06 Jul GS 2019 art 80

GS 2019 Article 80 – RPCNA (Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America)

1.   Material

• 1.1    Report of the Committee for Contact with Churches in North America (CCCNA) regarding the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America (RPCNA) (8.2.3.1)
• 1.2    Letter from the following church: Attercliffe (8.3.2.6)

2.   Observations

• 2.1    GS 2016 (Art. 90) decided:
  • [4.1]    To express gratitude for the Reformed doctrine and practice evident in the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America (RPCNA), evident through the contact between the Committee for Contact with Churches in North America (CCCNA) and the Inter-church Relations committee (IRC) of the RPCNA;
  • [4.2]    That the CanRC not enter into a relationship of Ecclesiastical Fellowship (EF);
  • [4.3]    That the CCCNA interact with the RPCNA at the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC).
• 2.2    The CanRC does not have EF with the RPCNA; they are a member of NAPARC and the ICRC.
• 2.3    The RPCNA has formal fraternal relations (EF) with these sister churches of the CanRC: FCS (in North America); OPC; RCUS and the URCNA.
• At the invitation of the RPCNA, members of CCCNA attended the RPCNA synod in   Marion, IN, in June 2017 and June 2018. The CCCNA and IRC interacted at the NAPARC meeting on November 17, 2017.
• 2.4    The CCCNA has recommended to GS 2010 and GS 2016 that EF be extended to the RPCNA. The recommendation was not adopted at GS 2016 because of two issues: The practice of ordaining female deacons and the exegetical defense thereof (GS 2016, Art. 90, Cons. 3.2), and reservations about the place and function of The Testimony (GS 2016, Art. 90, Cons. 3.3 and 3.5).
• 2.5    GS 2016 does acknowledge that the RPCNA can be recognized for their faithfulness    to the Word of God and their strong Reformed convictions (GS 2016, Art. 90, Cons. 3.5, Rec. 4.1)
• 2.6    The RPCNA have congregations or preaching points in close proximity to CanRCs in Ottawa, Elora, Fergus, Guelph and Denver. Several of these have expressed a desire for progression towards unity.
• 2.7    The CCCNA has attended the last two synods of the RPCNA. These were historic “watershed” moments where, among other matters, the RPCNA defended the scriptural position of men only in the teaching offices and upheld the discipline of a presbytery to suspend a retired professor who advocated opening the teaching offices to women. Several RPCNA brothers noted that the acceptance of women as deacons is on the decline in the federation.

3.   Considerations

• 3.1    The committee has been diligent in completing their mandate.
• 3.2    The committee gives an informative report about the RPCNA.

4.   Recommendations

 That Synod decide to mandate the Committee for Contact with Churches in North America (CCCNA):

• 4.1    To engage in continued dialogue and contact with the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America (RPCNA);
• 4.2    To submit its report to the churches 5 months prior to the convening of next general synod.

ADOPTED