Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 19:56:14 -0400 (EDT) From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97044: Regional Synod Minister: RCA Not "Dead," but Needs to "Wake Up" NR #1997-044: Great Lakes Regional Synod Minister: Reformed Church in America not "Dead," but Needs to "Wake Up" Preaching before over 1700 Reformed Church in America members at a May 4 RCA "Praise Rally" at Fair Haven Ministries in Jenison, regional synod minister Rev. Sherwin Weener urged RCA members to recover a vision for mission and evangelism. Preaching from Ezekiel 37:1-14 on the biblical proverb of the valley of dry bones, Weener drew a parallel between the spiritual state of the RCA and that of the Old Testament people of Israel who had followed idols and false gods. "We have had over thirty years of slow, steady decline in membership; it's sad but true," said Weener. "Sometimes we comfort ourselves and say it is the eastern part of the church that is in decline, but look closely at the statistics, and for the last few years we have begun to decline in the Synod of the Great Lakes as well." Weener, however, urged that his concerns not be misunderstood. "Don't quote me here tonight: 'RCA synod minister says RCA is dead,'" said Weener. "The synod minister is saying it's time for the RCA to wake up." NR #1997-044: For Immediate Release Great Lakes Regional Synod Minister: Reformed Church in America not "Dead," but Needs to "Wake Up" * "Don't quote me here tonight: 'RCA synod minister says RCA is dead,'" said Regional Synod Minister Rev. Sherwin Weener. "The synod minister is saying it's time for the RCA to wake up." by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service JENISON, Mich. (May 4, 1997) URNS -- Preaching before over 1700 Reformed Church in America members at a May 4 RCA "Praise Rally" at Fair Haven Ministries in Jenison, regional synod minister Rev. Sherwin Weener urged RCA members to recover a vision for mission and evangelism. Preaching from Ezekiel 37:1-14 on the biblical proverb of the valley of dry bones, Weener drew a parallel between the spiritual state of the RCA and that of the Old Testament people of Israel who had followed idols and false gods. "It's a grim picture that God paints of the house of Israel: a desert valley, a forsaken place, a dry desert," said Weener. "I wonder -- does the valley of dry bones describe the Reformed Church in America?" "We have had over thirty years of slow, steady decline in membership; it's sad but true," said Weener. "Sometimes we comfort ourselves and say it is the eastern part of the church that is in decline, but look closely at the statistics, and for the last few years we have begun to decline in the Synod of the Great Lakes as well." Weener, however, urged that his concerns not be misunderstood. "Don't quote me here tonight: 'RCA synod minister says RCA is dead,'" said Weener. "The synod minister is saying it's time for the RCA to wake up." According to Weener, the RCA has many signs that God is at work revitalizing the RCA. "I see renewal and revival at Hope College: where once the chapel had thirty, forty students gathering for worship, now there are 800, 900, 1000," said Weener. "It's not the music, it's not the style, it's not the people, it's the Spirit of God that is responsible for what is happening at Hope College." Synod executive committee members said the praise rally attendance of 1700 was about 200 more than that of last year. Rev. Warren Burgess, synod minister for church relations and a past president of general synod, said the RCA regional synod began the praise rallies last year as part of an effort to encourage synod churches and their ministries. "It gives them a sense of what the body of Christ is all about," said Burgess, noting that members from many local churches worked together to put on the music program with a large choir and orchestra. "We do the sort of thing that can't be done except in the larger churches." However, Burgess said the focus of the praise rally was intended as an encouragement for local churches to revitalize their local ministry. "The bottom line is we want to see the churches really beginning to grapple with the neighborhoods they're located in," said Burgess. Cross-References to Related Articles: [No related articles on file] Contact List: Rev. E. Wayne Antworth, Director, RCA Stewardship & Communication Services 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115 O: (212) 870-2954 * FAX: (212) 870-2499 Rev. Warren Burgess, Minister for Church Relations, Regional Synod of the Great Lakes 2880 Hidden View, Caledonia, MI 49316 H: (616) 554-1138 Rev. Sherwin Weener, Synod Minister, Regional Synod of the Great Lakes 4500 - 60th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 O: (616) 698-7071 * H: (616) 457-3572 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-044.txt .