Reformed Presbyterian Minutes of Synod 1995 - Rparchives.org

86 MINUTES OF THE SYNOD OF THEwork in the kitchen and housekeeping. Aaron and Heidi Goerner are servingvery well as caretakers. Tom Reid continues to help our library in many andsignificant ways, including as a consultant. We also note with thanksgiving thework of the President's Council in advising the President and the Board.Guest lecturers this year included Maurice Doss, John Koelling, DaleMcLane, Harry Metzger, Dennis Prutow, Peter Smith, Jonathan Watt, AndreWeisbrod and James Wittke.STUDENTS103 students were served in the 1994-1995 academic year. Thisincluded the following candidates: 47 M.Div, 9 Diploma, 1 Training inMinistry. 37 individuals were Special Students and 9 were auditors. The fallquarter included 20 Afro-American students and 12 women students with72 evening students and 45 daytime students. Denominational representation(fall quarter, 1994) included 7 Reformed Presbyterians, 4 from the OPC, 13from the PCA and 24 from Baptist churches. Prospects for Summer Greekand fall enrollment are very good.Our full accreditation by ATS is attracting more students and we hopethat the M.A. in Biblical Ministry now under development will do the same.We plan to participate in the video being prepared by RPMscM and hope thiswill serve to attract more students.Commencement was held on May 19 with five men receiving the M.Div.degree and six students receiving Certificates of Achievement. Dr. Stewartgave the Commencement Address according to the request of the students.Our own Scott Wilkinson was among the M.Div. graduates. Scott hasaccepted a call to our Walton, NY congregation. Pray for Scott as he looksforward to serving in the Walton congregation and St. Lawrence Presbytery.Brian Coombs was the first recipient of the Bruce C. Stewart Middler Awardestablished by the Board of Trustees to recognize the second year studentwho "best demonstrates academic excellence in his studies and pastoralconcern in his personal relationships" as discerned by the faculty. The awardconsists of the interest on the principal of an endowment contributed for thisexpress purpose. This endowment was contributed largely by present andformer members of the Board of Trustees and The President' s Council.LIBRARYOur total volumes are 39,645 with 35,321 total catalogued volumesand 4,414 bound volumes of periodicals. The grand total represents anincrease of 2,180 volumes this year, including 212 new rare books andnumerous out-of-print items needed in our collection. Increases in non-bookmaterials such as computer software, CD-ROMs, tapes and videos, weremodest. Services to our library continue to be expensive, though we are ableto reduce these costs by providing services ourselves. Providing these servicesis very time consuming, however. The computer equipment is a tremendoushelp in the work of the library. The use statistics reflect an increase inenrollment as well as more reading being done by current students than bystudents in previous years.