Sadly, Reformed Believers Publishing had two defectors this past year that must be mentioned. One is Neil Meyer, who faithlessly deserted his post on the board. The other is Rev. Andy Lanning, who resigned his post as editor in chief of Sword and Shield.

Our meeting tonight would not be complete without saying a few words regarding Reverend Lanning. He was one of our founding champions, and he was instrumental in our reclaiming of the pure gospel of particular, sovereign grace and the truth of the unconditional covenant. We are thankful for his past leadership and instruction in the truth. God used him wonderfully to help so many of us come to a renewed understanding of the pure gospel.

His departure is a grief to us. We marvel at the devil, that the devil sidetracked Reverend Lanning, so that Reverend Lanning defected from such an important post and is now become useless in the battle for the gospel of sovereign grace and the unconditional covenant—the very cause for which Sword and Shield and Reformed Believers Publishing began. In this connection we do not reject his articles or instruction in the truth that he gave on the pages of Sword and Shield while he was editor in chief. His articles can be read with great spiritual profit, and we recognize that God used him mightily in behalf of the recovery of the gospel of sovereign grace in our midst.

Even though Reverend Lanning has left us, thankfully, by God’s grace, Sword and Shield has not skipped a beat in its content. The Lord has blessed us with a new, very capable editor in chief and even with additional capable writers. It is still just as exciting to get another issue of Sword and Shield in our mailboxes each month. In fact, I want to say that every issue is better than the previous one. We are grateful that the Lord has helped us and given to us the ability to continue in this witness to his truth.