Archive for September, 2009

Every year, PMU holds its annual Missions Council meeting the day prior to the BPC’s General Synod. This year, the Council was privileged to meet on the grounds of the Ryder Memorial Presbyterian Church, host church for the BPC’s 73rd General Synod.
As usual, the docket was full — very full. In addition to the usual business, several new governance policies were discussed and adopted, changes to the job descriptions of various PMU personnel were adopted in the by-laws, a newly revised Home Missions Manual was approved, a new security procedures manual was approved, budgeting challenges were discussed at length, and a long list of developing contacts around the US and abroad were reviewed. Two Team Timothy ministries were approved for 2010 (see page 4 for a summary, or this month’s “Have You Heard?” bulletin insert or the web site for the full story on these ministries). And, we were blessed to have three of our missionaries home on furlough this summer, Rev. and Mrs. Ed Paauwe and Rev. Mark Baldwin. Each was able to give a report of his activities in person. We rejoiced with them as they gave evidence of the Lord’s hand at work in their ministries. It was a full day, but all was completed in good order, for which we praise the Lord.
We also give thanks to the Ryder Church family for their kind and generous hospitality in hosting our meeting. We were well cared for, to say the least, and enjoyed a blessed time of fellowship with the church at their midweek service to close out the day. Rev. Paauwe brought the message for the evening and a brief report of the work in Australia.
Officers for the coming year remain the same as last year: Dr. Morris McDonald, President; Rev. G.W. Fisher, Vice President; Rev. John Dyck, Secretary; Elder Eric Lasch, Treasurer; Dr. Kevin Backus, Rev. James Huff, and Rev. Tito Lyro, Members at Large. Please pray for all of our PMU ministries, and those under Venture Guild International as well, that the Lord would provide the finances necessary to sustain them, that he would keep their lives and health in safety, and that he would give them fruit for their labors.

We praise the Lord for His goodness which was poured out on the Bible Presbyterian Church’s 73rd General Synod, August 6-11, in Bristol, Virginia. Rev. Garry Cole and the Ryder Memorial Presbyterian Church were our hosts, and produced an atmosphere of welcome and Southern hospitality that none of the delegates or guests will soon forget. From the first day until the last, the easy grace of Ryder Church family made all feel at home.
Synod’s theme this year, chosen by outgoing Moderator Rev. G. W. Fisher, was “The Sweetness of Prayer.” The theology and practice of prayer was developed throughout the week along the lines that are revealed in the writings of John Calvin (principally the Institutes of the Christian Religion), whose 500th birthday anniversary the Synod observed this year. Particularly in view of the Calvin anniversary, the Synod was pleased to welcome Dr. Joel Beeke to the pulpit on the opening night of Synod to speak on “Calvin and Piety.” Dr. Beeke is arguably the world’s foremost living authority on Calvin and is also a pastor, an educator, and an author of international renown. His message was a blessing to us — and so was his well-stocked book table, which delegates scoured clean.
In light of the theme, a new feature was added to the docket this year. Throughout the day, prayer was conducted for our business and the church at large by friends, visitors, and delegates who were not otherwise engaged in the business of the day. These regular gatherings for prayer were a reflection of the quiet and prayerful attitude that prevailed at this year’s Synod.
Other highlights of the Synod included the presence and participation of Rev. John Janbaz, elder statesman of the BPC, who had attended the very first General Synod of the BPC in 1938, and made the trip out from California to attend this year; the delightful ambience of our meeting hall, the Bristol Train Station, which sits next to an active freight line with all its attendant (and delightful, for train buffs!) distractions; a most enjoyable women’s day including a play, lunch, and Highland Festival shopping; Sunday services under tents in the State Park across the street from the church; an Appalachian-style concert on Sunday afternoon by Dr. and Mrs. Pine, Miss Emily Blizzard, and the Synod choir; and an outdoor, riverside banquet that featured the best of southern cooking, homemade ice cream, and a wonderful closing message by Rev. Stephen Johnson.
The newly-elected Moderator, Dr. Len Pine, now serves with his fellow officers, Rev. Stephen Johnson (Vice Moderator), Rev. John Dyck (Clerk), Rev. Steven Brinegar (Assistant Clerk), Elder Frank Williams (Treasurer), and Elder Eric Lasch (Assistant Treasurer). The next Synod is slated to be held at Grace Bible Presbyterian Church in Sharonville, Ohio, August 5-10, 2010. Please pray for these men as they fulfill their duties, and pray for the Lord’s blessings on the BPC in the years ahead.

On September 23, Dr. and Mrs. Pine will take flight for Cambodia and Myanmar, where they will spend three weeks visiting with Rev. Mark Baldwin and Rev. Khawl Ro Kim and family. These visits will include joining in with the ongoing work on these two fields in a major way: conducting two VBS programs in the countryside of Cambodia, and training church leaders with a WRS course in Hermeneutics (Len) and training ladies in matters of biblical perspective on women’s roles in church and home (Karen) in Myanmar. The Pines will also conduct a one-day Bible school with the orphanage children in Yangon.
Please pray for the Lord to provide all the funds needed to cover the expenses of this costly effort. Pray, too, for safety in travel, and wisdom and excellence in all the many areas of preparation necessary to carry this off. We thank the Lord for the able and eager assistance the ladies at the Grand Island BPC have given for the crafts portion of the VBS ministries. Rev. Baldwin is expecting as many as two hundred children to attend! Miriam is coming to join the team and help with the VBS program in Cambodia. Please pray for her safety in travel and an uneventful return to her own field. The Pines and Miriam will be in Cambodia until October 2, and then the Pines will travel on to Myanmar, where they will remain until October 13.

It was a trip that had been planned for about a year for Susan Blizzard, but around June 6th, the Lord opened the doors and provided for me, Emily, to be able to go with her! On July 6, 2009, we flew to La Paz to minister with Pastor David Quisbert and the BPC. We had prepared to give music lessons in piano and violin; and seminars on teaching, conducting music in the church, and swine flu. The piano and violin lessons went very well. We also added recorder to the mix! In addition, we participated in a radio broadcast. We did one live broadcast and recorded the rest for the week. We handed out about 5000 tracts in a matter of two hours in the El Alto area on market day. We enjoyed the privilege of giving greetings to and sharing the gospel with a deaf church.
To share in the dedication service of the second floor of the BPC was a blessing to us, especially since our church had contributed to its construction. I believe that we accomplished what we set out to do on this mission trip. The Lord was gracious to us, and I believe that He was honored in all of our activities. We were able to do some sightseeing as well, but because Pastor Len is limiting my space here in the Banner you will have to visit our blog at www.smblizz.wordpress.com . – Miss Emily Blizzard, Grace BPC, Cape Canaveral

[Editor's note: Susan and Emily went to Bolivia to serve this summer under their church. It is wonderful to see the support and love Team Timothy members develop with the fields on which they have served.]