Date: Thu, 9 Oct 1997 11:16:05 -0400 (EDT) From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97103: ICRC to Convene Next Week in Seoul, South Korea NR #1997-103: International Conference of Conservative Reformed Denominations to Convene Next Week in Seoul, South Korea For the first time, a Korean denomination -- the Kosin Presbyterian Church -- will host a major international conference of conservative Reformed churches. Meeting at the Seo-Moon Presbyterian Church in Seoul, the International Conference of Reformed Churches will convene for its quadrennial meeting on Wednesday evening, October 15, and is scheduled to adjourn the following Thursday evening October 23. At a half-million members, the Kosin Presbyterian Church is the largest member of the ICRC. The conference, originally organized by the Vrijgemaakt (Liberated Reformed) family of churches which seceded from the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (synodaal) in 1944 under the leadership of conservative Dutch seminary professor Dr. Klaas Schilder, now includes a number of other Dutch Reformed and Presbyterian denominations. Much of the recent growth in the ICRC has occurred as churches have withdrawn from another group of Reformed churches, the Reformed Ecumenical Council, because of the REC's refusal to expel the Ger eformeerde Kerken in Nederland (synodaal) despite its decision to allow practicing homosexuals to be ordained ministers and members in good standing. NR 1997-103: For Immediate Release International Conference of Conservative Reformed Denominations to Convene Next Week in Seoul, South Korea by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (October 8, 1997) URNS -- Massive church growth in South Korea has led to almost a quarter of its population of 44 million being converted to Christianity, mostly in the last half-century. Originally evangelized by Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries, the country has 3.75 million members in its four largest conservative Presbyterian denominations -- more than all American members of Presbyterian and Dutch Reformed denominations combined. The total also makes South Korea's Presbyterian community by far the largest group of evangelical Presbyterians in the world. For the first time, a Korean denomination -- the Kosin Presbyterian Church -- will host a major international conference of conservative Reformed churches. Meeting at the Seo-Moon Presbyterian Church in Seoul, the International Conference of Reformed Churches will convene for its quadrennial meeting on Wednesday evening, October 15, and is scheduled to adjourn the following Thursday evening October 23. At a half-million members, the Kosin Presbyterian Church is the largest membe r of the ICRC. The conference, originally organized by the Vrijgemaakt (Liberated Reformed) family of churches which seceded from the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (synodaal) in 1944 under the leadership of conservative Dutch seminary professor Dr. Klaas Schilder, now includes a number of other Dutch Reformed and Presbyterian denominations. Much of the recent growth in the ICRC has occurred as churches have withdrawn from another group of Reformed churches, the Reformed Ecumenical Council, because of the REC's refusal to expel the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (synodaal) despite its decision to allow practicing homosexuals to be ordained ministers and members in good standing. The 1988 refusal to expel the GKN-s from what was then known as the Reformed Ecumenical Synod led to the withdrawal of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Other ICRC members which were formerly in the REC include the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ireland, Free Church of Scotland, Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland, and Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia. The Kosin church was briefly a member of the REC but left in 1970 for unrelated reasons. Four of the seven denominations applying for ICRC membership -- the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, Reformed Churches of New Zealand, and Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America -- were formerly REC members. A fifth, the United Reformed Churches in North America, is mostly composed of members who seceded from the Christian Reformed Church in North America, which for many years has been one of the REC's strongest supporters. The REC, while not endorsing the GKN-s decision to support the ordination of practicing homosexuals, has also declined to expel one of its largest members. The denomination founded by Schilder's supporters and the denomination that deposed him both have the same name -- Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland -- and are distinguished by Schilder's supporters adding the suffix "vrijgemaakt" (liberated) to the name of the seceding denomination and "synodaal" (synodical) to the larger group that deposed him. The GKN-synodaal does not use the suffix. In addition to the three Vrijgemaakt members -- the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (vrijgemaakt), Canadian Reformed Churches, and Free Reformed Churches in South Africa -- the conference's current membership includes the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ireland, Free Church of Central India, Free Church of Scotland, Free Church in Southern Africa, Free Reformed Churches of North America, Gereja Gereja Reformasi di Indonesia NTT, Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, Presbyterian Church in Korea (Kosin), Reformed Church in the United States, and Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland. One Vrijgemaakt denomination, the Free Reformed Churches of Australia, has withdrawn from the ICRC out of concern that the ICRC no longer represents the original intentions of its Vrijgemaakt founders and has changed its purposes to become a broader fellowship of both Reformed and Presbyterian denominations. This year's meeting is expected to mark a decisive expansion of the ICRC as seven more denominations apply for membership: the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, Christelijke Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales, Gereja Gereja Masehi Musyafir NTT, Reformed Churches of New Zealand, Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, and United Reformed Churches in North America. Seven other denominations and one independent church are attending as observers. Five of the seven are current or former REC members: the Independent Presbyterian Church of Mexico, Presbyterian Church of Australia, Reformed Church of East Africa, Reformed Church in Japan, and Reformed Churches in South Africa. The Korean American Presbyterian Church and Reformed Presbyterian Churches in Cardiff (United Kingdom) will also send observers, as Messiah's Congregation of Brooklyn, NY, an independent congregation the Alliance of Reformed Churches, a smaller group of congregations which seceded from the CRC but have not federated into a synod. According to Orthodox Presbyterian delegate Rev. John Galbraith, who served twelve years as moderator of the Reformed Ecumenical Synod, the homosexual issue in the GKN-s was only a symptom of broader problems in the REC. "From my point of view the REC is a lost cause for the Reformed faith," said Galbraith. "It is dominated first of all by the GKN, and the CRC has to a large extent helped their cause and is content with the membership of the GKN in the REC." "I've been told it was said at [the CRC] synod in their interchurch relations advisory committee that if the REC adopts the GKN position on homosexuality that will be a breaking point for them. They are content to have fellowship with the GKN in the REC in spite of their position on homosexuality and other things," said Galbraith. "We felt that if we remained in the RES while [the GKN-s] were there then it would involve us in a kind of approval of their position, so we endeavored to have the RES remove them from its membership." "They were supported by a majority of the churches, so at that point in 1988 we left," said Galbraith. "It was a matter of corporate witness, we felt the RES had a corporate witness, we were a part of it, and that corporate witness included homosexuality." Why did the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and other former REC members decide to join what was until recently a largely Vrijgemaakt group of denominations? "By the time we left the RES in 1988, the ICRC had been formed and we were certainly not about having more division among Reformed people," said Galbraith. "We gave no thought whatsoever to trying to start any other organization. We don't believe in division unless it's necessary, and we didn't believe it was at all necessary at that point because of the nature of the churches that were involved." The REC General Secretary, Dr. Richard van Houten, said the loss of a number of denominations hadn't seriously hurt the work of the REC. "We really never shrank substantially in size," said van Houten. "We were 38 churches in 1980 when this wave began to leave, and we're 34 today, and we've got a couple of others applying. We've lost 15, and gained about 11." Van Houten also noted that three REC members left over the issue of racial apartheid in South Africa rather than the homosexual issue involving the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland. "We do not have any activity directly related to the homosexual question on the agenda now, and I think our experience on that issue is still valuable for other churches that have to debate it," said Van Houten. "For the moment there is consensus that the GKN's decision on homosexuality does not disqualify it from REC membership." "Our new issues are really priorities to deal with things such as how one really builds a family of Reformed churches, and to take seriously the fact there is a vast disparity of rich and poor in our membership and that is becoming a matter of growing concern," said van Houten. "We are also really aware that leadership development is a crying issue within our membership. In the sharing community we want to build up, you don't share just by passing resources from one church to another." According to the secretary of the International Conference of Reformed Churches, Rev. M. van Beveren, two of the major issues at this year's meeting will be missions and church unity. "There is a growing desire for cooperation and possible coordination of activities on the various mission fields," said van Beveren. "Some progress in this respect has been made. Under the auspices of the ICRC we have had a few regional mission conferences, one in Latin America and one in South Africa during the past four years. Yet while much information about missionary activities of the several churches has been published, we believe that not all that information has been utilized sufficiently." "We realize that cooperation and coordination do not materialize overnight," said van Beveren. "It is hoped that the conference will give some realistic guidelines." So far, two proposals have been submitted by the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (vrijgemaakt) on the subject of mission and the ICRC will hear two study papers on the subject. Van Beveren expected another major subject at the ICRC to be church unity. "Another issue that will be discussed, I assume, is the visible unity of the member churches, or in other words, the urgency of recognizing and accepting each other as sister churches with all the implications that go with it," said van Beveren. "The latest General Assembly of the OPC produced some important resolutions in this respect with the purpose that they receive the attention of the conference. It would be useful if those resolutions would be discussed as being in line with the second stated purpose of the ICRC, namely, 'to encourage the fullest ecclesiastical fellowship among the member churches.'" The formal agenda of the ICRC includes a letter from the Free Church of Scotland regarding its support for constitutional revision proposals under consideration by the ICRC, two proposals from the GKN-vrij., and five study papers. The GKN-vrij. propose that the agenda "provide room for a discussion on how the member churches can more concretely and effectively utilize the relation they have with each other" with attention "given to contacts and exchanges between institutions for the training for the ministry, combined projects in areas such as evangelizing, mission, assistance, as well as consideration of dogmatical and ethical questions." A second proposal urges that the ICRC "bring about a regional cooperation of the member churches in fulfilling their calling to be missionary churches" mandating the ICRC's mission committee "to have a stimulating and, if necessary, coordinating role in this request" on the grounds that "the contacts of the Reformed and the Presbyterians within the ICRC have proven to be stimulating for the international cooperation" but that "the attempts to achieve regional cooperation of the member churches as to mission have not yet resulted in the desired effect and should be continued." The five formal papers include Dr. R.C. Beckett of Northern Ireland on "Biblical Principles for the Relation between Church and State," Mark Bube of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church on "The Principles of Reformed Mission," Dr. Richard Gaffin of the OPC on "Challenges of the Charismatic Movement to the Reformed Tradition," Dr. Soon Gil Hur of the Kosin Presbyterian Church on "Women in Office, Especially about 'Deaconesses,'" and Rev. David John of the Free Church of Central India on "The Ministry of the Word amongst Asian Religious People (Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrians)." Van Beveren said some of the discussion focussing on the papers and informal contacts could be at least as important as the formal motions proposed by conference. "Another important aspect of the conference is that the churches through their representatives meet each other," said van Beveren. "They have to get acquainted with each other, know each other, and trust each other before a fruitful cooperation can be established. Meeting each other and having discussions are a very important tool for the functioning of the purpose of the ICRC during the four-year interval between the assemblies." Galbraith said his experience with the ICRC was in some ways quite different from his prior experience as the longtime moderator of the Reformed Ecumenical Synod. "They're still feeling their way, and they do not have an agenda of what will help the churches. It is going to be more and more influenced by what the churches bring to them rather than the ICRC itself creating issues," said Galbraith. "One of the issues that's going to be brought up through the OPC is how we are able to make better use of our fellowship in helping each other in the problems that face us rather than just meeting every four years." Despite not having a structured and pre-planned agenda, Galbraith said membership in the ICRC could be an important benefit to the United Reformed Churches and similar conservative Reformed denominations. "An organization like the ICRC can be of great benefit to a group like the URC in helping them to see the oneness not just of the Reformed body but of the body of Christ," said Galbraith. "It helps us to be not isolated but to share with others of a different tradition our common faith." "That's where our hope is in the ICRC, that it will draw together people of a common faith and help them to maintain and propagate a common faith; let's bring the people together of different traditions to help one another and to propagate their common faith." Cross-References to Related Articles: #1993-013: Koreans Lead Formation of Conservative Alternative to Reformed Ecumenical Council, World Council of Churches; Pastor of Second Largest Christian Reformed Church Elected Co-President; Current Membership 3.75 Million, Rapid Growth Projected #1994-002: Top Christian Reformed Board Suggests Expression of Concern to Westminster President and Christian Presbyterian Church Moderator Regarding International Reformed Fellowship #1996-058: Dordt College President Opens Worship Service at 50th Anniversary Assembly of Reformed Ecumenical Council #1996-059: Canadian CRC Woman Makes History: Claire Elgersma Elected First Female Officer of Reformed Ecumenical Council #1996-060: Can Non-Christians Be Saved? Reformed Ecumenical Council to Debate Question of Uniqueness of Jesus Christ #1996-062: Reformed Ecumenical Council to Continue Discussions with Seventh Day Adventists Contact List: Rev. John P. Galbraith Rydal Park, Jenkintown PA 19014 H: (215) 885-7981 * E-Mail: jpgopc@erols.com Rev. M. van Beveren, Secretary, International Conference of Reformed Churches 13904 - 86 St., Edmonton, Alberta CANADA T5E 3C1 O/FAX: (403) 478-5852 * E-Mail: vanbever@compusmart.ab.ca Dr. Richard van Houten, General Secretary, Reformed Ecumenical Council 2017 Eastern Avenue SE, Suite 201, Grand Rapids, MI 49507-3234 O: (616) 241-4424 * E-Mail: RVHREC@aol.com ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-103.txt .