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PBI News The publication of this journal continues to be the main activity of the Institute. Our theme --based issues have received good response from our readers, many reporting that articles are a valuable resource in their personal and class Bible studies. Besides the print copy, audio recordings in MP3 formats are available for each issue. Each edition of the journal is also posted on our website, www. heraldmag.org. On the website, readers can also find all past issues dating to the first publication in 1918, as well as much supplemental material to aid in both study and witnessing. Our efforts are only possible through the activities of many volunteers who give of their time unselfishly and under tight deadlines. The Board thanks all of them for their diligent service. At last year’s annual meeting, Directors approved a direction to enhance the appearance of the Herald through the extended use of color and illustrations in the magazine. Additionally, the Board created a new volunteer position of Marketing Manager. The purpose of this position is to identify ways to increase circulation of the Herald domestically. The Institute continues to provide support to brethren in India and Poland who publish the Herald in their respective countries. Additionally, we provide copies in English to brethren in Africa, where interest in the Truth of the Bible is accelerating. We proclaim the heart of the Gospel Message — the good Word of the Kingdom — to all who have ears to hear, to all who hunger for the Truth, and for all those of honest heart. In the Master’s service, THE PUBLISHERS PBI Directors Elected. The membership of the Pastoral Bible Institute has elected the following brethren (in alphabetical order) to serve as directors of the Institute for the fiscal year 2013-2014. Todd Alexander, David Christiansen, Leonard Griehs, Ernest Kuenzli, Tom Ruggirello, George Tabac, Tim Thomassen. Date of Annual PBI Meeting. The annual meeting of PBI Members and Directors will be held on Friday, July 19, at the University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The General Convention of Bible Students will begin on Saturday, July 20, at the same location and end the evening of July 25. Those who are interested in the Pastoral Bible Institute, whether members or not, are welcome to attend this meeting. Contact the Institute’s secretary for accommodation details. __________ Fiscal 2013 Financial Statement STATEMENT OF NET WORTH (unaudited) Cash and Invesments .............................. $189,344
ANALYSIS OF NET WORTH Income
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Leonard F. Griehs, Treasurer Readers Speak Out I thought it totally appropriate to take the occasion of the tragic mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, to devote a couple of pages to discussing such things in the context of the permission of evil, God’s promised kingdom which will eliminate such evil, and His promise to restore life again to those who were cut down in these tragedies. I was dismayed, however, by the suggestion at the end of the first paragraph that these are rare occurrences. Ten (10) incidents over a 63 year time frame are given. The list does not include such notable and horrific shootings as Columbine High School and the mass murder in Tucson in January 2011. In fact there have been 62 such shootings just in the US from 1982 -2012 that took the lives of four or more people, not including the shooter. I feel that minimizing this tragic evil, by saying it is rare and leaving out many horrific events like Columbine, is disrespectful to those who lost their lives in these incidents and to the family members and friends left behind. I also was offended by the last sentence before the subheading "A Knowledge of Good and Evil," which reads: "Had these unbelievers known the full plan of God, they would have understood." To me, it has a terribly condescending tone. It basically classifies all people who do not know the doctrine of the permission of evil as "unbelievers." Unconsecrated, perhaps yes; lacking in an understanding of God’s plan of ransom and restitution, yes; but "unbelievers" — not believing in Jesus as the Savior and Redeemer, that is an insult to many who we might hope would somehow read and be moved in their thinking by such an article. I am glad that we address such timely opportunities to tell the good news. I mean this for the purpose of perhaps more sensitive and thoughtful approaches to similar articles in the future. — Tom GilbertI appreciate the Herald magazine as it has a good message and it encourages my Bible studies in the Truth. One brother here in Africa has recommended it as the best magazine he received before he became a Christian and it has helped change his life. Thank you for your assistance to the brethren. — KenyaReligious More than 25 million Americans have left the Catholic Church, according to a recent poll from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. In Ireland, just a few years ago, 90 percent of the population said they went to church weekly. That number has dropped to 25 percent in 2011, according to a PBS report. — Arizona Republic, 3/3/2013 Over the past 150 years, Seventh -day Adventists have built one of Christianity’s most inventive and prosperous churches — while praying for the world to end as soon as possible. A small band of believers has mushroomed to more than 17 million baptized members, including 1.2 million in the U.S. Nearly 8,000 Adventists schools dot dozens of countries. Hundreds of church-owned hospitals and clinics mend minds and bodies around the world. As it celebrates its 150th anniversary, the church is wrestling with whether to celebrate, since it was founded on the belief that it was not supposed to last this long. — Washington Post, 4/10/2013One of the most striking scientific discoveries about religion in recent years is that going to church weekly is good for you. Religious attendance — at least, religiosity — boosts the immune system and decreases blood pressure. It may add as much as two to three years to your life. The reason for this is not entirely clear. — New York Times, 4/20/2013More than half of Americans think the Bible has too little influence on a culture they see in moral decline, yet only one in five Americans read the Bible on a regular basis, according to a new survey. More than three-quarters of Americans think the nation’s morality is headed downhill, according to a new survey from American Bible Society. The survey showed the Bible is still firmly rooted in American soil: 88 percent of respondents said they own a Bible, 80 percent think the Bible is sacred, 61 percent wish they read the Bible more. — Huffington Post, 4/4/2013Facing a priest shortage, the Catholic Church in the United States has turned to former Anglican lead ers to fill parishes. The number of Roman Catholic priests in the U.S. has dropped by about 20,000 since 1975, while the number of Catholics has increased by 17 million. — Huffington Post, 3/21/2013The head of the State Administration of Religious Affairs in China said there had been an explosion of religious belief in China along with the nation’s economic boom, which he attributed to a desire for reassurance in an increasingly complex world. — The Independent, 4/21/2013A huge complex uncovered near what some believe to be the Biblical birthplace of Abraham is exciting researchers who for years were unable to investigate the region. Discovery of the site was first made via satellite, according to Phys.org, followed by a geographical survey and trial excavations. Campbell said the site is provisionally dated to 2,000 BC. — AP, 4/8/2013 A new informal police force has been launched in Cairo, to ensure Islamic morals are adhered to. The Committee denies it is linked to Saudi’s dreaded morality police, which share the same name. Following his recent return from the U.S., el -Ashri gave a television interview during which he declared: "It is the dream of my life to wage war against Israel." He also stated: "There is no such thing as a Christian religion." — Digital Journal, 3/3/2013Indonesia has experienced a "sharp uptick" in religiously motivated violence, with Islamic gangs regularly attacking Christian churches. The report by Human Rights Watch warns that the Indonesian Government, police and military are "passively and sometimes actively" condoning these new extremists. The report, In Religion’s Name, says there were 264 violent attacks on religious minorities in 2012, a 20 per cent increase on 2010. Since 2005, more than 430 churches have been forced to close. — Sydney Morning Herald, 2/28/2013Social Spillover of bird viruses into the human population is a numbers game. With billions of birds hosting an uncountable number of permutations of influenza strains, it’s inevitable that once in a while, one of these combinations will evolve the ability to replicate in humans. — The Slate, 4/10/2013 Recent census data released show a changing pro file for the U.S. More U.S. babies are now born to minorities than whites, a milestone reached in 2012 More than 45 percent of students in kindergarten through 12th grade are minorities. The District of Columbia, Hawaii, California, New Mexico and Texas have minority populations greater than 50 percent. The white population, now at 197.8 million, is projected to peak at 200 million in 2024, before entering a steady decline in absolute numbers. Currently at 63 percent of the U.S. population, it is expected to drop below 50 percent by 2043. — AP, 3/18/2013The U.S. infant mortality rate is on the decline. Infant mortality dropped 12 percent from 2005 to 2011, largely because of headway that has been made against four of the five leading causes of infant death. — HealthDay, 4/19/2013A ray detector on the International Space Station has found the first significant hint of dark matter, the mysterious substance that is believed to hold the cosmos together, but has never been directly observed. — AP, 4/4/2013Astronomers have spotted more than 800 planets orbiting nearby stars in recent decades, but only a handful have been Earth -sized. Recently, three more earth-sized worlds orbiting nearby stars have been discovered. These appear to have the capabilityof hosting life. The two ocean-friendly planets have years of 122 days and 267 days — the time it takes to completely orbit the star. — USA Today, 4/19/2013Political Arizona lawmakers are pushing forward legislation that would declare privately minted gold and silver coins legal tender, no different than the U.S. dollar printed by the federal Department of Treasury. In 2011, Utah became the first state in the country to legalize gold and silver coins as currency. — AP, 3/13/2013 U.S. Government budgeted costs, by conflict, to compensate those who have left military service or family members of those who died: Iraq, Afghan., and 1st Gulf War — $12 billion Viet Nam — $22 billion Korea — $2.8 billion World War II — $5 billion World War I — $20 million 1898 Spanish-American War — $50,000 — AP, 3/18/2013 A prospective Iranian presidential candidate criticized President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s denial of the Holocaust. He said it has caused the Is lamic Republic significant damage. Mohammad- Bagher Ghalibaf, incumbent mayor of Tehran and a leading candidate to replace Ahmadinejad, was quoted by Al-Monitor as saying "steps were taken and words uttered that not only did nothing to promote our cause, but enabled our enemies to turn others against us." — Ynet news, 4/25/2013Financial A new report from the Center for Public Integrity’s International Consortium of Investigative Journal ists centers around a trove of 2.5 million leaked financial documents from around the world. Reporters at the center and at other media outlets are still uncovering additional nuggets. But current findings seem to fall within a few broad categories: the offshore secrecy practices of the mega rich, of politicians, and of those connected to corruption and criminal activity. — The Slatest, 4/4/2013The head of Cyprus’ influential Orthodox Church, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, says he will put the church’s assets at the country’s disposal to help pull it out of a financial crisis, after lawmakers rejected a plan to seize up to 10 percent of people’s bank deposits to secure an international bailout. — CBS News, 3/20/2013More speed can mean more profit. But the down side of nearly instantaneous information was highlighted by the dramatic drop in stock prices on the strength of a single, erroneous tweet appearing to emanate from the Associated Press. The tweet’s report of explosions at the White House was quickly corrected, but only after the Dow Jones industrial average dropped about 1 percent. — Washington Post, 4/24/2013A tiny hymnal from 1640 believed to be the first book ever printed in what is now the United States was going up for auction and expected to sell for as much as $30 million. Only 11 copies of the Bay Psalm Book survive in varying degrees of completeness. — AP, 4/13/2013Israel An Israeli company has invented the ExAblate O.R. system which uses interchangeable "cradles" set on a regular MRI treatment table. The tool allows doctors to destroy targets, such as tumors and uter ine fibroid cysts, deep inside the body without incisions. The alert patient is monitored in real time, and changes in treatment parameters can be made instantly. — Israel 21c.org, 3/19/2013Israeli noise -cancelling technology is going into almost everything from home appliances to airplane seats. If you’ve ever run the vent on your kitchen range or tried to catch 40 winks in an airplane, you probably wished someone would invent a way to block the noise without the need for headphones. — Israel 21c.org, 3/24/2013Before the infamous Spanish Inquisition of the 15th Century, Spain had one of the largest Jewish communities in the world — some 300,000. Today, it numbers less than 50,000 — but that number could be about to swell dramatically. Spain’s justice minister announced a plan to give descendants of Spain’s original Jewish community — known as Sephardic Jews — a fast -track to a Spanish passport and Spanish citizenship. — BBC, 3/6/2013A new exhibition aims to celebrate the role Muslims played in saving Jewish lives during the Holocaust. The Righteous Muslim Exhibition is being launched at the Board of Deputies of British Jews in Bloomsbury, central London. Photographs of 70 Muslims who sheltered Jews during World War II will be displayed alongside stories detailing their acts of heroism. — BBC, 4/17/2013An ancient church has been discover-ed in the ancient biblical city, Shi-loh. Archaeologists date the church to the fourth century AD. It is believed to be on the site where the Ark of the Covenant was once housed in an-cient Israel. Workers found the ruins as they dug a drainage ditch for rainwater, coming across well-preserved mosaics. Shiloh is located in the hills of Samaria, close to Shechem. The Book of Joshua shows Shiloh as the first permanent home for the ark after the conquest of Canaan. It was an important center of worship during the Christian period. — Bridges for Peace, 4/25/2013 |
