National Reform Association?

[bemer]

I apologize if this has been asked before, but I'm new here. What happened to the National Reform Association? Its website is defunct. I used to be a fairly regular contributor, but the postal service started returning my contribution envelopes, not only from the NRA's original address but also from what was supposed to be its new address (provided me by Patrick Marx, whom I understood to be the NRA's president). I tried emailing a prominent NRA member (a Pennsylvania political wannbe) who never had the courtesy to reply. Since I support the NRA's declared aims (although not necessarily some of its more recent extrapolations from those aims), I would like to know about the organization's current status. Thanks for your attention.--bemer

 

[R Harris]

Haven't heard a word since the Patrick Marx letter to all supporters stating details about the "re-organization." I think that was about a year ago. Have heard nothing since. No Christian Statesman, no nothing.

I am sure that the will is there to continue, but not the cash. With the economy having headed south the past year, probably what little cash inflow they had has pretty much dried up.

I don't think the NRA will ever "die," but it will probably be dormant for quite some time.

Like many ministries, they need a "Big Papa" to step forward and provide substantial funding. Obviously hasn't happened.

Nothing has really changed financially since I was on the Board 10 years ago. The organization really started moving when Ziegler was the president, but after his fall-out, it has been downhill ever since. While John Fielding and Bill Einwechter did an admirable job keeping things afloat, it eventually got the best of them and they could not keep things up.

Unreal to think where the NRA has been. From getting the Preamble Amendment to the House floor for a vote in 1876 and 1898, to having 50,000 members by 1919 and having the Foreign Minister of France address the NRA convention in that same year - and now to nothing.

Interesting how it has pretty much correlated with the Church's decline over that same time period.

 

[Wayne]

If this is the site: Explicitly Christian Politics -NRA , then there are no working links currently.

You could Google "whois" and then enter a search at the NetworkSolutions site. It will produce information on the people behind the site and provide some contact information.

Other than that, if I remember correctly, the National Reform Association was/is a ministry associated in some way with the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America. You might also contact the Stated Clerk of the RPCNA and see if they can shed any light on the situation.

[Edit: Obviously Randy knows a lot more about the Association. Would love to hear more about it some day. For one, is the International Reform Federation a related group? I have some years worth of the IRF magazine, Progress].

 

[N. Eshelman]

There was nothing about the NRA at Synod last June. Here is the address and contacts that were in the Minutes of Synod though:

National Reform Association
P.O. Box 91123, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-7223

[email protected]
Explicitly Christian Politics -NRA
President: John A Fielding, III

 

[Edward]

Haven't heard a word since the Patrick Marx letter to all supporters stating details about the "re-organization." I think that was about a year ago. Have heard nothing since. No Christian Statesman, no nothing.

I am sure that the will is there to continue, but not the cash. With the economy having headed south the past year, probably what little cash inflow they had has pretty much dried up.

I don't think the NRA will ever "die," but it will probably be dormant for quite some time.

Like many ministries, they need a "Big Papa" to step forward and provide substantial funding. Obviously hasn't happened.

Nothing has really changed financially since I was on the Board 10 years ago. The organization really started moving when Ziegler was the president, but after his fall-out, it has been downhill ever since. While John Fielding and Bill Einwechter did an admirable job keeping things afloat, it eventually got the best of them and they could not keep things up.

Unreal to think where the NRA has been. From getting the Preamble Amendment to the House floor for a vote in 1876 and 1898, to having 50,000 members by 1919 and having the Foreign Minister of France address the NRA convention in that same year - and now to nothing.

Interesting how it has pretty much correlated with the Church's decline over that same time period.

Happen to recall what state they may have been chartered in? We could probably look at their status there and see if it is even still in existence. The name may be up for grabs.

 

[N. Eshelman]

Edward. They are in Pittsburgh (address listed above). They are still in existence.

 

[bemer]

National Reform Assn

Thank you for all the replies. I suspect "inactive" must be the most pertinent adjective. It is unfortunate that no one connected with the organization can provide information; when, or if, the NRA again becomes active, it will be very difficult to build up any sort of constiuency. bemer

 

[bemer]

NRA website

As an addendum, I've been doing a little hunting around and it looks as if the NRA website address Explicitly Christian Politics -NRA has been purchased in an individual in Russia.