To the Ends of the Earth – TOGETHER
October – Erskine Theological Seminary
Greetings and blessings to you from the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC) General Synod. The emphasis this month is on Erskine Theological Seminary, which is a graduate school of Erskine College and is the ARP Church’s seminary for training ministers and others for service in Christ’s church.
The following statement comes from Erskine Seminary’s website under the heading “Erskine Theological Seminary Serves the Whole Church”:
“We are committed to serving the whole Church of Jesus Christ. Our Reformed tradition teaches that there is only one holy, universal, and apostolic Church, to which all who confess Christ belong and whom we are bound to love and serve. It teaches us that the things that unite us with other Christians matter more than the things about which we differ. We therefore view the Reformed faith as a treasure to share with the wider church, not a cause for isolation. We find that diverse perspectives in our community enrich learning and prepare students to work respectfully alongside others in ministry. And so, while our first priority is serving the ARP Church and similar Reformed churches, we gladly open our doors to students from many denominations, and through academic programs, special events, and the varied ministries of our faculty, staff, and students, Erskine serves the whole Church of Jesus Christ. “
You can see from this statement that Erskine Theological Seminary (and those who labor there) are deeply committed to the task of taking the gospel “to the ends of the earth”. I encourage you to continue to pray for the seminary and her mission.
There are several other issues that I am asking you to pray for this month:
- For Erskine College and Bonclarken as they continue to recover from the effects of Hurricane Helene. Both suffered the loss of many trees but thankfully no major damage was done to any structures – other than the patio cover of the Nibble Nook at Bonclarken.
- For a swift recovery for those individuals and churches in Florida who were affected by Hurricane Milton. Again, God was merciful in that there was no major destruction to the ARP churches in Florida.
- For Pinecrest ARP in Flat Rock, Reformation ARP in Hendersonville, and City Church of Asheville as they continue to be good neighbors in their communities through assisting in hurricane recovery and relief efforts.
It is my hope that this short note will be useful to you in some way, and I believe asking you for your prayers and your consideration will be edifying for all of us as we move through the year – especially as recovery and restoration efforts continue in the Carolinas and Florida.
Grace and peace to you and yours,
Alan J Broyles
Moderator