NR #1995-023: For Immediate Release
Lake Erie: Appoint New Committee to Study Calling God "Mother," Ensure
Diversity on Denominational Committees

by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer
Reformed Believers Press Service

TOLEDO, Ohio (March 8, 1995) RBPS - Classis Lake Erie broke with some of its
usual allies on the women in office issue by adopting a report calling for
the appointment of a new committee to study feminine language for God.

 Among the members of a committee appointed by Synod 1994 to study the
subject are Calvin Seminary professor Dr. John Cooper, a former elder at
Eastern Avenue CRC and longtime supporter of women in office, who will serve
as reporter for the committee. The chair is Mrs. Mirth Vos, appointed to the
committee as a representative of the counselling profession.

 Other members of the committee are Redeemer College professor Dr. Al Wolters
as a theologian, Calvin Seminary doctoral student Rev. Jai-Sung Shim as a
pastor, Dr. Lorna Van Gilst and Dr. William Vande Kopple as professors of
English, and Rev. LeRoy Christoffels as a representative of the overture
which originally called for discipline of those who address God with feminine
terms.

 Although Cooper has been a leading advocate of women in office, he has also
been a severe critic of feminine language for God, condemning such practices
in a variety of areas. As Classis Lake Erie noted in its overture, "there is
reason to believe that the four theologians/ministers appointed to the
committee hold the same position on this issue." Classis Lake Erie called
this development "unfortunate" and "lamentable," arguing that "the church
will not be well served by such a committee."

 "If the range of opinions on the committee is much narrower than the range
of opinions in the denomination, the chances of finding a position that will
bring together the whole denomination will be very much diminished," the
overture continued. "Such a committee is likely to polarize us even further
and make it more difficult for us to find common ground."

 As a result, the classis voted to urge synod to "appoint a new committee to
study inclusive language for God" on the grounds that "the
theologians/ministers appointed to the committee do not adequately reflect
the range of opinion in our denomination on this subject, giving the church
little confidence that the various issues surrounding this important subject
will be raised or that the committee will bring the denomination together."

 The overture is not the first communication of Classis Lake Erie on the
feminine language for God matter. At its last session on October 7, the
classis asked the denominational board of trustees to add the name of Dr.
Clayton Libolt to the committee to balance its theological position. The
overture resulted from the board of trustees' decision not to do so.

 Rev. Don Postema, pastor of Campus Chapel in Ann Arbor at the University of
Michigan, strongly defended the proposed overture and the practices in his
own congregation. "I'm appalled that it took synod so long to address this
issue; back in 1975 we established guidelines for inclusive language in our
worship and teaching. Clay Libolt was one of the authors of that document,"
said Postema. "I was deeply disappointed that synod received overtures
objecting to this practice; we've been doing it for twenty years."

 However, support for the overture was by no means unanimous. "I for one do
not want to be talking about God as 'She,'" said Elder Bob De Roo of Dearborn
(MI) CRC. "I want to commend synod for appointing people to this committee
who agree with what the Bible teaches."

 Rev. Tim Brown of Dearborn echoed the concerns of his elder. "I'm not sure
what we're talking about here; are we talking here about churches using
biblical metaphors for God?" asked Brown. "I don't think any of us here have
a problem with that. If we are talking about addressing God as 'She' and
'Mother,' we shouldn't be doing that."

 Responding to comments from some delegates that the study committee was
unnecessary because churches were not using feminine language for God,
Postema reiterated that some were in fact doing so. "You said churches aren't
doing this. Our church is and has been doing so for twenty years," said
Postema. "We have found this to be an enriching experience that doesn't
exclude half of the people present at worship."

 Despite objections, the overture passed and will be considered by synod.

 In a related but broader concern, Classis Lake Erie also overtured synod to
"encourage our boards, agencies, and synods to include in their committees
persons who reflect the gender, ethnic and racial diversity of our
denomination and, where applicable, the range of opinion that exists in our
denomination on a particular matter to be studied." A second point of the
overture calls for synod to "instruct the Board of Trustees to appoint a
small sub-committee from its membership to work with boards, agencies and
synods as they appoint committees" which is to "maintain a database of gifted
people who are available to serve in a variety of areas and shall be
consulted before all committee appointments are approved."

 Among the concerns cited in the overture are the committee to study
inclusive language for God. "Though this committee reflects our
denomination's gender and ethnic diversity, we question whether it reflects
our theological diversity," the overture stated. "There is reason to believe
that the four theologian/ministers appointed hold the same position on this
issue. That is lamentable, especially when the names of competent
theologians/ministers with another perspective were submitted to the
synodical advisory committee that formed the committee."

 "The committee's composition gives the church little confidence that the
questions being asked in the current church world will be fairly addressed
and thus aggravates the tension and division on theological issues related to
women," according to the overture.

 Other examples cited by the overture include the lack of women on the Calvin
Seminary board and the committee to study expounding, lack of ethnic minority
representation on the Home Missions board, and a search committee for the
general secretary which was composed only of Dutch males until Synod 1993
instructed the board of trustees to appoint additional members "to reflect
ethnic and gender diversity."

 "Our history demonstrates that we cannot depend on synods, synodical
delegates, or the Board of Trustees to catch/correct oversights made when
committees are formed," the overture continued, recommending instead the
appointment of a subcommittee which, while it "would have no authority to
approve or disapprove the nominees proposed, it would review the nominees
before a committee is officially appointed and, if necessary, would suggest
ways in which a proposed committee could better reflect our denomination's
diversity."

 The committee member overture received much less debate than the proposal to
appoint a new committee on feminine language for God. Pastor George Vander
Weit, stated clerk of classis, said the overture was essential to allow the
denomination to fulfill its stated goals to become multiethnic as well as to
reflect the fact that the denomination has more than one shade of theological
opinion.

 "If synod appointed a committee to study whether women should serve as
elders, and appointed George Vander Weit, Clay Libolt, Bill DeVries, and
three people from Classis Grand Rapids East, all from churches which have
women elders, well, I think we could produce a good report and a fair one,"
said Vander Weit. "But it wouldn't be smart, it'd be just plain dumb, because
it'd send a message to the church that the committee is stacked."

 After a brief debate, the overture passed with one minor change: the
original language calling for appointment of committee members who reflect
"theological diversity" was amended to call for delegates who reflect "the
range of opinion that exists in our denomination on a particular matter to be
studied."

 In a subsequent interview, Libolt expressed concern that his role not be
misinterpreted. "I didn't make myself to be a symbol, I kind of got made to
be one," said Libolt. "The issue originally came up on the floor of synod,
the synod was solicited for names, and Lake Erie's delegation put my name
forward. When that wasn't taken, then some concerns got expressed about the
fact that the committee seemed kind of one-sided. It appeared, at least, that
everyone on the committee had their minds made up before the study began.
Therefore George [Vander Weit], with my permission, wrote to the board of
trustees asking that my name be put on."

 According to Libolt, the intent of the 1975 Ann Arbor document was to avoid
unnecessary masculine references to God rather than introduce explicitly
feminine references, and Libolt's current congregation does not use feminine
language for God. Libolt said he was unaware of current practices at Campus
Chapel, which he served as an interim replacement for Don Postema during
during Postema's 1975 sabbatical.

 However, Libolt said the issue was complex and deserved study. "There are a
number of biblical metaphors for God which are clearly feminine, such things
as Jesus comparing himself to a mother hen," said Libolt. "There are places
in the Old Testament where God speaks of nursing, writhing in childbirth.
Predominantly in the practice of the church and also in the Scriptures, God
has been called 'Father,' and God is never actually called 'Mother' anywhere
in Scripture."

 "If I were to be on the committee as Lake Erie wanted to see happen, my
principal concern would be that it receives fair and open study in the light
of Scripture and the light of Christian tradition, and that we neither pander
to the culture nor shut down the richness and variety of the biblical witness
to God. Beyond that I don't have an explicit position, I'm willing to learn
and study," said Libolt. "I think what I could bring to the committee is some
sensitivity to language, a pretty good knowledge of the Old Testament since
that's where my Ph.D. work was done, but also some knowledge of the rich
variety of the Christian tradition - and I think what I could bring to it
would be some openness of mind."


Cross-References to Related RBPS Articles:

#1994-034: CRC Synod Appoints Committee to Study Calling God "She";
Ratification of Church Order Changes by Classes Rejected

#1994-061: Classis Lake Erie Requests "Balance" on Christian Reformed
Committee Studying Whether God is "Mother"


Contact List:

Rev. Tim Brown, Pastor, Dearborn (MI) Christian Reformed Church
 21383 Audette, Dearborn, MI  48124 * O; (313) 563-1030 * H: (313) 563-5606

Dr. John Cooper, Professor of Philosophy, Calvin Theological Seminary
 549 Morris SE, Grand Rapids, MI  49503 * O: (616) 957-6038 * H: (616)
454-6821

Dr. Clayton Libolt, Pastor, River Terrace Christian Reformed Church
 2210 Moores River Drive, Lansing, MI  48911 * H: (517) 371-4018 * O: (517)
351-9059

Rev. Don Postema, Pastor, Campus Chapel of the University of Michigan
 1810 Covington Dr., Ann Arbor, MI  48103 * O: (313) 668-7421 * H: (313)
662-2402

Pastor George Vander Weit, Stated Clerk, Classis Lake Erie
 2901 Waterloo Dr., Troy, MI  48084 * O: (810) 645-1990 * H: (810) 649-5388

Mrs. Mirth Vos, Chair, Committee to Study Inclusive Language for God
 26 Broadmoor Ave., Barrie, ON  L4N 3M9 * H: (705) 726-2894  



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