Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 10:35:18 EST
From: Darrell128 <Darrell128@aol.com>
Subject: NR 98017: Classis Michigan Approves Jamaican as United Reformed Ministerial
Cand
NR #1998-017: Classis Michigan Approves Jamaican as United Reformed
Ministerial Candidate
At its March 3 meeting, Classis Michigan of the United Reformed Churches
declared the last of four 1997 URC graduates of Mid-America Reformed Seminary
to be a candidate for the United Reformed ministry. The candidate, Alrick
Headley, has been attending Calvin Theological Seminary for his Th.M. degree
and until recently wasn't yet available to consider a call from a church.
Headley, originally a native of Jamaica, noted that he came to the United
States while still a Baptist to attend Reformed Bible College in Grand Rapids
and became Reformed during his undergraduate studies.
NR 1998-017: For Immediate Release:
Classis Michigan Approves Jamaican as United Reformed Ministerial Candidate
by Darrell Todd Maurina
United Reformed News Service
ALTO, MICH. (March 3, 1998) URNS - At its March 3 meeting, Classis Michigan of
the United Reformed Churches declared the last of four 1997 URC graduates of
Mid-America Reformed Seminary to be a candidate for the United Reformed
ministry. The candidate, Alrick Headley, has been attending Calvin Theological
Seminary for his Th.M. degree and until recently wasn't yet available to
consider a call from a church.
Headley, originally a native of Jamaica, noted that he came to the United
States while still a Baptist to attend Reformed Bible College in Grand Rapids
and became Reformed during his undergraduate studies. "It was while I was at
RBC and exposed to that teaching that I made the transition," said Headley.
"There were not a lot of differences between my background in the Baptist
church; except for infant baptism, I didn't need to change much."
Classical examiner Rev. Ed Knott of Beverly URC in Wyoming asked Headley how
he would deal with a potentially difficult issue. "There is a great deal of
talk today about racism," said Knott. "In your experience in the seminary and
the churches, have you experienced any of that?"
"To me it has not been a problem; many of my friends are Dutch, and Canadian
or American; I try to focus on the thousands of people who love and accept me,
rather than the two or three who may not," replied Headley. "I think racism,
whether whites against blacks or blacks against whites, is a sin, and I don't
fear going into the ministry because of that."
"There is a unity of the faith without respect to the color of our skin, and
I hope a church will call you and accept you on that basis," responded Knott.
Headley is a member of Walker URC, which until recently was still in the
Christian Reformed Church. Headley said that he had decided to enter the
United Reformed ministry after considering other options, but had decided the
URC is where he belongs. "At one point I was thinking about going into the
Christian Reformed Church because there is a lot of need there," said Headley.
"I was in two churches where they were out in the country with no pastor and a
lot of pastoral need there, but when I looked to the future I did not think
that was where I should be, so I decided to stay in the United Reformed
Churches."
Cross-References to Related Articles:
#1998-014: United Reformed Classis Michigan to Consider Official Classical
Newsletter
Contact List:
Rev. Peter Adams, Pastor, Grace United Reformed Church
9658 -60th St. SE, Alto, MI 49302
O: (616) 891-8440 * H: (616) 868-2068
Rev. Edward J. Knott
2759 Porter St. SW, Wyoming, MI 49509
H: (616) 534-4683
Rev. Joel Vander Kooi, Pastor, Walker United Reformed Church
1985 Randall Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504-2136
O: (616) 453-8101 * H: (616) 453-5767 * E-Mail: RevJoelvdK@aol.com
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