NR #1995-021: For Immediate Release Classis Hudson: Remove Churches with Women Elders from Christian Reformed Denomination, Effective Immediately by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer Reformed Believers Press Service (March 6, 1995) RBPS - Classis Hudson has submitted the strongest overture yet asking Synod 1995 to discipline Christian Reformed congregations "refusing to remove women from authoritative office and to change their practice of ordaining women into authoritative office." At its January 19 meeting, the classis adopted an overture with regard to churches which would "adopt a policy, effective immediately, that all members of such congregations not be allowed to function as synodical delegates, synodical deputies, members of denominational boards or committees, or classical delegates" and "declare that all churches which refuse to submit to the urging of Synod 1994 be declared outside the CRC and removed from the official registry of the Christian Reformed Church of North America effective immediately." In the grounds for the overture, Classis Hudson declares that "strong action by synod is legitimate," noting a number of prior precedents in which synod disciplined local congregations for ecclesiastical disobedience. "The widespread abuse of the church order in the CRC and the refusal of classes to respond appropriately makes a denominational response imperative," the overture continues. "Failure to respond to violations of Church Order Article 3 will render the authority of Synod null and void. Our denominational unity will be broken and congregationalism will replace it. 'In those days Israel had no king, everyone did as he saw fit' (Judges 21:25)." According to Rev. Casey Freswick, pastor of Newton (NJ) CRC which submitted the overture to synod, the intention of classis was simply to ask synod to be consistent with its prior discipline of conservative churches. "Classis Hudson, in principle, has already operated with this in a situation I found inappropriate where we gave only two weeks notice to Messiah's Congregation; I disagreed with the application, but not with the principle." said Freswick. Why ask synod to immediately expel all congregations with women elders rather than taking a less drastic approach or allowing another year before expulsion of the churches? "It's the only consistent next step," said Freswick. "Not only do we believe the Bible with words, but with deeds. If we have any kind of denominational covenant that means anything, those who are violating the denominational covenant on this kind of issue, they can't remain, we have to kick them out." Freswick also noted that much more than women in office is at stake. "If you fail to act in this area, you have failed to exercise the keys of the kingdom," said Freswick. "I'm not saying that we are a false church if we don't kick them out immediately, but if we let this be violated, what else can be violated?" Rev. LeRoy Christoffels, pastor of Preakness (NJ) CRC, said the overture passed by a wide voice vote margin despite its militant language. "The problem we felt as a classis is that these churches were obviously disobedient and flagrantly so," said Christoffels. "I suspect there will be a lot of pressure to draw the process out." "Synod, having made up its mind, should stick to it," said Christoffels. Cross-References to Related RBPS Articles: #1994-038: Classis Grand Rapids East Votes "In Principle" to Permit Churches to Disobey CRC Synod's Ban on Women Elders #1994-041: Unprecedented Decision of Reformed Church in America Synod Removes Voting Rights from Two Regional Classes #1994-050: Classis Grand Rapids East "Refines" July Decision to Disobey Christian Reformed Synodical Ban on Women Elders #1994-064: Number of Christian Reformed Churches Allowing Women Elders Reaches Seventeen #1995-012: Classis Illiana Overtures CRC Synod to Disenfranchise Classis Grand Rapids East for Ecclesiastical Disobedience #1995-020: Minnesota South Asks Synod to Disenfranchise Churches with Women Elders and Terminate Members from CRC Committees Contact List: Rev. LeRoy Christoffels, Pastor, Preakness (NJ) Christian Reformed Church 490 Valley Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470 * H: (201) 694-1516 * O: (201) 628-1313 Rev. Casey Freswick, Pastor, Newton (NJ) Christian Reformed Church 47 Condit St., Newton, NJ 07860 * O: (201) 383-9635 * H: (201) 383-2263 Dr. Philip R. Lucasse, Stated Clerk, Classis Grand Rapids East 3096 Old Kent Rd. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 * O: (616) 957-6000 * H: (616) 942-1219 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-021.txt .