To Reach United Reformed News Service Staff, Contact: Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer [For news tips or content-related inquiries] DURING SYNOD 1995 ONLY: (Monday, June 12 to Friday, June 23): Voice: (616) 451-4205 * FAX: (616) 698-9265 * E-Mail: Darrell128@AOL.com 1214 Fountain NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 PERMANENT ADDRESS: Voice: (616) 674-8446 * FAX: (616) 674-8454 * E-Mail: Darrell128@AOL.com PO Box 691, Lawrence, MI 49064-0691 Laurie Vanden Heuvel, Circulation Manager [For missing or back issues, subscription inquiries, or address changes] Voice: (616) 878-9278 * FAX: (616) 878-3256 * E-Mail: TomLaur@AOL.com 2475 - 85th St., Byron Center, MI 49315 .c1.June 14, 1995 * Contents:; NR #1995-062: Christian Reformed Synod Votes Down Overture to Disenfranchise Classis Grand Rapids East for Women Elders Synod voted down an overture asking synod to disenfranchise the delegates from Classis Grand Rapids East due to its decision not to discipline six member churches which have ordained women elders despite synodical prohibition of the practice. Today may only be the first round, however: the advisory committee expressed concern that singling out one noncompliant classis is improper and that synod has not specified consequences of noncompliance. The advisory committee has yet to act on four more overtures seeking to apply discipline not only to Classis Grand Rapids East but also to all churches and classes in ecclesiastical noncompliance, and was asked by synod to consider establishing a study committee to "consider the possible development of guidelines and procedures for dealing with matters of ecclesiastical noncompliance." Synod Shorts: * Synod to Interview Nominee for Calvin College Presidency * Tentative Schedule Announced for Remainder of Synod NR #1995-063: Reformed Church in America General Synod Replaces Proposal for Merger with Request for Closer RCA-CRC Cooperation Meeting in Mahwah, New Jersey, the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America voted today "to encourage the agencies of the General Synod as well as the Commission on Christian Unity to maintain regular correspondence with the respective corresponding agencies within the Christian Reformed Church in North America and its Interchurch Relations Committee; and further, to explore avenues of reconciliation between the Reformed Church in America and the Christian Reformed Church in North America for additional programmatic cooperation." The motion replaces the language in an overture from the RCA's Classis of North Grand Rapids asking the General Synod "to effect full programmatic and organizational union with the Christian Reformed Church in North America by June 2000." NR #1995-062: For Immediate Release Christian Reformed Synod Votes Down Overture to Disenfranchise Classis Grand Rapids East for Women Elders by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 14, 1995) URNS -- In the first major action taken by Synod 1995, the broadest assembly of the Christian Reformed denomination voted not to "disenfranchise" Classis Grand Rapids East for its failure to discipline churches with women elders. However, the classis and its noncompliant churches may not yet be off the hook: one of the grounds cited for rejecting the "disenfranchisement" proposal was that "it is not appropriate for Synod 1995 to take action against only one particular classis which has chosen to be open about its decisions regarding women in ecclesiastical office when other classes have made similar decisions." The advisory committee dealing with the matter has not reported its recommendations on four other overtures before it which call for a variety of actions to be taken against all churches which have voted to ordain women elders rather than dealing with one specific classis. One of these, in addition to calling for discipline of churches, "overtures synod to discipline the churches and classes of the CRC which defy or do not comply with Church Order Article 3-a," the provision which limits the offices of minister, elder, and evangelist to men. Synod followed the recommendation of its advisory committee which urged the rejection of an overture from Classis Illiana and a communication from Classis Wisconsin, both specifically targeted against Classis Grand Rapids East. In the words of Classis Illiana, the "decision of Classis Grand Rapids East to 'permit its individual churches the freedom to decide whether or not the word 'male' in Article 3-a of the Church Order is operative in their particular settings' is contrary to the decisions of Synod 1994 and undercuts the authority of synod." Besides noting that Classis Grand Rapids East has not been the only Christian Reformed assembly to make similar decisions, the advisory committee also noted that Synod 1994 "specifically used the word 'urge' in its decision rather than a word such as 'instruct' or 'mandate' and did not specify consequences in the event the urgings of synod were not followed." As a result, the advisory committee argued that the "the requested action to 'disenfranchise the delegates of Classis Grand Rapids East at Synod 1995' is hasty and extreme." Although the committee recommendation came without a minority report, it produced sharp dissent on the floor of synod. "Our classis felt that what Classis Grand Rapids East did was a very serious matter that undermined the authority of synod," said Classis Illiana delegate Rev. Lester Van Essen. "Classis Grand Rapids is made up of churches where many of the members are professors at Calvin College and Seminary, many of our denominational employees are members of those churches," continued Van Essen. "If they're not going to abide by the decisions of synod, why should we, like when it comes to paying ministry shares? A lot of our churches are saying, if a classis, not a congregation but a whole classis, stands up and defies what synod says, why should we give ministry shares?" Advisory committee reporter Rev. John Ooms noted that they had to deal with the specific request of the overture. "There are several other overtures our committee is dealing with that ask us to say other things and we will be dealing with them," said Ooms. Classis Grand Rapids East delegate Rev. Morris Greidanus, pastor of Grand Rapids First CRC which called the July 1994 meeting that made the decisions which led to the uproar, defended his classis' actions. "Really, to call us a rebel, that hurts. We didn't do this foolishly, we did this prayerfully, and we have to do this," said Greidanus. "That we were rebels and ecclesiastically disobedient, that I do not see." Dr. Henry De Moor, Calvin Seminary professor of church polity, also took the floor to oppose the Classis Illiana overture. De Moor, like Greidanus, was directly involved in the actions attacked by Illiana: De Moor chaired the Classis Grand Rapids East committee that revised the original July decision and produced a new declaration that classis, while "recognizing synod's legal right to insist on the retention of the word 'male' in Church Order Article 3-a, nevertheless acknowledges its congregations' moral right of conscientious objection (with any attendant consequences) to that insistence with respect to the office of elder" and resolved "not to attempt to force its congregations to comply with the decision of Synod 1994" urging an end to women elders. "This is a first time in denominational history that we have this instrument of censure and I'm a little concerned about it," said De Moor, noting that while classes have from time to time deposed the elders of local churches for disobedience synod has never attempted to discipline an entire classis. "Natural justice tells us that those four delegates [from Classis Grand Rapids East] are not just representing six churches which have taken these actions, but also all the churches which have not done so, often in the face of strong pressures from within their congregations," said De Moor. "It is unjust to those churches which have chosen to heed the urging of synod to take this action." De Moor's own church, Woodlawn CRC in Grand Rapids, is one of the congregations in Classis Grand Rapids East which is supportive of women in office but has not engaged in ecclesiastical noncompliance. However, synodical First Clerk Dr. Howard Vanderwell warned the delegates that doing nothing to Classis Grand Rapids East could accelerate a trend toward less and less compliance with synodical authority. "There's something in my heart that says we ought to be able to exercise some supervision," said Vanderwell. "We have a pattern among us in which noncompliance seems to be tolerated; we feel there is a pattern of tolerance among us, so why do we need to deal with this case when we don't with others," said Vanderwell. "I feel like being back in my adolescence when my father wanted to discipline me for smoking but he couldn't because he was busy smoking." A delegate from Classis Columbia then moved a proposal suggested by De Moor -- who as a seminary faculty adviser to synod has the right to speak but not to make motions -- that synod not only declare the overtures "hasty and extreme" but also "unjust to those churches in Classis Grand Rapids East which have chosen to heed the urgings of Synod 1994." After a brief debate, the proposal suggested by De Moor lost on a voice vote. Van Essen then asked the committee why their report said Classis Illiana was hasty. "What does your committee mean by hasty?" asked Van Essen. "Do you want us to wait a while? How long do you want us to wait?" "It is hasty because all of a sudden synod is being asked to do something it has never done before," responded Ooms "Synod 1994 made no indication of consequences, so our committee felt there should be some warning, some advance notice, that noncompliance carries this kind of consequences," said Ooms, noting that even the definition of "disenfranchise" was unclear. According to Ooms, while Classis Illiana's delegates told him that "disenfranchise" meant to deny voting rights to Grand Rapids East delegates, they had also told him that Classis Illiana had not spent much time discussing what they meant by the term before sending the overture to synod. After the committee proposal was adopted, Vanderwell introduced a new motion asking the committee to "serve synod with advice on the possible establishment of a study committee that will consider the possible development of guidelines and procedures for dealing with matters of ecclesiastical noncompliance," citing as grounds that "current instances of such noncompliance illustrate the need for the consideration of such guidelines" and that "no such guidelines currently exist." Following some procedural questions, synod adopted Vanderwell's motion with the understanding that the committee was only being asked to consider the question, not to come back with a specific response to the question." In a later interview, Greidanus said he was pleased by the synodical decision despite the strongly negative comments made about his classis. "I was pleased that the committee noted that we weren't the only one; there's a range of disobedience, if we want to call it that," said Greidanus. "I also appreciated the comments of the First Clerk that we want to live with diversity." The author of the Classis Illiana overture, Rev. Garrett Stoutmeyer from Bethany CRC in South Holland, Illinois, is not a delegate to synod and declined comment on the defeat of his overture. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1994-038: Classis Grand Rapids East Votes "In Principle" to Permit Churches to Disobey CRC Synod's Ban on Women Elders #1994-050: Classis Grand Rapids East "Refines" July Decision to Disobey Christian Reformed Synodical Ban on Women Elders #1995-012: Classis Illiana Overtures CRC Synod to Disenfranchise Classis Grand Rapids East for Ecclesiastical Disobedience #1995-051: ANALYSIS: What's Coming to the Christian Reformed Synod? #1995-060: Christian Reformed Synod Begins with Packed Prayer Service #1995-061: Synod 1995 Elects Officers, Recesses to Advisory Committees Contact List: Mr. Tim Penning or Mrs. Bonny Wynia, Christian Reformed Synodical News Office Calvin College, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 * O: (616) 957-8652 * FAX: (616) 957-8551 To Reach Delegates During Synod: (616) 957-6000 Pre-Recorded CRC Synod Hotline: (616) 957-8654 Rev. Gerrit Stoutmeyer, Pastor, Bethany Christian Reformed Church 319 E. 161st. Place, South Holland, IL 60473 * O: (708) 333-1377 * H: (708) 333-1012 Synod Shorts: For Immediate Release Synod to Interview Nominee for Calvin College Presidency GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 14, 1995) URNS -- In other actions today, Synod 1995 voted to schedule an interview with Dr. Gaylen Byker, the nominee for the presidency of Calvin College. Byker, a former banker and currently a Texas oil executive, is the sole nominee for the presidential post. His interview is scheduled to take place during the Thursday evening session and will be conducted by Rev. Morris Greidanus, a member of the Calvin College board of trustees and a synodical delegate from Classis Grand Rapids East. The evening session for Thursday and all other weekday meetings of synod convenes at 7:30 pm in the auditorium of the Calvin College Fine Arts Center. Synod Shorts: For Immediate Release Tentative Schedule Announced for Remainder of Synod GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 14, 1995) URNS -- The officers of synod have announced a tentative schedule for business during the remainder of its sessions. While the schedule is open to change, current plans call for synod to adjourn on Wednesday, June 21. The schedule indicates that women in office is expected to take the most time of any agenda item, being allotted three business sessions on Monday evening and Tuesday morning and afternoon. The thorny issue of children's communion is allotted two sessions on Friday evening and Saturday morning. All other issues are expected to take no more than one session for completion. The stated schedule for sessions has synod convening each morning at 8:30 am and running until 11:45 am, reconvening at 1:30 pm and running until 5:45 pm, and reconvening at 7:30 pm before adjourning for the night at 9:30 pm. However, this schedule is also open to change. At least one item in the published schedule has already changed: Rev. John Suk's appointment as editor of the Banner, the CRC's denominational weekly, was scheduled for Wednesday evening but has been postponed due to the length of the debate on Classis Illiana's overture regarding disenfranchising Classis Grand Rapids East. Tentative Schedule for Synod 1995: Wednesday, 6/14 PM Grand Rapids East Overtures Educational Matters Reappointment of Rev. John Suk as Banner Editor Thursday, 6/15 AM: Appointment of Dr. Gary Bekker as Calvin Seminary Academic Dean PM: Pastoral Ministries (This committee's mandate includes six overtures calling for rejection a report on the Fund for Smaller Churches, a Lake Erie overture to appoint a new committee to study inclusive language for God, guidelines regarding pastor/parishioner relations and abuse allegations, and the reports of five denominational pastoral ministries committees.) Eve: Appointment of Dr. Gaylen Byker as Calvin College President Fraternal Delegate, Presbyterian Church in America Friday, 6/16 AM: Church Order II Report (This committee's mandate includes review of overtures asking for a change in the ratification process for church order articles which could lead to an end of the two-year ratification process for at least some items. It will also deal with the clarifying the "settled and binding" nature of synodical decisions and several more technical matters.) PM: Financial Matters Report Eve: Children at the Lord's Supper Saturday, 6/17 AM: Children at the Lord's Supper Monday, 6/19 AM: Interdenominational Matters (This committee's mandate includes relations with the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and the CRC's mother church, the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, and also addresses the diverse matters of approving a Korean-speaking classis, condemning the "statue" exercise at the CRC listening conferences, replacing earlier CRC decisions regarding homosexuality) PM: Structure for Ministry in Canada (This committee's mandate includes seven overtures objecting to all or part of the study committee report recommending abolition of the Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada, the establishment of separate US and Canadian boards and governing structures for each denominational committee, and delegation of deacons to classis and synod meetings. Other items include a request that the CRC appoint an issue awareness committee and designate a "sanctity of human life Sunday.") Eve: Women in Office Tuesday, 6/20 AM: Women in Office PM: Women in Office Eve.: Synodical Banquet for Delegates: no full session Wednesday, 6/21 All Day: Unfinished Business ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-062.txt .