On Behalf of the Church
David Engelsma discusses the nature and purpose of the Standard Bearer magazine, explaining how it functions as an independent publication by the Reformed Free Publishing Association while serving a distinctly churchly purpose for the Protestant Reformed Churches and the broader Christian church. The article reflects on Herman Hoeksema's founding vision for the magazine, particularly his emphasis on defending Reformed doctrine against false teachings like common grace, and situates this editorial mission within the broader history and governance structures of the PRCA.
The Standard Bearer (SB) is not a church-magazine. It is not published by, and under the auspices of, a church, or a denomination of churches, identified though it commonly, and rightly, is as the magazine of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRCA). Rather, the magazine is published by an association of Reformed men that is free from church control: the Reformed Free Publishing Association (RFPA). At the same time, the magazine is definitely a church magazine in the sense that it...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org