NORTHEAST PRESBYTERY
Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church
NEWS RELEASE
June 18, 2021
Northeast Presbytery, ARPC, at its Adjourned Meeting held on June 17, 2021, voted unanimously to both publicly and privately communicate its deep appreciation and thankfulness to Brent Turner, and to commend him for his faithful and exemplary work as Director of Christian Education Ministries for the General Synod.
Numerous expressions of support for Rev. Turner and the work and necessity of Christian Education Ministries were made by those in attendance. It is the strong desire of Northeast Presbytery to express its “PROFOUND GRATITUDE” to Brent Turner, and to recognize the many who have come to know Jesus Christ through his labors and who have experienced abundant growth in their walk with Jesus Christ as a result of his exemplary service.
Rev. Jack Van Dyk, Moderator
Rev. GJ Gerard, Assistant to the Moderator
The late Peter Marshall, former chaplain of the U.S. Senate, would tell the story of “The Keeper of the Spring.”
An elderly, quiet forest dweller lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slopes of the Alps. The old gentleman had been hired many years ago by a young town council to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise choke and contaminate the fresh flow of water.
By and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal-clear spring, the millwheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description.
Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semi-annual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man’s eye caught the salary figure being paid to the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, “Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn’t necessary any longer!” By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man’s services.
For several weeks nothing changed. By early autumn the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A couple days later that water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.
Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they hired back the old keeper of the spring. Within a few weeks the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps once again.
We thank Brent Turner for his unheralded service as the keeper of the spring.