Office Bearers

GS 1971 ARTICLE 76 – Preaching Consent – Theological Students

Committee I presents:

Materials – Agenda 8

  • E, 1 – Letter from Church at Burlington­ East, Ont.
  • E, 2 – Letter from Church at Toronto, Ont.
  • E, 3 – Letter from Church at Brampton, Ont.
  • S, 4 – Letter from br. R. F. Boersema, To­ronto, Ont. insofar it concerns this matter.

Observations

  • 1.  The Church at Burlington-East just passes on an overture of the Classis Ontario Nort11 to the Regional Synod of Ontario, but this Church obviously wishes Synod to regard this information as a proposal of the Church at Burlington-East.
  • 2. The Churches at Toronto and Brampton do not give any arguments which might be helpful, but only inform Synod of their agreement with the overture mentioned above.
  • 3.  Br. Boersema requests that, if Synod should decide to grant per­ mission to students to speak an “edifying word”, this permission should not be restricted to the students at our own College.
  • 4.  Br. Boersema encloses part of a letter sent by him to his Consis­tory, in which he asks that the right- after classical examination – to speak an edifying word be not restricted to students at our own College.
  • 5.  For this request br. Boersema gives the following reasons:
    • a.  “The lack of ministers in our churches at the present time.”
    • b.  ”A recognition that the Lord has provided in these, students certain gifts which he wishes to be used in our churches;”
    • c.  To provide an opportunity for these students to develop their abilities through service in Christ’s church;
    • d.  The only restrictions that he would see the Bible place on this type of preaching would be:
      • 1.  ability to preach
      • 2. sufficient knowledge
      • 3.  True, confession
      • 4. Godly life, and “these restrictions can all be fulfilled without going to our own College.”
    • e.  “If we keep in mind that according to Scripture it is the Holy Spirit who equips the Church with the various gifts of ministry, then I believe a restricting of preaching consent to only students at. our own College would indicate a confining of the work of the Holy Spirit to a particular course of study, which I believe we would all recognize as being wrong.
  • 6.  Br. Boersema does mention ‘the above qualifications which he has gathered as being necessary, but fails to make clear who, in his opinion, should judge whether they are found with a student, indeed.

Considerations

  • 1.  The Churches have the right to determine the conditions on which the way to the pulpit can be opened to someone.
  • 2.  The Churches have decided that for the Classical examinations a candidate should be able to show a certificate given by the Faculty of our College.
  • 3.  This does not mean that anyone presenting himself at a Classis must have studied at our own College, but that the Churches are satisfied only when the Faculty of our own College has issued a Certificate stating that the candidate for the examination has acquired the necessary Reformed instruction and has reached such a level as is deemed necessary by the Churches.
  • 4.  The safeguards demanded in the case of those who have not yet completed their theological studies should under no condition be less than those demanded in the case of candidates for the ministry.
  • 5. The conditions on which the Church at Burlington-East wishes to see permission to speak and edifying word granted, are a further safeguard.

Recommendations

Synod decide that students of theology may receive the right to speak an edifying word In the Churches on the following conditions:

  • 1.  They shall submit the request for such permission to the Classis.
  • 2.  They shall not do so unless they have completed at least two years of theological studies.
  • 3.  They shall present a good attestation from ‘the Church to which they belong.
  • 4.  They shall present a certificate from ‘the Faculty of our Theologi­cal College that they have satisfactorily completed at least two years of studies at the College.
  • 5. They shall deliver a sermon at the Classis and shall be interrogated on the Reformed doctrine.
  • 6. If, as a result of this examination, the Classis decides to grant their request, permission shall be given for a period not exceeding twelve months, and that under the condition that the student shall submit his sermons to and discuss them with the Lecturer in the Diaconio­logical department at our College.

ADOPTED