Most schools with Calvin College’s financial profile and good credit carry debt service payments of between 5% and 7.3% of their operating budgets. Calvin College’s debt service payments are at about 6.1% now and will grow to 9.2% by 2017 if our revenue holds constant. The problem is that we have not built more than... Continue Reading

Can local churches become a natural home for counseling ministry? Often the limitations or failures of the church get cited first, making it seem that church is at best an adjunct to “the real work of counseling.” But, in principle, the local church is the natural home for face-to-face ministry. Counseling can and should thrive... Continue Reading

“I believe that the Washington area provides tremendous exposure to the local, national, and international Christian movement,” said Redd. “We aim to build and nurture a seminary community that serves a variety of constituencies in church, para-church, and lay ministries around the region. I am thrilled to join the RTS/Washington team as well as local... Continue Reading

No missionary has ever been sufficiently qualified to serve God, and every missionary I have ever met feels horribly unprepared to the task at hand. Your ability and skills are less important on the mission field than your willingness to serve others. You don’t need training, certification or a job title to bring the gospel... Continue Reading

The Reformed Congregational Fellowship Pastors’ Conference is chiefly one of on-going education for pastors, in this case the doctrines of grace as they are expressed in the Savoy Declaration.  If pastors are to reinforce these truths in their congregations, then they must first be grounded in them, which has always been the goal of the RCF. ... Continue Reading

Last week, I referred to 6 ways to counsel a husband who has harmed his wife with his pornography struggle. What about the wife? Although many are harmed by a husband’s struggle with pornography, no one is harmed more than his wife. How does a pastor care and counsel a wife who has been harmed... Continue Reading

In order to follow in their tradition and that of our African American forebears in the North and South, we must do comparable theology, addressing today’s issues. Reformed African Americans are in a prime position to play a significant role in contemporary church history.  The theology of empowerment has given us valuable insights needed to... Continue Reading

Every pastor already faces this. Unfortunately, I fear the problem will only become more common in the future; that is marriage counseling as a result of a husband’s struggle with pornogrpahy. The work to restore trust and intimacy within a marriage deeply affected by this sinful struggle is only possible through the gospel and applied... Continue Reading

From various sources, many slaves began to pick up bits and pieces of biblical truth.  By God’s grace they were able to gain interesting insights into God and his covenant grace as they put these fragments of truth together — foundational insights on which much of Reformed theology is predicated.  These truths confirmed the slave’s... Continue Reading

When engaging in cross-cultural ministry, the key thing is building relationships – relationships of mutual trust, mutual respect, mutual understanding. This takes time. In the story of the Tower of Babel, God confuses the languages of mankind. That’s why there will always be a need for long term missionary personnel – men and women who... Continue Reading