Brandon Keyes launched a personal newsletter this week. It is titled “Soli Deo Gloria: Weekly Reflections on Worship, Culture, and the Regulative Principle.” It has a subheading. The subheading is: “For the serious Christian who wants to think carefully about what we sing, what we watch, and what we are becoming.” Brandon confirmed this is intentional and not a working title.

Subscription data as of Thursday: fourteen subscribers. Twelve are family members, which Brandon confirmed after a brief pause. The remaining two are a college friend from his Reformed campus ministry days and a person Brandon describes as “a contact from the worship committee ecosystem” whose identity he declined to disclose. Brandon characterized the subscriber count as “a strong launch for a focused audience.” This reporter made no comment.

The newsletter’s first edition, published Tuesday, is seventeen paragraphs. The subject matter covers the theology of the regulative principle of worship, the doctrinal history of exclusive psalmody, and a section Brandon has titled “The Contemporary Worship Problem: A Diagnostic.” The edition concludes with a note from the editor inviting readers to “respond with questions, pushback, or additional citations.” As of Thursday, no one had responded with any of these things. Brandon said he expected replies to come in “as people had time to sit with the material.”

Elder Hoffstead was informed of the newsletter’s existence by Elder Langley, who read about it in a text chain he is on with several church members. Elder Hoffstead has not subscribed. When asked whether he planned to, Elder Hoffstead said he would “review it when an appropriate occasion presented itself.” This is the most non-committal statement Elder Hoffstead has made on record in this reporter’s tenure covering Prairie Ridge. The Dispatch interprets it as neither endorsement nor objection.

The worship committee, three of whose five members received the newsletter unsolicited, has not issued a formal response. One member told the Dispatch she found it “thorough.” Another said she “read the first seven paragraphs.” The third had not yet opened it.

Caleb Mercer subscribed. He told the Dispatch he thought it was important to stay informed on all relevant theological discussions within the congregation. He has not yet submitted a response to Brandon’s invitation for feedback. He is working on it.

AT PRESS TIME: Brandon emailed all current subscribers to inform them that the second edition would arrive “on schedule.” He did not specify what the schedule was. The Dispatch notes that a publication schedule is a commitment that compounds over time.

DEVELOPING: The Dispatch has learned that Brandon Keyes added the Prairie Ridge Reformed Church prayer chain email list to his newsletter distribution without prior notification to the list members. Subscriber count is now nineteen. The Dispatch will continue to monitor the situation.

Brought to you by Squirrelly Joe’s Coffee — roasted to order, named after virtues. squirrellyjoes.com