruggled with the devastating effects of Duchenne Muscular

Dystrophy. By taking him home in His perfect timing, the Lordspared Marten much of the suffering that humanly speaking

lay ahead for him. What a comfort to know that in onemoment, God Himself has wiped away the tears and the

sorrow that in this life, we could not. May Marten's favouriteverse be a comfort to us and to all who mourn for him “. . .but

those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They willsoar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they

will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)Clarence and Anita

Alyssa, Rachael, Rebecca, Joshua98 Morgandale Crescent, Orangeville, Ontario L9W 3C7

cajansen@sympatico.ca

December 1, 1989 - April 9, 2004But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; theyshall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be

weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31At the age of 14 years the Lord in His sovereign grace has

taken home into His heavenly glory, our dearly beloved great-grandson, grandson, nephew and cousin

MARMARTEN JOHN KTEN JOHN KORNELIS JORNELIS JANSENANSENWe thank the Lord that Marten’s only wish came true on GoodFriday, to be with his Lord and Saviour. We pray that the Lordwill continue to bless and comfort Clarence and Anita, Alyssa,

Rachael, Rebecca and Joshua.Fergus, ON: Great Grandma Sikkema

Opa and Oma: Marten and Dietje JansenGrand Valley, ON: Swanieta and Ian Kruizenga

Diane, Ryan, Mark, Joanne, Jonathan, Benieta, Matthew, Ivan, Patricia

Edmonton, AB: Keith and Corinne JansenHeidi, Michael, Alexander

Fergus, ON: Richard and Josephine JansenSarah, Angela, Melissa, Michael, Trevor

Neerlandia, AB: Ed and Cisca JansenRoseanna, Steven, Jesse, Leanne

Fergus, ON: Jeannette and Henk BosKyle, Caleb, Justin

Cedarville, ON: Wendy and Eppe BosLuke, Julia, Emily

Stephenfield, MB: Christa and Frank SmithMary, Danielle

Carman, MB: Albert Jansen

MAY 7, 2004 • 253

TTEACHINGEACHING PPOSITIONSOSITIONS The Maranatha/Emmanuel Canadian Reformed School Society Inc.of Fergus, Guelph and district invites applications for

TEACHING POSITIONSin our 1-6 elementary wing and 7-10 junior high wing

for the 2004-2005 school year. Duties to commence August 1, 2004.We are also in the process of expanding our school into grade 11 and

Kindergarten for the 2004-2005 school year and grade 12 for the2005-2006 school year.

For this expansion to take place next school year we will be in need ofa K teacher, and high school teachers in various disciplines.

Our school is located in a beautiful and picturesque southern Ontariotown, where one would be very close to rural life and within easy reach

of major urban areas. The school currently has 261 students in grades 1-10.

If interested in any of the above positions, or have any questions aboutaspects of the positions or of the school, please contact one of the

following people for more information, or submit your resume to thefollowing address.

If you are interested or would like additional information, please contact:Henk Nobel, Principal

(519) 843-3029 (work); (519) 843-1790 (home)Gerrit Bos, chairman of the board – (519) 836-4365 (home)

Kasper VanVeen, Education committee chair – (519) 856-9605Applications to be addressed to:

Maranatha/Emmanuel Christian School c/o Education CommitteeRR 3, Garafraxa Street, Fergus, ON N1M 2W4

The Credo Christian School, Woodbridge, Ontario (Brampton andToronto) invites applications for a

FULL-TIME TEACHER for Grades 1/2 starting in the 2004-2005 school year.For information, contact the Principal, Miss L. Maat

School: (905) 851-1620; Home (905) 453-7480e-mail: credo@idirect.com or

Board Chairman, Mr. Marc Schutten; (905) 773-7909e-mail: mmschutten@hotmail.com

Letters of application stating qualifications, experience and references,as well as a personal statement of philosophy of Christian education

should be sent to:Jack Vanderee, Secretary, Education Committee

220 Gormley Road, Richmond Hill, ON L4E 1A2e-mail: Jvanderee@aol.com

JOHN CALVIN SCHOOL320 Station Street, PO Box 280, Smithville, ON L0R 2A0

“The hub of the Niagara Peninsula”Due to expansion and perhaps some staff changes, the Board andEducation Committee of John Calvin School have openings for

TEACHERSfor the school year 2004-2005. Enquiries about and applications for

these positions are encouraged. Please contact the PrincipalMr. F.C. Ludwig

for further information.(905) 957-2341 (school); (905) 957-3111 (home)

Applications and resumes may be faxed directly to the school at(905) 957-2342, to the attention of the Principal, or addressed to:

The Education Committeec/o Mrs. J. Boverhof, Secretary

RR 1, 2829 South Grimsby Road 14, Smithville, ON L0R 2A0

The Board of the Ebenezer Canadian Reformed School (in the Bulkley Valley) would like to express our thanks for the many

applications and inquiries that we received for our advertised positionsand are happy to announce that we have hired three new staff

members and will, D.V., restore Grade 12 in September of 2004.Praise the Lord!

In compliance with government requirements we continue to welcomeapplications from certified teachers who are members of the CanadianReformed churches, United Reformed churches, or sister churches, for

the following part-time positions for the 2004/2005 school year: HIGH SCHOOL: 50%

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER 42%We are looking for motivated and dedicated people with a love for God

and his covenant children. Prospective staff must set high personalstandards, understand the responsibility they are entrusted with as

teachers, and continually strive to submit their whole life to God. Wehave an active sports program and are one of the few schools in

Canada to have its own climbing wall. Come and see! Please call or email the principal,

Derek Stoffels, at work: (250) 847-3492ebenezer@bulkley.net

or at home: (250) 846-5262Please submit applications to:

The Board, Ebenezer Canadian Reformed School Box 3700, Smithers, BC V0J 2N0

The Free Reformed School Association (Inc.) in Armadale, WesternAustralia has a vacancy for a rewarding career as a:

ENGLISH TEACHER (full time)John Calvin Christian College

Applicants will have appropriate academic and personal qualificationsfor the teaching of English at secondary school level.

Information regarding the criteria for this position, starting dates andteaching commitments can be obtained from the Principal:

Mr. A. Terpstra, phone: (08) 9497 9066, or by email:alwyn.terpstra@frsa.asn.au

Whilst application is sought for long term teachers, those interested in atemporary appointment (2 years minimum) are also encouraged to

apply. The School Association will meet all travel and immigration costsfor a successful applicant to and from Australia. Working conditions

include a salary which is based on a scale which in general is the sameas that received by Western Australian government teachers.

Applicants must be members of the Free Reformed Churches ofAustralia or one of its sister churches (Canadian Reformed Churches)

with a strong desire to serve the cause of Reformed Education.Applications, supported by a resume and two references, one

professional and one from the present pastor (or elder), should be addressed to:

Board Executive Officer: Confidential – Career ApplicationFree Reformed School Association (Inc.)

PO Box 474, ARMADALE, WA 6992The deadline for applications is prior to close of business on 11th June 2004.

Other teaching positions at the John Calvin schools (K-12) are alsoavailable. Teachers interested in seeking employment in Australia by

the Association should forward an application to thecareers@frsa.asn.au

Free Reformed School Association – www.frsa.asn.auFree Reformed Churches of Western Australia – www.frca.org.au

254 • MAY 7, 2004

The Board of Dufferin Christian School, Carman, Manitoba invitesapplications for the following teaching positions:

GRADE 2 / GRADE 5 / GRADE 6Duties to commence August 1, 2004.

DCS is a K to 12 school with 214 students and 20 full-time staffmembers. Additional information about the school can be found on

our website: <home.merlin.mb.ca/~dufferin>.For further details about these positions, please contact the Principal:

Rob vanSpronsenPhone (204) 745-2278 – school or (204) 745-3996 – home

E-mail: rvans@merlin.mb.caApplications should be sent to the Secretary of the Board: Anton Borst

PO Box 1450, Carman, MB R0G 0J0Fax: (204) 745-3441; e-mail: dufferin@mts.net

The Board of the Canadian Reformed School Society of WinnipegInc., invites applications forTEACHING POSITIONS

in the elementary grades of Immanuel Christian School.Duties to commence August 1, 2004.

Immanuel Christian School has . . .• 13 full-time teachers• 3 teacher aides• mostly single grades• a resource program• 194 students in grades K-12.

Winnipeg has . . .• two Canadian Reformed Churches• a population of 650,000• a wide variety of services and cultural activities• affordable housing.

If you are interested or would like additional information, please contact:Mr. H.A. Slaa, Chairman of the Board, phone: 204 222-2880 (home)

e-mail: haslaa@gatewest.netAllard Gunnink, principal, phone: 204-661-8937 (school)

204-224-9206 (home); e-mail: gunnink@shaw.caMail or fax your application to:Immanuel Christian School

215 Rougeau Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2C 3Z9e-mail to: office@immanuelchristian.ca

fax to: 204-669-7013

The Free Reformed School Association (Inc.) in Armadale, WesternAustralia has a vacancy for a rewarding career as a:

MUSIC TEACHERApplicants will have appropriate academic and personal qualifications

for the teaching of music at a primary school level. Additionalexperience in choral or concert band conducting is also highly desirable.

Information regarding the criteria for this position, starting dates andteaching commitments can be obtained from the Board Executive Officer:

Mr. Mark Wagenaar, phone: (08) 9497 9066, or by email:mark.wagenaar@frsa.asn.au

Whilst application is sought for long term teachers, those interested in atemporary appointment (2 years minimum) are also encouraged to

apply. The School Association will meet all travel and immigration costsfor a successful applicant to and from Australia. Working conditions

include a salary which is based on a scale which in general is the sameas that received by Western Australian government teachers.

Applicants must be members of the Free Reformed Churches ofAustralia or one of its sister churches (Canadian Reformed Churches)

with a strong desire to serve the cause of Reformed Education.Applications, supported by a resume and two references, one

professional and one from the present pastor (or elder), should be addressed to:

Board Executive Officer: Confidential – Career ApplicationFree Reformed School Association (Inc.)

PO Box 474, ARMADALE WA 6992The deadline for applications is prior to close of business on 11th June 2004.

Other teaching positions at the John Calvin schools (K-12) are alsoavailable. Teachers interested in seeking employment in Australia by

the Association should forward an application to thecareers@frsa.asn.au

Free Reformed School Association – www.frsa.asn.auFree Reformed Churches of Western Australia – www.frca.org.au

Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers College

HAMILTON, ONTARIO

ADMISSIONS SEPTEMBER 2004The Board of Covenant College invites applications from prospec-tive students for the 2004-2005 academic year.

The College offers teacher training programs to prepare candidatesfor teaching positions in the K-Grade 10 range.

Admission Requirements:For the 1-year Diploma of Education program:

a suitable university degree.For the 3-year Diploma of Teaching program:

a grade 12 diploma with university entrance equivalence.Prospective candidates are invited to contact the College for moreinformation and/or to obtain an enrolment package. Students areencouraged to apply before March 31, 2004. Those who plan toseek admission in the year 2005 are also encouraged to contactthe College as soon as possible.Visit our website: www.covenantteacherscollege.com

Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers CollegeLocation: 410 Crerar Drive, Hamilton, OntarioTel: 905-385-0634Fax: 905-385-8409E-mail: covenant@nas.netPostal: 856 Upper James Street, Box 20179

Hamilton, Ontario L9C 7M5

MAY 7, 2004 • 255

OUR FOREIGN STUDENTBURSARY FUNDhas its first academically qualified applicant. Heis from Sudan and comes highly recommended by,among others, Rev. Victor Atallah.

As Canadian Reformed community at large, we now havethe opportunity and privilege of funding his studies and stayin Canada.Your invited donation will, the Lord willing, be multipliedthrough the spreading of the gospel in which our applicanthopes to become instrumental in his country of origin.Gifts of any size are welcome and those of $10.00 and overqualify for a receipt for income tax purposes.Please remit to the College at the following address, with thecheque clearly identified as intended for the

“FOREIGN STUDENT BURSARY FUND”The Theological College of

the Canadian Reformed Churches110 West 27th Street, Hamilton, ON L9C 5A1

The Elder and His WorkBy D. Dickson 1821-85

Some subjects: qualifications, servant leader, duties, visitation, family worship, discipline cases, encouragemembers to work, etc. A practical and “how to” advicebook focusing on the spiritual oversight of the local church.$14 per copy plus $2 shipping per order.Payable to Jerry Tillema (519) 351-4290

Bethel Books274 McNaughton Avenue East

Chatham, ON N7L 2G8, Canada

107 Griffin St. S.Smithville, ON L0R 2A0

Cell 905-517-1451Res. 905-386-7494Fax 905-957-1204

“Serving the Smithville, Attercliffe and surrounding areas.

Call today for area information”(905) 957-5000

24 hr. pager

COUNTRY TOWN REALTY INC.

Mark vander VeldeSales Representative

107 Griffin St. S.Smithville, ON L0R 2A0

Res. 905-563-7827Cell 905-719-7489Fax 905-563-3168

E-mail: frvande@ibm.net

COUNTRY TOWN REALTY INC.

Fred vander VeldeSales Representative

Buying or selling?Let me be of service to you in the Grimsby,

Beamsville, Vineland Area.(905) 563-0500

24 hr. pager

Escarpment RealtyIndependently Owned and Operated

370 Wilson Street EastAncaster, Ontario L9G 4S4

Bus: (905) 304-3303Fax: (905) 574-1450Res: (905) 648-7705

serving Ancaster, DundasHamilton and

surrounding areas.

John van AndelSales Representative

MEMBER

100% CLUB

Advertise in

FOR RENTOne bedroom basement apartment located in the town

of Dunnville, Ontario.Brand new with fridge, stove, microwave, washer and dryer.

Available in August. $600/month, utilities included.Please call for details (905) 701-5022

MAY 7, 2004 • 256 PM 4

0063

293

R 9

907

Leadership in Engineered Transportation Equipment since 1954R.R. # 5 Guelph, ON, Canada N1H-6J2

Walinga has immediate openings for the following positions:

WELDER / FITTERSand

TRUCK EQUIPMENT MECHANICSWe are willing to train and we offer excellent remuneration and a

complete fringe benefit package.

Applicants please contact:Butch Medemblik

Tel: (519) 824-8520 • Fax: (519) 824-5651e-mail: chm@walinga.com

John MeerveldAssociate Broker

garden city realty inc., REALTOR®

Old Fashioned Service – High Tech Advantage

Serving the Community Since 1979

(905) 333-3500Fax: 333-3616

(905) 945-0660Fax: 945-2982

email: johnmeer@sympatico.cawww.johnmeerveld.com

“More than a place to live”An Adult

Christian Community

One and two bedroom suites available.

View our Model Suite and Sales Office located at261 Stone Church Road East, Hamilton, Ontario.

MODEL SUITE OPEN

Tuesdays and Thursdays – 10 am to 12 noon Saturdays from 9 am to 12 noon

Other times by appointment, please call 905-383-0754

Email address: office@wellingstone.ca www.wellingstone.ca

“Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations” – Psalm 90:1

Phase 2 – 72 units

Now Under Construction