NR #1995-031: For Immediate Release Vander Kam Cites Health in Resignation from Alliance Church Order Study Committee by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer Reformed Believers Press Service KALAMAZOO, Mich (April 11, 1995) RBPS - Health difficulties have led to the resignation of the Alliance of Reformed Churches' leading exponent of classical Christian Reformed polity from its church order study committee. Rev. Henry Vander Kam, a past president of the Christian Reformed synod and former chairman of a number of the most prominent boards and committees in the Christian Reformed denomination, submitted his resignation from the church order study committee during the first week of April. Vander Kam's health has fluctuated since a massive heart attack in 1981. Although nearly incapacitated at the time, he came out of retirement to accept a professorship at Mid-America Reformed Seminary and has served since the beginning of 1993 as the interim pastor of the Free Christian Reformed Church of Kalamazoo, a independent congregation of 190 members. "It's been pretty good that I've been able to keep going so long; they didn't expect me to live through the night and now it's been 14 years," said Vander Kam, who indicated that he will continue his interim position at the Free CRC of Kalamazoo. However, Vander Kam said the strain of committee meetings took its toll. According to church order study committee chairman Rev. Joghinda Gangar, the church order committee typically met from 1pm in the afternoon until 8 or 9 at night, originally meeting every five or six weeks but now meeting monthly in anticipation of completing its work by August. "We appreciated his input; he's been on the committee for now over a year," said Gangar. "It's been a lot of discussion, a lot of work, a lot of meetings, and we appreciate all the input from his experience he's given to the committee. Certainly in terms of his heath, we hope that the Lord will grant him good health." In addition to Gangar, the church order study committee now consists of Alliance interim committee chairman Elder Pete Elzinga, Alliance stated clerk Rev. Jerome Julien, Mid-America Reformed Seminary professor Dr. Nelson Kloosterman, and Elder Roger Swets, a Grand Rapids attorney who has assisted a number of Alliance churches with legal matters. Rev. Bill Pols of Edmonton Orthodox Reformed Church in Alberta is the alternate member of the committee, but due to distance he has not been attending committee meetings. Gangar said no decision had yet been made on appointing another person to fill Vander Kam's position. Any such appointment would have to be made by the Alliance's interim committee, and with less than five months left before the committee is due to report, Gangar questioned the need to appoint a replacement. Cross-References to Related RBPS Articles: #1993-007: No Deposition for Former Synod President Vander Kam; Synodical Deputies Regret Failure to Take Strong Action #1993-053: Alliance of Reformed Churches Recognizes "Need" for Christian Reformed Seceders to Federate in New Denomination; Record Attendance at Alliance: 59 Churches send 130 Voting Delegates; 10 Send Observers; Federation: A Small Step with Potentially Big Implications; Alliance Encourages Creation of Regional Fellowships; Binding the Broader Reformed Community Together; Presbyterian Denomination Requests Inclusion in ARC; Inclusion of Westminster Confession Tabled; Alliance Strengthens Procedures for Ordination Examinations; Church Order Issues to be Reviewed by Committee; List of Churches Sending Delegates to Alliance #1994-060: Alliance of Reformed Churches Adopts Westminster Standards; Seceding Christian Reformed Congregations Move to Convene New Federation; Church Order Committee Avoids Explosion Over Federation Question; Sharply Divided Committee Reaches Unanimous Compromise on Inclusion of Westminster Standards in Alliance Purpose Statement; Independent Churches Decide to Federate Apart from Alliance; Unauthorized Letter to 600 PCA Churches and Leaders Prompts Protests in Presbyterian Church in America and Alliance of Reformed Churches; Alliance Declines Offer of Dordt College Board Position; Confessional Conference on Ecclesiology Scrapped for 1995; Other Matters: Yearbook Problems, Reading Sermons Proposal Rejected, Proposals on Ministerial Training, Revenue Canada, Contact Committee with CRC, Equalizing Travel Costs Voted Down, Alliance Stays in Chicago for 1995 Meeting, Julien Re-Elected Stated Clerk, P.Y. DeJong Addresses Alliance Contact List: Elder Pete Elzinga, Interim Committee Chairman, Alliance of Reformed Churches 3984 North 168th Ave., Holland, MI 49423 * O: (616) 399-1009 Rev. Joghinda S. Gangar, Pastor, Wellandport Orthodox Reformed Church RR #1, Wellandport, ON L0R 2J0 * H/O: (905) 386-6652 Rev. Jerome Julien, Stated Clerk, Alliance of Reformed Churches 34 Azores Crescent, Cambridge, ON N1R 7Z4 * H/O: (519) 622-1033 Dr. Nelson Kloosterman, Professor, Mid-America Reformed Seminary Rt. 2, Box 163, Orange City, IA 51041 * O: (712) 737-3446 * H: (712) 737-4838 * FAX: (712) 737-3318 Rev. William H. Pols, Pastor, Edmonton Orthodox Reformed Church 10324 - 107 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5H 0V8 * O: (403) 424-9397 * H: (403) 473-3320 Elder Roger Swets, Clerk, Independent Reformed Church of Cutlerville 2230 Peerpoint Dr., Caledonia, MI 49316 * O: (616) 459-1171 * H: (616) 554-0878 Rev. Henry Vander Kam, Interim Pastor, Free Christian Reformed Church 7691 Black Mar Circle, Kalamazoo, MI 49002 * H: (616) 324-3816 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-031.txt .