Date: Sat, 21 Jun 1997 00:18:15 -0400 (EDT) From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97076: Christian Reformed Synod Rejects Calling God "Mother" NR #1997-076: Christian Reformed Synod Rejects Calling God "Mother" By a wide voice vote margin on June 19, the Christian Reformed synod rejected calling God "Mother," "She," or other "feminine pronouns and other linguistic structures that imply personal gender." By adopting a set of study committee recommendations declaring that "the endorsement or use of contemporary inclusive language for God" is "unacceptable in the Christian Reformed Church," synod made clear it didn't want to add another item to the boiling pot of issues troubling the 285,000-member denomination. However, closing the doors on inclusive language concerned Dr. Clayton Libolt of River Terrace CRC in East Lansing, author of an overture asking synod to reject the declaration on inclusive language. "I have here an article in Perspectives magazine, and I'm wondering if there was an example of 'contemporary inclusive language for God,'" said Libolt, referring to an article by Rev. Margo Houts, an ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) minister and Calvin College theology professor who wrote in her article that "yes, God is also our Mother" under certain circumstances. "There are going to be concrete people, people with families, careers, lives, who love the Lord and want to serve him, who are going to get brought up on charges in the Christian Reformed Church because of this motion," warned Libolt. "There are people at Calvin College who I know are going to have problems." NR #1997-076: For Immediate Release Christian Reformed Synod Rejects Calling God "Mother" by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 19, 1997) URNS -- By a wide voice vote margin on the evening of June 19, the Christian Reformed synod rejected calling God "Mother," "She," or other "feminine pronouns and other linguistic structures that imply personal gender." By adopting a set of study committee recommendations declaring that "the endorsement or use of contemporary inclusive language for God" is "unacceptable in the Christian Reformed Church," synod made clear it didn't want to add another item to the boiling pot of issues troubling the 285,000-member denomination. "Our synod opened two doors already; one is wide open for those women who want to be ministers and elders, one is slightly open for those who want to be homosexual," said Rev. Kenneth Cho of Immanuel Korean CRC in Rowland Heights, California. "There are some delegates who want to open the door to calling God female. I appeal to you to close that door, and close it tightly; do not debate this long, close it tightly, or there will be a big, big storm come in." Precisely that closing of doors concerned Dr. Clayton Libolt of River Terrace CRC in East Lansing, author of an overture asking synod to reject the declaration on inclusive language. "I have here an article in Perspectives magazine, and I'm wondering if there was an example of 'contemporary inclusive language for God,'" said Libolt, referring to an article by Rev. Margo Houts, an ordained Presbyterian Church (USA) minister and Calvin College theology professor who wrote in her article that under certain circumstances "yes, God is also our Mother." "There are going to be concrete people, people with families, careers, lives, who love the Lord and want to serve him, who are going to get brought up on charges in the Christian Reformed Church because of this motion," warned Libolt. "There are people at Calvin College who I know are going to have problems." Dr. Marvin Hoogland of the Chicago Christian Counseling Center echoed Libolt's objections. "I'm concerned that this kind of report is likely going to polarize the church, to plug the holes, and discipline those who don't toe the line," said Hoogland. Hoogland, Libolt, and other delegates who pleaded for tolerance in the Christian Reformed Church weren't successful in their arguments. "Where our covenant God throughout history has told us to call him 'Father,' then to call him 'Mother' is unacceptable," said Rev. Henry Vander Beek of Smithville CRC in Ontario. What will happen now that the Christian Reformed synod has clearly declared that calling God "Mother" is unacceptable? "We'd sit down and have a talk with them and try to get them to understand why the inclusive language is not acceptable to the Christian Reformed Church," said report author and Calvin Seminary professor Dr. John Cooper. Cooper noted that discipline was up to the supervising church and classis. "As with any discipline, first you talk to them and see what the problem is," said Cooper. "I expect that to be done all over the place." Cross-References to Related Articles: #1994-034: CRC Synod Appoints Committee to Study Calling God "She"; Ratification of Church Order Changes by Classes Rejected #1997-068: Christian Reformed Synod Convenes Today in Grand Rapids; Major Issues to Include Feminine Language for God, Abortion, Interchurch Relations, Local Church Property Issues, Theologically-Defined Classes #1997-075: Calling God "Mother," Theological Classes to Headline Thursday's Christian Reformed Synod TO REACH DELEGATES DURING SYNOD 1997 (June 14-21, 1997): Synod News Office, Fine Arts Center, Calvin College, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 Prerecorded Synod News Message: (616) 224-0841 or (888) 277-9663 Synod Office: (616) 957-8650 News Office: (616) 957-8652 FAX: (616) 957-8659 TO REACH DELEGATES AFTER SYNOD: Rev. Kenneth Cho, President, Council of Korean Christian Reformed Churches 1380 Midsite Ave., Covina, CA 91722 O: (818) 964-4936 * H: (818) 339-7672 * FAX: (818) 964-4936 Dr. John W. Cooper, Professor of Philosophical Theology, Calvin Theological Seminary 3233 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546-4387 O: (616) 957-6038 * H: (616) 454-6821 * FAX: (616) 957-8621 Dr. David Engelhard, General Secretary, Christian Reformed Church in North America 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560 O: (616) 246-0744 * H: (616) 243-2418 * FAX: (616) 246-0834 * E-Mail: engelhad@crcna.org Dr. Marvin Hoogland, Executive Director, Chicago Christian Counseling Center 14801 Sunset Ave., Oak Forest, IL 60452 O: (708) 361-1935 * H: (708) 687-4769 Rev. Margo Houts, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology, Calvin College 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 O: (616) 957-6718 Dr. Clayton Libolt, Pastor, River Terrace Christian Reformed Church 2210 Moores River Drive, Lansing, MI 48911 O: (517) 351-9059 * H: (517) 371-4018 Pastor George Vander Weit, Stated Clerk, Classis Lake Erie 2901 Waterloo Dr., Troy, MI 48084 O: (810) 645-1990 * H: (810) 649-5388 * E-Mail: gvanderweit@Juno.com ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-076.txt .