By Emery Cawsey. The classmate of a recent theological graduate reflects on the life and death of a special friend and his family: Kris and Sheryl Davidson, and their daughters Lauren and Katie. … Read more
Biography
John Calvin on Prayer
By Victor Shepherd. No one in the history of Christian thought has written on prayer as much as John Calvin. Few have approached him in sensitivity and profundity. Fewer still have understood the social/psychological situation from which he wrote everything: the refugee who knows that life is precarious. … Read more
W. Stanford Reid: An Evangelical Calvinist in the Academy, by A. Donald MacLeod
Reviewed by Ian S. Rennie. Stanford Reid had a very deep love for the Presbyterian Church. He cherished its official theology, only wishing that it was more studied. He valued the system of church government, even when he might be rebuffed by it. He also found signs of life in the denomination. … Read more
Maria’s Legacy
Esther McIlveen’s nostalgic article reminds us how the example of a godly parent is an ongoing encouragement to live wholesomely in challenging circumstances. … Read more
The Man in Black and the Gospel of Light
By Todd R. Statham. Johnny Cash sings from within a fallen world, and dares the listener to look upon it honestly, with unflinching gaze. Yet, no matter how deep the darkness down into which his songs climb, there, the hope of God's grace is brighter and God's love is more real. … Read more
Two Books on John Stott
Reviewed by Ian S. Rennie. At Rugby boys' school, John Stott was led to Christ by E.J.H. Nash, an evangelical Anglican clergyman. Stott spent much of his time, energy, and ability on the renewal of the Church of England and of the historic Protestant denominations of the Western world and the developing world. He had a global influence. … Read more
Bryden on Preaching
By Robert K. Anderson. Dubbed a "Barthian" by those who like to use labels, Principal Bryden claimed allegiance to no particular school of thought, except as it was founded upon the Scriptures. In the pulpit he was like a flame, and his "asides" were reputed to be better than his lectures. … Read more
The Path of Life: Memoirs of Clare and Grace McGill
Reviewed by Calvin Brown. This book chronicles the work of this missionary couple in Taiwan. It follows the historical and changing political realities the missionaries had to labour under, the creation of a written language for the Tayal people, and the personal lives of the missionaries themselves. … Read more
Far Formosa is Dear to My Heart
By A. Donald MacLeod. George Leslie MacKay was the first missionary of the Canada Presbyterian Church. He not only pioneered Christian mission in northern Taiwan in 1871, but also transformed the missionary vision of the Canadian Church. His work continues to have a profound influence. … Read more
Testing the Diversity of the Presbyterian Church within Canada
By Jonathan Dent. Jonathan Goforth used the Revivalist models of Finney and Moody in China. In meetings, he prayed, sang hymns, taught the Word, and called for testimony. Hours were spent in the confession of sin and repentance. Revival broke out wherever Goforth went. … Read more
The Tayal Church Experiences the Holy Spirit at Work
By Grace McGill. The Holy Spirit movement in Taiwan began in 1971. Signs and wonders occurred, including prophetic utterances by an illiterate woman who could not possibly have recited Bible passages, giving chapter and verse, unless she had been inspired by the Holy Spirit. … Read more
Dying for the Gospel: The Gordons of Erromanga
By Peter Bush. After the murder of his brother, George Gordon, a missionary to Erromanga in the New Hebrides, James Gordon brought his murderers a message of forgiveness. Both Gordons preferred to train islanders to spread the gospel, and by 1900, 95% of the people of Erromanga were Christians. … Read more
A. Caroline Macdonald of Japan
By John Vaudry. Caroline Macdonald worked with the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), which was at that time an interdenominational evangelical organization that encouraged educated Christian women to work for "the regeneration of society." This she did in Japan, supported by women's missionary organizations in the Canadian Presbyterian and United Churches. … Read more
New Board of Directors Member Profiles
By Calvin Brown. The Executive Director introduces three new members of the Renewal Fellowship Board of Directors: Carolyn Dickie, Geoff Wood, and Bill Boycott. … Read more
Celebrating Our Cross-cultural Evangelistic Missionary Heritage: The Centenary of James Ira Dickson
By Rev. Dr. A. Donald MacLeod. The tireless efforts of James Dickson, a Canadian Presbyterian missionary, were seminal in the advancement of Christianity in Taiwan, especially among the hill tribes. His wife, Lillian Dickson, began the Mustard Seed Mission, emphasizing sturdy church buildings, adequate child care, orphan protection, and vocational training. … Read more
The Passing of a Friend
By John P. Vaudry. Ian McPhee was the director of the Union Mission for Men in Ottawa and a professor at the Peace River Bible Institute. His death from cancer reminds us that we have only one life, and we need to seize the opportunities we are given to serve God faithfully. … Read more
W. Stanford Reid – A Classic Case of Exclusion
By A. Donald MacLeod. Stanford Reid never fit into neat categories. His critics would assail him from left and right. But his continuing loyalty to the Presbyterian Church in Canada could never be questioned. It came from love for the denomination and the country of his birth. … Read more








