NR #1995-072: Is There Poison in the Canadian Bacon? Canadian Council Issues Raise Questions Regarding CRC's Bi-National Character The Christian Reformed Synod, representing a denomination in which almost thirty percent of its 294,179 members live north of the Canadian border, has voted to reaffirm that the CRC is dedicated to being a bi-national denomination and has asked its council of Canadian churches to consider reconstituting itself as a board of Canadian ministries to administer Canadian denominational functions. The decision did not pass without some controversy, however; Calvin Seminary professor Dr. John Bolt, a Canadian citizen, came in for criticism following a speech describing Canadian nationalistic criticism of the United States as "poison." NR #1995-072: For Immediate Release Is There Poison in the Canadian Bacon? * Canadian Council Issues Raise Questions Regarding CRC's Bi-National Character by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 20, 1995) URNS - One quarter of the Christian Reformed denomination's 985 congregations and almost thirty percent of its 294,179 members live north of the Canadian border. However, the marriage of the two sides of the CRC hasn't always been easy. Opening the debate on a proposal by an advisory committee dealing with a report on structure for ministry in Canada, Calvin Seminary professor Dr. John Bolt, himself a Canadian, urged the synod to appreciate its bi-national character as an expression of the catholicity of the church of Christ and reject the "poison" of Canadian nationalism. Speaking in favor of a proposal that synod affirm "that the Christian Reformed Church in North America is dedicated to being a truly bi-national denomination engaged in ministries in Canada and the United States, and throughout the world," Bolt emphasized the importance of "giving a ringing affirmation" to this recommendation regardless of what synod might do with the more detailed recommendations to come later. "The church of Christ transcends national borders," said Bolt. "It is a kind of popular parlor game among Canadian elites that says we are Canadian, we are different. That means, 'We are not Americans!'" After Bolt's speech, a number of delegates questioned its propriety and whether seminary faculty advisors had the right to speak on any matter before synod or only on the matters to which they are assigned. Synod President Rev. Calvin Bolt confirmed that Dr. John Bolt had the right to speak on any matter before synod. "I need to begin by expressing my deep regret that from the beginning that this discussion was cast under the pall of nationalism," said Synod Vice-President Rev. Jack Vos. "We need to remember, there may be a problem with nationalism, but is there not a problem with nationalism in the United States?" Elder Wietse Posthumus of Classis Toronto said that Bolt had "seriously misunderstood" the Canadian concerns. "Our connection to the United States is very clear and very different," said Posthumus, arguing that the lack of a distinct and clearly defined structure for Canadian ministry was beginning to hurt the churches in Canada. Rev. Gordon Pols, also of Classis Toronto, pleaded with the United States delegates - accounting for nearly three-quarters of the synod - to treat the Canadians as equals. "We realize that we are a small sister, but we are 45 years old," said Pols. However, Calvin Seminary professor of church polity Dr. Henry De Moor, also a Canadian and a member of the structure review committee, said the Canadian concerns were being heard. "We did a lot of research and there is no truth to the rumors that the dog is wagging the tail," said De Moor. "That is not true - the tail is wagging the dog, and we don't mind that at all." After an extended debate during which most of the large majority of United States delegates were conspicuously silent, synod approved most of a series of recommendations from the advisory committee. The advisory committee recommendations significantly modified the Canadian structure review committee's recommendations. Rather than dissolving the existing Council of Christian Reformed Churches in Canada and establishing separate boards for each denominational committee accountable to a Canadian board of trustees, synod voted to "propose to the CCRCC that at its November 1995 session, it reconstitute itself as a Board of Canadian Ministries" which would be "comprised of members to be drawn from all Canadian classes," "mandated to submit for approval to the Synod of 1997 a mandate for the BCM to coordinate and hold accountable all Canadian ministries of the CRC, plans to involve the Canadian churches, projected costs, and its plans for the integration of Canadian ministries," and which would be "directly accountable to synod." One matter in the advisory committee report, however, attracted more widespread attention from United States delegates. The Canadian structure review committee had recommended that synod and all Christian Reformed classes adopt a policy currently used by the Canadian Council in which one deacon, elder, and pastor is delegated to each of the broader assemblies. The recommendation - which would have opened the door for the delegation of women deacons to broader assemblies - was replaced by the advisory committee with a recommendation that synod erect a study committee to consider the question of delegating deacons to the broader assemblies. The advisory committee recommendation drew flak from a number of delegates who argued that the Canadian structure review committee had exceeded its mandate. Synod first voted down the advisory committee recommendation on a voice vote and then rejected the structure review committee recommendation by a 94 to 82 roll call vote. Canadian Church Statistics Churches Total Families Professing Members 18 and Over Total Professing Members Non-Professing Members Total Members Classis Alberta North 28 2163 5246 5309 4183 9492 Classis Alberta South 18 1182 2437 2883 2097 4980 British Columbia North-West 19 1310 3221 3285 2178 5463 British Columbia South-East 18 1712 3967 4053 3137 7190 Chatham 28 2602 6531 6564 4607 11171 Eastern Canada 22 1247 3070 3108 2321 5429 Hamilton 17 1512 3864 3931 2014 5945 Huron 23 1985 4636 4663 3663 8326 Minnesota North * 13 726 1656 1706 1298 3004 Niagara 14 1400 3396 3460 2454 5914 Quinte 18 1950 4517 4566 3085 7651 Toronto 26 1929 4520 5146 2959 8105 Canadian Totals 244 19718 47061 48674 33996 82670 Denominational Totals 985 74278 180314 187868 106311 294179 Canadian Percentage 24.77 26.55 26.10 25.91 31.98 28.10 * Statistics represent only the Canadian portion of Classis Minnesota North 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 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-072.txt .