CHURCH NEWS

Calls Extended:

To Rev. J.C. Weststrate, of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, by the Clifton, New Jersey, Congregation.

To Rev. J. VanHaaren, of Amersfoort, the Netherlands, by the Sunnyside, Washington, Congregation.

To Rev. M.J. VanGelder, of Gouda, the Netherlands, by the Unionville, Ontario, Canada, Congregation.

Calls Declined:

To the Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Congregation, by the Rev. A. Vergunst, of Veen, the Netherlands.

To the Unionville, Ontario, Canada, Congregation, by the Rev. M.J. VanGelder, of Gouda, the Netherlands.

To the Kalamazoo, Michigan, Congregation, by Rev. D. Hakkenberg, of Lisse, the Netherlands.

To the Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, Congregation by Rev. A. Moerkerken, of Nieuw-Beijerland, the Netherlands.

SYNOD 1978

The Synod of the Netherlands Reformed Congregations in the United States and Canada will be held June 20 - 21, 1978. The opening meeting will convene at 2:00 PM June 20, 1978 in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, church.

A prayer meeting will take place on Tuesday evening June 20, 1978 at 7:45 PM in the church of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rev. A. M. DenBoer will be in charge of this service. D.V.

NORWICH NEEDS A TEACHER

Our Christian School in Norwich, Ontario, Canada, is in need of a teacher for the kindergarten. Anyone interested please contact the Principal of the school, Mr. Otto DeLeeuw, R.R.#3, Norwich, Ontario, Canada N0J-1P0. Tele. 519/863-6810 or The Secretary of the schoolboard, Mr. John Honcoop, Main St. E., Norwich, Ontario, Canada N0J-1P0. Tele. 519/863-2443.

CHILLIWACK HAS A NEW CLERK

The address of the new clerk of the Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, Congregation is as follows- Mr. John Neels 48975 McConnell Rd., R.R. #2, Chilliwack, B.C., Canada V2P-6H4

SHEBOYGAN NEEDS A TEACHER

Sheboygan needs a teacher for a multi-age group for the 1978–1979 school year. Anyone interested in applying for this position please write or call us. We hope the Lord will provide for our needs.

President

Rev. L. Kieboom

1548 N. 16th St.

Sheboygan, Wis. 53081

414-458-9628

OR

The School Board Vice President Richard G. Kaat 1734 Woodside Lane Sheboygan, Wis. 53081 414-452-1666

ORDINATION OF CANDIDATE J. BEEKE

As Minister Of The Netherlands Reformed Congregation At Sioux Center Iowa U.S.A. March 29, 1978

Wednesday March 29 and Thursday March 30 were special days for the congregation of Sioux Center. They were gladened with the ordination of candidate J. Beeke as their new pastor. It was an event for all the Neth. Ref. Congr. in U.S.A. and Canada. He is the first English speaking minister, because he was born in Kalamazoo. The English language is his native tongue.

The ordination service was at 7:30 Wednesday night and conducted by Rev. J.C. Weststrate of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

After the benediction and the congregational singing of Psalter No. 134:1 and 2 he read a portion of Ephesians 4 and led in prayer.

After a short introduction in which he stressed the providence of the Lord, referring to the congregation and the candidate, he read the text out of the epistle to the Romans, chapter 10:15 and 16. The theme was The Calling of the Preacher.

1. This calling is based upon the sending by the Lord.

2. This calling includes bringing good tidings.

3. This calling submits to the will of God.

He explained the words, to preach, and preacher. It is the task of a herald or ambassador with authority. An ambassador has only authority if he is sent and speaks in the name of his Sender. The true preaching of the Word of God is inseparably connected with a divine sending and calling. A true preacher must not run before he is sent. He mentioned the extraordinary sending and calling of the prophets and apostles as was experienced by the apostle Paul in his life. The Lord testifies of the false prophets who ran without calling and sending: “I sent them not neither have I commanded them.” In this dispensation of The Church the Lord sends and gives some as pastors and preachers to preach the Word of God in the name of the Lord. It is His own institution. A desire alone is not the mark of a true preacher. He must be sent and called by the Lord Himself. They need an inward knowledge of being called and sent. All God’s servants know more or less of the struggles in their own heart when they are sent and called as the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah did. Not only once, but so many times when they are called to go to the pulpit or when they receive a call from other congregations. But in spite of all circumstances within and without they may say, “Lord Thou knowest all things, I have not run before Thou hast called and sent me.” They heartily confess with the apostle Paul: “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God who has made us able ministers of the New Testament.” The Lord keep all his servants from preaching in their own strength, from bringing the message in their own name and becoming The Minister. They must bring glad tidings of good things, and preach the gospel of peace. This is the whole counsel of God, death in Adam and life in Christ. They must proclaim God’s will, excluding all of men.

A servant of God must present in the name of the Lord, good tidings of peace and salvation. By nature we all are enemies of God and our neighbours since we separated from God in Paradise. We have sinned away this peace, in which the Lord has created man in Adam. In our enmity we are enemies of Christ and His cross. The tidings of peace and salvation are based upon Christ Jesus and Him crucified. Peace and salvation is brought forth by that Lamb that is slain before the foundation of the world. Peace by the blood of the cross. Christ as the Substitute for His elect has satisfied all the demands of God’s justice bearing the eternal wrath of God against the sins of His people. In His death salvation and peace were merited when He gave His soul as a ransom, crying out: “It is finished.” In His resurrection He justified all the children of God. He is not only a meriting but also an applying Savior. This merited and applied peace, salvation and righteousness are the contents of the glad tidings of the gospel. A servant sent by God must proclaim the gospel and bring glad tidings as an ambassador in the name of the Lord. This preaching of the cross is unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them that are called and saved, a power of God. This message draws a line of separation. On one side it is an offence for all those who rest upon their own righteousness, for this preaching cuts off all that is of man in himself and glorifies a Triune God in Christ. On the other side this brings glad tidings for lost sinners who have not one penny to pay their debts and who have learned to know that their own rithteousnesses are filthy rags before God. They may come and buy without price and without money. A minister cannot give peace for enemies, neither salvation to lost sinners, but the good pleasure of the Lord shall prosper by Him, the Son of God who made peace and merited salvation. Shall all hearers of those glad tidings be saved? Yes is the answer of those who teach universal redemption and the free will of man. No is the answer of the word of God. Are all the hearers saved under the preaching of Christ who is the contents of the gospel? Are all the hearers saved by the message He brought when He spoke to the multitudes? No, they have not all obeyed the gospel as the true prophets have experienced in ancient times. Was not the prophet Isaiah called and sent by the Lord? Was he not a faithful messenger? Did he not bring the glad tidings? What were and are the fruits of the preaching of the gospel? Not all obey the gospel. It is for one a savor unto life and for another a savor unto death, according to the will of God and His Word. Young brother, and congregation, this is the reality. May we submit by grace to the will of God and His good pleasure. A preacher is responsible for his labour but not for the fruits. Let us listen to Calvin who wrote about these words: “To prevent anyone from supposing that faith necessarily follows where there is preaching. Only when God shines in us by the light of His Spirit there is profit from the Word. Thus the inward calling, which is only effectual and particular to the elect, is distinguished from the outward voice of men. This clearly proves the stupidity of the argument of certain preachers who maintain that all men are elected without distinction, because the doctrine of salvation is universal and because God invites all men to Himself without distinction.” Thus all the servants must submit to the will of a sovereign God. So many times the true ministration of the Word of God is compared with the number of those who are converted. Thus when there are no fruits, then a minister is in danger of making fruits. The Lord keep our young brother and all of us from doing so. Then so many are converted in our eyes, but the Lord does not know them. It is Paul who plants and Apollos who waters, but it is the Lord who gives the increase. He says of the preaching: “It shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it.” In the true and faithful ministration the Lord shall be glorified, both in the attributes of His righteousness and mercy. He shall draw His own by the effectual calling. Th ordainer wishes his young brother this grace from above in his ministration , to the extension of God’s kingdom and the edifying of His people in his new congregation, so that God’s people should not be built upon their frames but only driven to the solid Foundation, to the glory of God and the welfare of the congregation.

After this the Form of ordination was read. The new minister answered the questions with “Yes, truly with all my heart.”

Rev. Weststrate spoke some words to him as his teacher and brother. He reminded him of the three and a half years of training, with all the ups and downs. It was the divine providence which brought them together in such a special connection. May the trials they had as a teacher and as a student be sanctified by the Lord, and bring them in the dust and humble them before Him, who is faithful. What a blessing to become and remain poor beggars for grace. Personal words were spoken to his wife and his relatives. The congregation was asked not to flatter neither to criticize him in a wrong way, but to pray for him as Aarons and Hurs.

After this the congregation was requested to sing Psalter No. 255:3.

It was a solemn and moving moment when the candidate knelt and the open Bible was held above his head by Rev. Lamain, Rev. Kieboom, elder Harskamp and elder Beeke (his father) and Rev. Weststrate laid his hand upon his head saying; “God our heavenly Father, who hath called thee to His holy ministry enlighten thee with His Holy Spirit, strengthen thee with His hand, and so govern thee in thy ministry, that thou mayest decently and fruitfully walk therein, to the glory of His name and the propagation of the kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ. Amen.”

After this, all who were present, among whom was also Rev. Verhoef who had made the long trip from Chilliwack and many from our other congregations with the mayor and other pastors of the churches of Sioux Center, arose and sang Psalter No. 345:2 to the new minister.

Then the other part of the form was read and the service was closed with thanksgiving. The last song was Psalter No. 421:5

O God our shield with face benign
Look on Thy servant, wholly Thine
And keep him, Lord, Thou great Defender!
One day, passed in Thy house of praise,
Is better than a thousand days
Spent in the realm of earthly splendor.
Though only at Thy door I wait,
No tents of sin give joy so great.

After the benediction was pronounced, the people left the church building for their homes.

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