April 2025 Ordained Servant

From the Editor. One of the great blessings of my pastoral ministry was the presence of gifted, godly ruling elders. The first session that I enjoyed working with was the session of Franklin Square Orthodox Presbyterian Church, where the author of our Servant Memorial, William Shishko, was pastor for over thirty years. The church in New Rochelle where I was a church planter was overseen by that session. “A Model Ruling Elder: Tom Warnock” is a tribute to one of the best ruling elders I have ever known and worked with. G. I. Williamson (editor, 1992–2005) would be proud of our continuing to encourage faithful ruling eldership in the pages of the journal he founded, Ordained Servant.

The many forces of our technological society have grossly underestimated the superiority of human intelligence and face-to-face presence. Last month in part 1, I gave a brief introduction to artificial intelligence with a brief history and a comparison with human intelligence. This month I consider the unique superiority of human intelligence and personal presence, exploring what King David meant when he declared that he was “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14). In part 3 I will conclude with the application of parts 1 and 2 in terms of benefits and liabilities.

Danny Olinger continues the series “Jesus, Stab Me in the Heart! Flannery O’Connor at 100” with an analysis of the O’Connor short story “Revelation,” which is considered by O’Connor expert Ralph Wood her finest story. Each month Olinger will be reflecting on a sample of O’Connor’s short stories (I recommend O’Connor: Collected Works, The Library of America, 1988). O’Connor is unique among the greatest fiction writers of the twentieth century. “O’Connor’s one overarching theme is Jesus Christ and the scandal of the Christian religion.”[1]

Old Testament professor Bryan Estelle reviews Reading the Psalms as Scripture by James Hamilton Jr. and Matthew Damico. He categorizes the book as “a hermeneutics on reading the Psalter.” It serves as an excellent introduction to the basic issues involved in a true reading of this powerful portion of God’s Word. He concludes that “the authors and publishers are to be commended for producing a simple, clear, and attractively published book.”

Steve Migotsky reviews an important new book on abortion by a Reformed author: Evangelicals and Abortion: Historical, Theological, Practical Perspectives by J. Cameron Fraser. Fraser presents important historical, theological, and practical information. Fraser refers favorably to the 1971 OPC Report of the Committee to Study the Matter of Abortion, especially its exegesis of Exodus 21:22–25. Historically, evangelicals came to believe that human life begins at conception within the last half century. As Migotsky implies in his review article title, “Things about Abortion I Never Knew,” there is lots of new material in Fraser’s excellent book.

Scott Meadows reviews Pastoral Visitation: For the Care of Souls by Tyler C. Arnold. Arnold is a conservative Lutheran with a pastoral theology of visitation very similar to Presbyterians. This book covers the importance and practice of visitation. Ordained Servant has more than two dozen articles on the topic.

Our poem this month, “Faith in Prayer,” is by American poet Austin Phelps (1820–1890). This poem is from his book The Still Hour: or, Communion with God (1860). Born at West Brookfield, Massachusetts, he attended the University of Pennsylvania, Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and then Yale Divinity School. He was a preacher in Philadelphia, Boston, and then a professor at Andover Theological Seminary. He went on to be president at the seminary for ten years. He wrote several books on theological topics.

Our cover this month is a Chinese brush painting by my late mother, Barbara, including her unique chop stamp signature.

Blessings in the Lamb,
Gregory Edward Reynolds

FROM THE ARCHIVES “RULING ELDER”
https://opc.org/OS/pdf/Subject_Index.pdf

• “How a Faithful Elder Can Make a Difference: Reflections on the Life and Death of a Friend.” (Ryan M. McGraw) 29 (2020): 58–61.
• “Lessons from the Life of an Extraordinary Ruling Elder.” (William Shishko) 16 (2007): 44–46.
• “Ordained Servants: The Ruling Elder” (Gregory Edward Reynolds) 16 (2007): 9–11.
• “Working with the Eldership.” (Jay E. Adams) 1:2 (Apr. 1992): 27–29.
• “Elder to Elder: Start those Home Visits Now!” (David Winslow) 7:1 (Jan. 1998): 20–21. [reprinted 15 (2006): 58-59]
• “The Importance of Home Visitation.” (G. I. Williamson) 18 (2009): 31–33.

Ordained Servant exists to help encourage, inform, and equip church officers for faithful, effective, and God-glorifying ministry in the visible church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Its primary audience is ministers, elders, and deacons of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, as well as interested officers from other Presbyterian and Reformed churches. Through high-quality editorials, articles, and book reviews, we will endeavor to stimulate clear thinking and the consistent practice of historic, confessional Presbyterianism.

[1] Danny Olinger, “A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” Ordained Servant Online (March 2025), https://opc.org/os.html?article_id=1171.