Office Bearers

GS 1968 ARTICLE 79

Committee III on Correspondence with Foreign Churches presents (Supplement 6-A) (see also Art. 110)

1. Materials:

  • a. Report 1,12a, signed by Rev. H. Scholten and Mr. C. Ouwersloot;
  • b. Report 1,12b, signed by Mr. P. VanderSchaaf;
  • c. Request IV,8 from Deputies for Correspondence with Foreign Churches of “De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland”.

2. Re: a change of Article 70 of the Church Order of the Free Reformed Churches of Australia, which article now reads:

  • “De Kerkeraden zullen toezien dat de huwelijks­ bevestiging voor de Gemeente van Christus, of de huwelijkssluiting met approbatie van de Gemeente van Christus, zullen geschieden volgens de respectieve formulieren daarvan zijnde”.

Recommendation:

  • Synod declare that the change in Article 70 C.O. of the Free Reformed Churches of Australia is no reason why correspondence with these Churches should be discontinued.

Ground:

  • This change does not cause these Churches to deviate from the Reformed Confession in doctrine, liturgy, church government and discipline (Rules for Cor­ respondence, Acts General Synod Hamilton, 1962, Art. 139, sub a).

ADOPTED

3. a. Recommendation:

  • Synod decide not to grant the request of the Free Reformed Churches of Australia to receive as many copies of the Acts of General Synods as there are local Churches. Ground: The correspondence with Churches abroad is carried out by means of Deputies of General Synods.

ADOPTED

b. Recommendation:

  • Synod decide that the number of Acts of General Synods to be sent to sister­ churches abroad, be equal to the number of Deputies of those Churches plus one copy for their archives.

Ground:

  • To have a good contact with Deputies abroad it is advisable that each of them have a copy of the Acts of General Synods.

ADOPTED

4. Re: the requests contained in Article 188, page 210, sub c and d, of the “Acta van de Generale Synoden van de Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland” 1967.

Recommendation:

  • Synod decide to remind its Committees that part of the correspondence with Foreign sisterchurches consists in keeping them posted concerning contacts and progress in contacts with other Churches (by sending reports).
  • Ground: One of the rules for Correspondence is “To render account to each other in case of correspondence with a third party” (Acts General Synod Homewood-Carman 1958, Art. 56, sub 6; Acts General Synod Hamilton 1962, Art. 139, e).

ADOPTED

5. Re: Correspondence of “De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland” with the “Pres­byterian Koryo – Pa” in Korea.

Recommendation:

  • Synod decide to charge Deputies for Correspondence with Foreign Churches to inform “De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland” that the Canadian Reformed Churches regret that they have not been satisfactorily informed about the intention of the Dutch sisterchurches to start correspondence with a Presbyterian Church in Korea according to the same rules that have been agreed upon between them and us, and to request “De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland” to provide as yet full information about the relationship with this Korean Church.

Ground:

  • This information was agreed upon by acceptance of the rules for correspondence (Acts Homewood-Carman 1958, Art, 56, sub 6; Acts General Synod Hamilton 1962, Art. 139, e).

ADOPTED

6. Re: Rules for Correspondence with Foreign Churches.

Recommendations:

  • a. Synod decide not to comply with the request of the sisterchurches in (Australia and) the Netherlands, nor to adopt the overture of the Deputies for Correspondence with Foreign Churches, ie. to replace the existing rule for correspondence sub c, Article 139 Acts General Synod Hamilton I962 (“To inform each other … ) by: “het plegen van voorafgaand overleg”.
  • b. Synod declare that the Canadian Reformed Churches are fully willing to bind themselves by the promise contained in this ” voorafgaand overleg” whenever a change in the Three Forms of Unity is deemed necessary.

Grounds:

  • a. The existing rules provide sufficient safeguards for maintaining the unity of faith with churches abroad;
  • b. they serve the purpose of correspondence well;
  • c. no new arguments have been brought forward which have not already been heard by previous Synods;
  • d. the proposed new rule could result in such a complicated inter-relationship as to hamper church life in many cases.

ADOPTED

7. Recommendation:

  • The report of Committee III be published with the Acts. (Supplement 6-A)

ADOPTED

8. Recommendation:

  • Synod remind Deputies for Correspondence with Churches Abroad of the mandate given by Synod Homewood-Carman 1958, Art. 95, sub 9, to inform the Churches from time to time about that which is of interest in their correspondence with the sisterchurches abroad.

Grounds:

  • a. In this way the report of these Deputies may be expected to become a living report;
  • b. this will promote a living rapport between our Churches and those abroad.

ADOPTED