Author Archives: vanguardpresbytery

Jodocus van Lodenstein first penned the phrase, ‘Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda’, while writing a devotional book in 1674. That phrase means, ‘the church reformed, always reforming.’ Van Lodenstein. a Dutch minister in the Reformed Church of the United Provinces, pastored a congregation in Ultrecht, Holland from 1653 until his death in 1677. It was notContinue reading “Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda “

In Christianity and Liberalism, a magisterial defense of evangelicalism and destruction of liberalism, J. Gresham Machen wrote: In the sphere of religion, the things about which men are agreed are apt to be the things that are least worth holding; the really important things are the things about which men will fight.[1] Machen’s words seem atContinue reading “Are Heresies Necessary”

 The following article was written by Al Baker, a fellow minister in Vanguard Presbytery, and is included with this week’s email for those who may not be receiving his weekly email devotion, Forget None of His Benefits. This article ties in very well with my two most recent articles on the office of the evangelist. IContinue reading “Daniel Rowland and the Preaching for Divine Impression, Part One”

One of the matters that causes me the greatest amount of confusion is why there is such a pushback even by conservative reformed pastors and theologians concerning the office of evangelist. It was not always that way. It was around 1980 that the great change towards evangelism and evangelists began in the US. Before thenContinue reading “None Dare Call Them Evangelists”

In this week’s article, I am quoting several pages from James Henley Thornwell’s fourth volume of his collected works that deals with ecclesiastical matters. I am a Thornwellian in my ecclesiastical positions and Vanguard Presbytery was self-consciously begun as a Thornwellian denomination with respect to church government. We developed our Book of Church Order to reflect thoseContinue reading “James Henley Thornwell on Evangelists”

            In this week’s email, I am using an article written by a Vanguard Presbytery minister, Rev. Ryan Denton. Ryan writes about the dating of the beginning of Presbyterianism in this country and focuses on the labors of Richard Denton, his ancestor, whose ministry predated that of Francis Makemie. MakemieContinue reading “American Presbyterianism”

            In his sermons on the Book of Job, John Calvin rightly stated that “Job having to  defend a good case, has poorly conducted it.”[1] Job never stated that he was without sin, as his three friends alleged. In fact, he often expressed that he was a poor sinner. Yet, Job knew that his punishment was far more thanContinue reading “When You are Angrily Rebuked”

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (Old School) met at Rochester, New York in 1860. It is famous for a floor debate between the two leaders of the Northern and Southern branches of the denomination—Dr. Charles Hodge of Princeton Theological Seminary and Dr. James Henley Thornwell of Columbia Theological Seminary (which then resided inContinue reading “Hodge vs. Thornwell on Polity”

I am using with permission this week an article written by my friend and fellow Vanguard Presbytery pastor, Al Baker. It deals with a subject, LGBTQ+, that was one of the primary issues that led to the formation of this new denomination. I am sure that each of you will appreciate it also. You canContinue reading ““Perversion and Post-Christian Kids” by Al Baker”

In John 4:35, Jesus said to His disciples: “Behold I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest.” He made a very similar statement in Matthew 9:37b-38—“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send workersContinue reading “Update on the Work of the Presbytery”