15 Mar GS 1974 art 1

GS 1974 ARTICLE 1 –  Opening

On behalf of the convening Church, the Church at Toronto, the Rev. D. VanderBoom calls the meeting to order. He requests to sing Psalm 93 from “Book of Praise”, reads from the Scriptures Psalm 93, and leads in prayer.

He addresses the meeting as follows:

• Beloved Brothers in the Lord:
• On behalf of the convening Church, its Consistory and the congregation, the Bethel Canadian Reformed Church at Toronto, I sincerely welcome you as delegates to General Synod 1974.
• We are thankful to the Lord for your safe arrival in one of the largest cities of our country. We are also grateful for the privilege bestowed upon this Church in being appointed by the previous Synod as convening Church.
• A word of welcome is also in order for the brothers who are in our midst after a long journey from the other side of the ocean.
• I deem it a distinct honour and privilege to address this word of welcome to you all. Your task is an important one, because you have been delegated by two Regional Synods to represent the Churches.
• It is also important because of your assignment laid down in the Provisional Agenda to be adopted. This agenda mentions significant matters to be discussed and decided, while your decisions may have farreaching consequences for the Churches.
• It is mostly important because you will be engaged in the work of the Lord in the gathering and preservation of His Church.
• There is much work to be done in which you are called to show yourselves to be men of conviction, not forgetting in the meantime to speak and act in love. Allow me to quote from the remarks made by the chairman at the close of Synod 1971: “We strongly experienced a unity of faith and confession. We became a closely united team that could deal with serious matters, shoulder to shoulder, and at the same time enjoying brotherly love”.
• At this moment, and I would like you to rise, we will remember our brother Hendrik Stel whom the Lord relieved from his office and who entered into the joy of his Lord. We will remember his love for Christ’s Church and the zeal with which he served his Master.
• Almost exactly twenty years ago the First General Synod of the Canadian Reformed Churches (then called the National Synod) was convened at Carman, Manitoba.
• From the preface to the Acts of this Synod I quote: “The publishing of these Acts shows how the first Synod of the Canadian Reformed Churches has struggled in faith to maintain the pure Word of God in this world and to have that Word rule the life of the Churches”.
• When scanning the Acts of the following Synods the conclusion may be drawn that this has been the goal throughout the twenty years since that first Synod.
• Many significant developments have taken place; I will not mention them. We are no strangers in Jerusalem and at this moment we will, in humble thankfulness accept all the blessings received as coming from the hand of our heavenly Father. Knowing this we may go forward also in the Federation of Churches. Your Assembly which is about to be constituted will have an important task in this progress in the fulfilment of your task.
• May the Lord grant you the wisdom which is needed, the guidance of the Spirit and the continuous joy of also this fellowship of the saints.
• With these words I declare the seventh General Synod of The Canadian Reformed Churches opened.