Member Profile: Stan & Marian GunnLife-long Servants of the LORD Jesus Christ – Treasured Pilgrims

The choir took a few weeks off after Christmas, but began rehearsing again at the end of January; our intention is to have music ready to present about once a month--though sometimes schedule conflicts and weather can change our plans. The music we use is carefully selected to ensure content that is faithful to Scripture (I am grateful for the time our elders take to preview and approve the words), and is somewhat musically diverse, keeping in mind that in heaven there will be songs to the Lamb from every tribe and nation. When possible, we try to have our selections t the current sermon series and season. Any church member is welcome to join the choir, either long term, or for a season. We are just getting started on Easter music!

Coming in April!

Each month you will have the opportunity to ask Pastor Hamilton a question that is on your mind. It could be something from a sermon, your devotions or just one of

those questions you’ve always wondered about - like this one that will be answered

in the April issue of Pilgrim Press:

Please email your questions to Ken Johnson at

kj@jcmgroup.net

by Priscilla Dorman

www.pilgrimopc.org/pilgrim-press/

Stan and Marian Gunn have been members of Pilgrim Church since 2013 and known to the Pilgrim Church family for years before that. (For those of you who may not know, their d a u g h t e r J u d y i s married to Elder Steve Moody.) Thanks to Kurt Soneson, most of you know that Stan turned 90 years of age on February 19 and God-willing Marian will see 90 mid-April of this y e a r . I f t h o s e numbers impress, add their upcoming 70th wedding anniversary – November 8, 2016! This couple has been journeying with Christ and with each other for more years than most of us can imagine! Here’s a bit of their stories: Both Stan and Marian’s parents attended Columbia Street Baptist Church and brought up their children in that church hearing God’s Word faithfully preached. Their parents were good friends – this is a couple with a rich, Christian heritage. Marian says she came to faith at age 12, understanding that she was a sinner and knowing that she loved the LORD and wanted to spend eternity with Him. Stan was a little older, age 16 when he professed his faith to their interim pastor, Chaplain Elmer Bentley. Marian recalls the first time she “noticed” Stan – handsome then as he is now – at a church youth function. Both were in the 9th grade. Stan offered to walk Marian home at the end of the evening. Marian, a proper and wise young lady called her mother to make sure that was okay. Stan and Marian were reaching young adulthood during the WWII years. Stan joined the US Marines in early 1944 – getting his training at Paris Island, then on to Camp Pendleton and from there shipped out to Guam for most of the duration of the war. Stan shared a number of his memories of this time – good and bad – but particularly recalls witnessing the raising of the US flag on Iwo Jima from the deck of a nearby battleship.

March 2016Pilgrim Orthodox Presbyterian Church375 Mt. Hope Avenue, Bangor, Maine

Continued on page 7

by Nathan Lambert

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Have you ever wondered “Why are we Presbyterians? It's a good question and it is probably a good idea for us to understand more about our form of government and the biblical basis for it. Although there are some hybrid forms, most churches fall into three basic categories of church government: 1. Hierarchical (Prelacy) 2. Independent 3. Presbyterian. They all agree that Jesus Christ is the King and Head of the Church, but they disagree on how Christ, who is now in heaven, administers His headship in his earthly church. The Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches hold that authority comes from Christ, through the Bible, and is administered by a hierarchy of Archbishops, Bishops, and lesser subordinate ofcers, and has governing authority over the members of the churches. Roman Catholicism expands this hierarchical model with the establishment of The Pope (Bishop of Rome) as holding Christ's place in the church, and therefore infallible in all his decrees. Roman Catholicism also holds the view that the church is an authority above the Bible, in contrast with Protestantism, which holds that the Bible is over the church and that therefore the Church must be subservient to the Bible. But, according to Irish Presbyterian minister and historian Dr. Thomas Witherow (1824–1890), even in mid-nineteenth century, Christians largely dismissed church government as having little importance in their decision to join a local church. He states that family ties, education, habit and location came to play far more often than form of church government. The same can be said for the 21st century church as well. Witherow contends that the Bible is not silent on the subject of church government and therefore, we should be paying attention to what it says. Witherow's essay “The Apostolic Church, Which is it?” is required reading for the Pilgrim Church Leadership Class and can be very helpful to us all in our understanding of the Presbyterian form of government and from where it comes. (The full text of his essay is available at the link below). Witherow looks to scripture to dene the structure that existed in the church at the time of the Apostles, then compares and contrasts it to the three forms of government prevalent in the modern church. He identies six principles that characterized the Apostolic Church and then shows us how to apply them as a test to modern churches. 1.Church leaders were chosen by the members through popular election 2.The church established the ofces of elder (presbyter, bishop) and deacon and dened their roles and responsibilities 3.In each church there were a plurality (more than one) of elders 4.The ofcers were ordained by a plurality of elders in their collective capacity (presbytery) 5.Church members had the right of appeal to the assembly of elders in their corporate character 6.Christ is the head of the church - no supreme spiritual power is lodged in the hands of any ofce-bearer. Dr. Witherow summarizes his ndings as follows: “I brought the existing systems of Church Government into juxtaposition with the Bible, and examined them in the light that shines from

the Lamp of God. Lest any important passage of Scripture, or any weighty argument might escape my notice, I read some of the most plausible attacks ever made on Presbytery, and I have studied Prelacy (Hierarchy) and Independency as presented in the pages of the very ablest of their advocates. The result is, that I am persuaded Prelacy (Hierarchy)is a human system altogether—from top to bottom a fabric constructed by men. I am satised that Independency, in so far as it differs from Presbyterianism, is not so erroneous as it is defective; and that it stands in need of someone to “set in order the things that are wanting.” I am, also, fully convinced that the Presbyterian form of Church Government approaches more closely than any other to that which existed in the Apostolic Church.”

Please read Dr. Witherow's full essay. It is an eloquent and compelling argument that should be very helpful to all us in better understanding why we are Presbyterians. http://www.apuritansmind.com/westminster-standards/the-apostolic-church-which-is-it-by-dr-thomas-witherow/

by Ken Johnson (with the help of the OPC website and Dr. Thomas Witherow)

The Young Women's Discipleship Group(YWDG), a mentoring and bible study group designed for young women in 7-12th grade, is led by Erica Lambert and meets monthly during the school year. At the February meeting, the group began studying "The Bookends of the Christian Life" by Jerry Bridges and Bob

Bevington. Seven young women attended and spent the time fellowshiping, reading and discussing the first two chapters and praying. It was a blessed time. The next scheduled study is Saturday, March 26 from 9am-12pm at the church. If you are a young woman in this age group, please consider trying it out.

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The PCS Lady Eagles went into the MCSSL Basketball Championship game unbeaten and the top seed. After our last meeting with Central Maine went into OT, we had been preparing to possibly meet them in the nal and we were taking nothing for granted. The battle began early in the rst quarter with both teams playing aggressive defense. The end of one found PCS up 7-2. In the second quarter, Central Maine came surging back and brought it to ...within 3 at the half. Early in the third quarter, they tied the game up more than once. But, PCS held their ground and key baskets from Reagan Paul, Vanessa Wilson and Kendall Lambert brought the score to 26-21 at the end of the third. Half way through the fourth quarter, the Eagles had obtained a six point lead and began to take some time off the clock. Excellent passing and movement off the ball enabled the girls to wear the seconds away and eventually begin drawing desperation fouls. Reagan Paul went 6/6 from the line in the fourth and Madison Rice chipped in a basket to cinch the victory.Reagan Paul had 4 three pointers in the game and went 7/8 from the foul line to lead all scorers once again with 25 points. While Reagan had an outstanding performance, she couldn't have done it without the scrappy defense, great passing, and tenacious rebounding of her teammates. Vanessa Wilson ended her high school basketball career with a basket in the contest and a superior defensive performance. Our other senior Michaela Warman had trouble getting them to fall today, but she more than made up for it in rebounding and in smothering defensive play. Playing through sickness, Kendall Lambert had a clutch basket and some key defensive plays in the second half. Anna Lufkin came up big with a put back in the second quarter and also worked hard on the boards and on defense. Madison Rice, our lone 8th grader, was all over the court today. She had several steals, showed great poise in handling the ball under pressure and also chipped in 3 points. Abby Hamilton didn't see any playing time today but her hard work in practice and her play in many games this season certainly helped her team to go all the way. Each one of you is invaluable to this team, and it has been my great privilege to coach you and to help give PCS its rst high school basketball championship. Thanks to all the parents and all those who supported us this season. We couldn't have done it without you. And praise to the God of Heaven who has sustained PCS for these many years, brought these girls to this team and gave us the ability to enjoy the great game of basketball.

by Coach Erica Lambert

by Coach Erica Lambert

Team is Well Represented by Pilgrim Church:Coach Lambert, Abby Hamilton and Kendall Lambert

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Representing PCS, Swimming in the H igh schoo l s ta te Championships today, Chara- Grace swam 2.18.48 in the 200 freestyle, taking 6 seconds from her previous time and 6.28.77 taking 9 seconds from her 500 freestyle time. She placed 22nd and 27th overall. Excellent swimming, congratulations Chara-Grace!

Emma Small

It's that time of year again, and preparation for this year's youth summer mission's trip to the Boardwalk Chapel has begun! The trip is scheduled for June 18-25, and the youth have just

finished filling out their applications to go. Slots are still available, so please let

Nathan know if you are interested in going...even if you are not a teenager! Please also be in prayer that the many details of going to Wildwood, NJ for a week of intensive evangelistic ministry

will come together once again. And stay tuned for more details!

The Pilgrim Press team includes: Peter Bennett, Lois Moody, Anne Moody, Elizabeth

Bennett, Kendall Lambert, Stephen Leavitt and Ken Johnson.

Along with the regular news of church life at Pilgrim, Pilgrim Press will continue and

expand its Member Prole articles featuring both new and long-time members of the

Pilgrim Church family. Watch your email for information Pilgrim Press in the weeks ahead.

For more info contact :Ken Johnson: kj@jcmgroup.net

Lois Moody: loismoody44@gmail.com

Deadline for Next Issue: Last Saturday of the Month.

Share Pilgrim Press Onlinewww.pilgrimopc.org/pilgrim-press/

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> Members of session reported on visits and communications with members of the congregation and shared matters of prayer. The session encourages the congregation to speak to their shepherding elders as concerns or matters of prayer arise.> Pastor Hamilton reported on his visits with members of the congregation and specic situations that the session might lift them up in prayer. Reported that the wedding of Ken Willey and Julie Aiken will be June 25, 2016. The session gives thanks for this new home where the Lord will be honored. Reported that he sought to provide encouragement to the brothers and sisters at Skowhegan OPC and led in celebrating the Lord’s Supper, January 10, 2016. Reported the dates of the Basics Conference at Parkside Church, Cleveland, OH he will be attending are May 9-12, 2016. The session asks that the congregation be in prayer for Pastor Hamilton as he attends this conference that is meant to equip, inspire and strengthen him in his demanding work among us. Reported that the pulpit was lled the morning of January 10, 2016 by Mr. Lambert and at the evening service by Mr. Seth Dorman. The session gives thanks for the skills the Lord has given these men and for their labors in His service. Please be in prayer for Seth as he and Eva prepare for their transition to Philadelphia and seminary later this year. Reported that his next on-call for the Chaplaincy Service at EMMC is February 16, 17, 2016.> Reported that the Lord’s Supper was celebrated at the evening service of January 3, 2016 and the morning service of January 17, 2016 led by Pastor Hamilton.> Received a request for funds to assist the Sendai Church in Japan with the purchase of a building for worship from Richard Robertson, a member of Lakeview OPC, to be considered at a future meeting.> Mr. Moody led the session in a time of prayer for congregation. > Pastor Hamilton reported on the rst Leadership class. The next class is scheduled for January 31, 2016. The congregation is asked to be praying for the men in this class that they will be equipped for service and discern how the Lord would use them in His kingdom.> By common consent approved the following modied announcement to be made to the congregation. Nathan Lambert has been serving faithfully as our Youth Director for a number of years and will be continuing as our Youth Director. The Youth groups’ activities have been refreshed and expanded. Please pray for the continued effectiveness of our Youth ministries. Nathan will also be continuing as Stated Supply for the Skowhegan congregation as Pilgrim Church continues to come along side them and support them. His preaching, teaching, and leadership are still needed by that congregation. > By common consent the dates of the elder retreat were changed to February 26, 27, 2016.> By common consent determined to drop the advertising in the Bangor Daily News, estimated at $780/year. The funds are not to be reallocated until the budget status is reviewed at the June checkpoint, the rst meeting of session in June.> By common consent added the Women’s Activities Committee to the Nominations Committee report for consideration by the congregation. The session gives thanks for this new committee and the willingness of those who have volunteered to serve. It desires that the women of Pilgrim Church will be built up and encouraged by activities as the committee plans them.

JoAnn Lancaster reports that the Library Committee is currently

compiling an order for some additional books for the library and that library

business is brisk!

The Session of Pilgrim Church held a leadership retreat at Dysart’s in Bangor on Friday and Saturday, Feb 26 and 27. Pastor Stephen Tracey of Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine led the Friday evening session dealing with the topic of Christ’s love in leadership. On Saturday, the session discussed John Piper’s essay “Marks of Spiritual Leadership” and explored its application within the local church. The session found the retreat to be both challenging and of great encouragement as they strive to grow as Christian men, leaders and shepherds.

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Second Parish Presbyterian Church Address: 32 Neal St, Portland, ME 04102 Phone:(207) 772-084 Patterson.1@opc.orgwww.2ndparish.orgServices: 10am and 6pm

Lakeview Orthodox Presbyterian Address: 188 Rockland St, Rockport, ME 04856 Phone:(207) 594-2264 lakeview@ne.twcbc.comwww.lopcme.orgServices: 11am and 6pm Free Grace Presbyterian Church160 Canal Street, Lewiston ME 04240 207.513.1355 • info@freegrace.us www.freegrace.usService: 9:30am

Trinity Presbyterian Church 7 Bull Rd, Bedell, New Brunswick, Canadawww.trinitypresbyterianchurch.cajonathan.trinityarp@gmail.com 506.324.4181Services: 10am and 6pm (Atlantic Time)

Christ The Redeemer Presbyterian Church1364 Washington Ave. / Portland , ME 04103207-878-1211 / ctr@ctrportland.org www.ctrportland.orgService: 11am

Limington Orthodox Presbyterian Church Phone:(207) 637-2061 lcc@ne.twcbc.comwww.lopcreformed.orgServices; 9:30am and 6pm

Living Hope Presbyterian Church (OPC)142 Pleasant Street, Brunswick, Maine(207) 725-2022 www.livinghopemaine.orgServices: 11am and 6pm

Skowhegan Presbyterian Church Address: 36 North Ave, Skowhegan, ME 04976 Phone:(207) 474-5789Service: 11am

GRACE REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN Roberts Learning Center, Rm. 101 Univ. of Maine at FarmingtonMain St. (Rt. 4), FarmingtonEmail: CovenantWord@gwi.netPhone: 207-782-3184Service: 10am

Pilgrim Church (OPC)375 Mt. Hope Ave, Bangor, Maine 04401207.942.8054 churchoffice.pilgrimopc@gmailwww.pilgrimopc.orgServices: 9:25am and 6pm

Profile: Stan & Marian Gunn Con�nued from page one

Coming Soon! News & Events From These Churches

While Stan was serving with the Marines, Marian started college at Northwestern Bible College in Minneapolis, MN with the intent of serving as a medical missionary. Stan and Marian kept up a correspondence during these years. A comment in one of Stan’s letters about the “beer boat” arriving nearly terminated their relationship – you’ll have to check with one of them for more details! Stan returned home in the summer of 1945- Marian was home for summer break. In God’s goodness, - and with a little help from their parents arranging a visit for both families to Fort Knox on a summer afternoon their courtship went forward and they were married the following November. Now came a new time in their lives – new work situations and eventually a son, Jerry and their daughter, Judy arriving. In those years Stan worked for Cofn Wimble, an appliance store. He also served as a Bangor Fireghter for 20 years – lots of stories there too. When the kids were older, Marian went to work as a medical secretary and worked for a professional association, working with 3 successive surgeons over a 25 year span. All through these years, Stan and Marian were faithful servants of the LORD at work within their Columbia Street church family – Stan served as the church custodian - a man who has done most everything from cleaning the church, washing church supper dishes to painting and repairs….and if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that he is still doing some of those things at Pilgrim! Marian has been a faithful servant of God’s Word – teaching Women’s Bible Studies, serving at church functions and also assisting Stan as caretakers of the China Lake Conference Center for many years. After retirement and before settling back in Bangor, Stan and Marian lived in FL for a number of years. During that time Marian rst assisted and then led a bible study at a nearby women’s detention center. God gave Marian a bold heart for that very difcult and God-glorifying ministry.Stan and Marian both enjoy traveling. Shortly after their daughter, Judy graduated High School, she and Marian enjoyed a memorable trip to Israel. Following retirement Stan and Marian traveled together – loving Hawaii and the British Columbia Ice Fields in particular. Stan enjoys John Grisham novels and Marian loves Bible history and for lighter reading, Karen Kingsbury’s novels. Stan’s favorite book of the Bible is Romans, while Hebrews is Marian’s favorite. Both love music: Stan loves “all the old Christian hymns” – Marian says her favorite is “O Jesus, I Have Promised”. We thank God with Stan and Marian for how he continues to sustain both of them and enrich our fellowship with their devotion to God and service to others.“The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Psalm 92:12-14

by Lois Moody

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The snow came just in time for perfect conditions at the annual Pilgrim Church Winter Outing at the Turner’s home in Hermon. Great turnout, great food and great fun inside and out.

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