Monthly Letter

Dear Reconcilers, This month’s letter is written by Willard High, Pastor Emeritus. We are pleased and honored to share it with you. “Unacknowledged History” February is Black History Month, a time to recognize the innovation and contributions of thousands of African-Americans, including my “Uncle Billy”— born Robert Wayne Morgan, in rural North Carolina in 1933.…

Dear Reconcilers, As we leave 2022, many say our country is more divided than ever. Gun violence was rampant in 2022. Nineteen kids and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Texas. Ten black people were killed shopping at a supermarket in a Buffalo, New York. Hate crimes and hate speech rose dramatically…

Dear Reconcilers, Last year on December 23, 2021, Neil Earle unexpectedly died of heart failure at the age of 74. He was a respected and beloved friend of our Reconciliation Ministry. Neil was a retired Grace Communion International (GCI) Church Pastor who served for 44 years in congregations across Canada and in Southern California. He…

I am happy to have Sheila Graham share some of the reasons we still have so much to be thankful for. Jannice and I would like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.  A Time of Challenge and Thankfulness “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” Dorothy cried in The Wizard of Oz when she found herself in…

Our September letter was on kindness and this month I asked Pastor High if he would write a letter on forgiveness. We are happy to share his thoughts with you. The Healing Power of Forgiveness by Willard High, Pastor Emeritus Forgiveness can be a psychological, spiritual, and a physical activity. We all know the feeling. Someone…

Dear Reconcilers, Have you ever told someone that they are a kind person? Have you ever been told that you are a kind person? I am reading an article by Rich Harwood from the Harwood institute titled “The Urgent Need for Acts of Loving Kindness.” He mentions that as he travels the country, he hears…

Dear Reconcilers, I would like to thank Pastor High and Pastor Albert Vander Meer for sharing their experience of reconciliation and unity that brought their congregations together. I’m sure they had many challengers but they did not quit. They even set up a six-week seminar on reconciliation, meeting one evening a week for two hours.…

Reconciliation and Unity (Final Installment) by Willard High Reconciliation and Unity are companions; one follows the other. Pastor Al and I, along with our congregations, faced many challenges as we explored something that is seldom done in our culture or Christendom. In my letter I may have used the familiar term, “Racial Reconciliation” but I…

Reconciliation & Unity: The Challenge of Integrationby Rev. Dr. Albert Vander Meer S.T.M The First Reformed Church members and leadership were dissatisfied with our second worship offering.   In preparation for our third joint service the worship teams of both congregations met and planned the service. This cross cultural third service was reasonably accepted by both…