NR #1995-036: For Immediate Release Presbyterians Acquire Press Service Associated with Alliance of Reformed Churches, Christian Reformed Conservatives GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (May 12, 1995) URNS - Reformed Believers Press Service, an organization which has been providing information on developments in the Christian Reformed denomination since 1992, has been acquired by a 182-year old southern Presbyterian periodical. Christian Observer, organized in 1813 and currently operating out of the Washington, D.C. suburb of Manassas, Virginia, acquired the press service on April 29. Since the news service will no longer be run by its former owner, Reformed Believers United, the name has been changed to "United Reformed News Service" (URNS). The new name is intended to indicate that the service covers a variety of Reformed denominations and provides information to broadcast news media as well as to print media. Darrell Todd Maurina, press officer for Reformed Believers Press Service since shortly after its inception, will remain on staff under the new management. Maurina will also continue his work as the West Michigan Bureau Editor of Christian Renewal. The purpose statement of the news service will remain unchanged: to be "an independent source of news on developments in the Reformed and Presbyterian world." However, the transfer to Presbyterian owners is likely to result in more extensive coverage of denominations outside the Dutch Reformed tradition. A second goal is to expand coverage of the smaller Dutch Reformed denominations such as the Orthodox Christian Reformed Churches, Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregations, Free Reformed Churches, Protestant Reformed Churches, Netherlands Reformed Congregations, and Canadian Reformed Churches. Rev. Edwin Elliott, Jr., managing editor of Christian Observer, has appointed a project board to manage the press service until more stable arrangements can be completed. In addition to Elliott and Maurina, the board currently consists of Dr. Joel Beeke, pastor of Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Dr. John Elliott, US Correspondent for Nederlands Dagblad, Reformatorisch Dagblad, and Dutch EO Radio/TV, Elder David Kloosterman of Immanuel Fellowship Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Elder Tom Patterson, editor of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Highroad, Dr. Gordon Reed, senior editor of Christian Observer, Mr. Al Siebring, contributing editor for Christian Renewal, Dr. Frank Smith, pastor of Affirmation Presbyterian Church, and Rev. Tom and Laurie Vanden Heuvel, editors of Outlook magazine. The result is an interdenominational board: Reed, Smith, and John Elliott are members of the Presbyterian Church in America; Kloosterman and Siebring are members of the Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Vanden Heuvels are members of the Christian Reformed denomination, Beeke is a member of the Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregations, Patterson is a member of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian denomination, and Maurina is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. "I think the news service is a valuable part of a community building process which has been underway in the last two years," said Edwin Elliott. "The Reformed churches are part of a larger Reformed community. The institutions of that community are now beginning to work together to support and use the news service and I believe that community building is extremely important if we're going to see the revival of the church." United Reformed News Service currently provides news to over a hundred periodicals and denominational leaders via mail and also operates a fax and E-Mail service distributing news to approximately 80 recipients. Most are in the United States but others are in Canada, the Netherlands, England, Korea, Singapore, and New Zealand. Cross-References to Related RBPS Articles: [No previous articles on file] Contact List: Dr. Joel Beeke, Pastor, Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation 2115 Romence NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 * H/O: (616) 459-6565 * E-Mail: JRBeeke@aol.com Rev. Edwin P. Elliott, Jr., Managing Editor, The Christian Observer 9400 Fairview Ave., Manassas, VA 22110 * O: (703) 335-2844 * F: (703) 368-4817 * E-Mail: ChristianO@aol.com Dr. John Elliott, US Corespondent, Nederlands Dagblad/Reformatorisch Dagblad, EO Radio/TV 8355 Irongate Way, Manassas, VA 22110 H/O: (703) 361-6021 * F: (703) 368-8805 * E-Mail: 71221.1632@compuserve.com Elder David Kloosterman 5630 Powderhorn, Kalamazoo, MI 49009 * H: (616) 375-5751 * E-Mail: DAKloost@aol.com Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer, United Reformed News Service PO Box 691, Lawrence, MI 49064-0691 * V: (616) 674-8446 * F: (616) 674-8454 * E-Mail: Darrell128@aol.com Elder Tom Patterson, Editor, The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Highroad PO Box 1283, Moresville, NC 28115 * (704) 663-2611 Dr. Gordon Reed, Senior Editor, The Christian Observer PO Box 20, Sardinia, SC 29143 * O: (803) 473-3329, 473-4329 Al Siebring, Contributing Editor, Christian Renewal 4034 Indian Ave., Orange City, IA 51041 * H: (712) 722-3152 * E-Mail: als@iclnet93.iclnet.org Dr. Frank Smith, Pastor, Affirmation Presbyterian Church of Somers Box 47, Somers, NY 10589-0047 * O: (914) 232-0546 * H: (914) 248-8776 * E-Mail: AffirmPCA@aol.com Rev. Thomas and Mrs. Laurie Vanden Heuvel, Co-Editors, The Outlook 2475 - 85th St. SW, Byron Center, MI 49315 * H/O: (616) 878-9278 * F: (616) 878-3256 * E-Mail: TomLaur@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-036.txt .