NR #1995-075: Synod Permits Classes to Declare Second Church Order Article
"Inoperative"; Women May Now "Expound" or "Exhort"

 Christian Reformed women may continue to "expound" and may also "exhort" in
classes which declare "inoperative" the church order's requirement that
exhorters be male. The result is that women "expounders" may serve as
unordained pastors of congregations even if their classes refuse to declare
the church order's prohibition on women elders, ministers, and evangelists
"inoperative" and that they may also be licensed to exhort by classes which
wish to allow women to fill pulpits without being ordained or in preparation
for ordination.

NR #1995-075: For Immediate Release
Synod Permits Classes to Declare Second Church Order Article "Inoperative";
Women May Now "Expound" or "Exhort"

by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer
United Reformed News Service

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 21, 1995) URNS - Declaring parts of the church
order "inoperative" seems to be in vogue at the Christian Reformed synod.
Monday's precedent in which synod allowed classes to declare the church
order's ban on ordaining women elders and ministers inoperative was used
again two days later to allow classes to allow unordained persons to "exhort"
in worship services.

 Synod's decision to allow women exhorters as well as women ministers and
elders came in the context of a report by a study committee appointed by
Synod 1994 to clarify the meaning of Synod 1992's decision to allow women to
"teach, expound the Word of God, and provide pastoral care" without being
ordained. The study committee members, 1994 synod president Rev. Peter
Brouwer, 1992 women in office advisory committee member Rev. Allen Petroelje,
former CRC General Secretary Rev. Leonard Hofman, and Calvin Seminary
professor of church polity Dr. Henry De Moor, came to unanimous agreement
that synod should declare that Synod 1992 meant "that women ought to be
encouraged to use their gifts of interpreting, teaching, and applying the
Word of God in a variety of ministry contexts but not for exhorting and
preaching in official worship services." As grounds for the recommendation,
the study committee noted that "the Church Order requires that those who
bring the Word of God in a worship service be authorized by the church
through classis and synod" and that the same church order requires that
"exhorters and preachers of the Word must be male." In a second
recommendation, the study committee also asked synod to "declare that a
change in Church Order Article 43 would be required to authorize women to
bring the Word of God in official worship services."

 The study committee recommendations - which would have prevented women from
filling any pulpits anywhere in the denomination, including the pulpits of
two churches which have called full-time women expounders to serve as their
unordained pastors - did not meet with the favor of this year's advisory
committee on the subject. The committee initially recommended that synod
reject the study committee's recommendations and amend Article 43 to
specifically allow women to serve as exhorters; after Monday's decision to
allow classes to declare Church Order Article 3's prohibition of women elders
and ministers inoperative, the committee recommended that classes be allowed
to do the same with regard to women exhorters.

 The advisory committee also added a recommendation "that women who have
already graduated with the M.Div. degree from Calvin Seminary and who have
met all the requirements may apply to the Board of Trustees of the Seminary
for candidacy until synod revisits in the year 2000 the matter of church
order Article 3 and its supplements."

 The added recommendation drew unexpected fire from conservative delegates
who interpreted it as allowing the Calvin Seminary board of trustees to
declare women candidates for the ministry without approval by synod. "The
conservative side has lost the debate over women in office," said Rev. Randal
Lankheet from Classis California South. "We've heard a lot about love and
unity. How synod decides on this issue will tell me to a large extent whether
there is any compassion for the conservative side of the church."

 Other delegates were even stronger in their expressions of concern. "If this
is voted through, I need more than a negative vote recorded, because I cannot
in good conscience vote in favor of the ordination of women," said Rev.
Bernard Tol from Classis Zeeland. "To have this synod go so fast is to
short-circuit itself."

 However, De Moor noted that the proposal before synod did not actually
accomplish the ordination of women. "It is my judgment that the Board of
Trustees is not allowed to receive applications or declare anyone a candidate
until a classis somewhere declares Church Order Article 3 inoperative," said
De Moor.

 After further debate, synod voted by a 113 to 63 margin to allow classes to
declare the ban on women expounders inoperative. Most of the other
recommendations passed by a voice vote, except that synod withheld action on
formally rejecting the report of the expounding study committee and voted not
to abolish the category of expounding.

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



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