Welcome to the Annual Meeting Edition of Sword and Shield. In this issue you will find the speeches, reports, and photos of the third annual meeting of Reformed Believers Publishing (RBP), held October 20, 2022, at the Wonderland Tire shop in Byron Center, Michigan.

Two of the three editors of Sword and Shield were not able to be present at the meeting. Rev. Nathan Langerak was officiating at his daughter’s wedding rehearsal. A hearty congratulations to Reverend Langerak and his family on God’s gift of marriage to Dan and Sadie Andringa. Although Reverend Langerak was not able to be present, he has written the meditation, an article on the origins of Reformed Believers Publishing, and the Finally, Brethren, Farewell for this issue.

Rev. Martin VanderWal was scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the annual meeting. A few days before the meeting, Reverend VanderWal informed the board of RBP that he had decided to decline its invitation to speak. The topic of Reverend VanderWal’s speech was a worthy one: “The Office of Believer: 1953 and Today.” Perhaps that topic could be developed and published in the future.

That left one editor to attend and give an alternate keynote address, which address is reprinted elsewhere in this issue with some very slight editing to adapt it for print.

What this demonstrates as much as anything is that Reformed Believers Publishing is a believers’ association. The association does not belong to the editors or even to the board but to the men and women who have associated together for the cause of publishing a theological and polemical magazine. We could have an annual meeting of RBP without a single editor in sight if we wanted, and it would still be a full and profitable meeting.

Having said that, it is a privilege for us as editors to write for Sword and Shield. We are very thankful to God for an association that willingly and even eagerly supports the publication of the magazine. May the Lord continue to give our magazine a place for the publication of sound Reformed doctrine.

May God speed the truths written herein to your heart and the next issue into your hands.