Office Bearers

GS 1974 ARTICLE 140 – Correspondence with Sister-Churches abroad [6]

Advisory Committee IV presents some Final Recommendations. These are adopted (see below).

The whole Report and the adopted Recommendations read thus:

MATERIAL:

  • Agenda B 1 – Report of the Committee ad hoe, appointed by General Synod New Westminster, 1971.
  • Agenda B 2 – Overture Church at Smithville, with corrections. Agenda B 3 – Overture Church at Winnipeg.
  • Agenda B 4 – Overture Church at Burlington East, re: Korya Pa Church.
  • Agenda B 6 – Overture Church at Barrhead.
  • Agenda B 7 – Additional Report of the Committee ad hoe.
  • Agenda N 1 – Letter of Church at Chilliwack, re: Article 47 Acts General Synod, 1971.

A.

INFORMATION:

  • 1.  The Church at Monte Allegre, Brasil, has ceased to exist.
  • 2.  In addition to the Rules for Correspondence General Synod New Westminster, 1971, gave the mandate “to take up the correspondence where the previous Committee left off’. The Committee ad hoe states: “Since General Synod stated that there is no report of the Committee on Correspondence on its table, it is also the task of our Committee to report on decisions of Sister-Churches abroad during the period 1968 – 1971, as far as they are found in the Acts of these Churches, in order to honour the rules for correspondence.” The Committee ad hoe, as is clear in its report, started right-away to scrutinize the Acts of Synods of Sister-Churches during 1968 – 1971.
  • 3.  The Committee on Correspondence recommends to add to the rule, Acts 1968, Article 110, the provision, “that before a Consistory extends a call to a minister from a Church abroad, or invites a minister from a Sister-Church, the Consistory should ask the Committee on Correspondence to provide information whether he is a minister in good standing”, on the ground that there is some inconsistency.
  • 4.  On this recommendation Synod received two communications:
    • a. from the Church at Winnipeg
      • 1.  not to accept this rule;
      • 2. to rescind the decision of Synod Orangeville 1968, Acts Article 110, part 1.
  • b. from the Church at Barrhead, containing a similar proposal.
  • The main ground adduced by these Churches is that, if correspondence functions normally, such additional regulations are unnecessary.
  • 5.  The Committee on Correspondence received communications from the Churches at Chilliwack and Lincoln: to examine the Acts of the Synod Hoogeveen. It accepted these letters as information, because they already worked according to the mandate received from Synod 1971 see sub 2 above.
  • 6.  When studying the report of Deputies for Correspondence with Foreign Sister-Churches appointed by the Synod Launceston 1970, which report was dealt with by Synod Armadale 1972, the Committee on Correspondence discovered two unfavourable comments on our Churches (see B.l, p.5)
    • 1.  “contact very poor and contains very little”;
    • 2.  “in some cases the significance of the correspondence is not valued correctly.” Our Committee on Correspondence objected to these statements, asking for clarification.

7.  AUSTRALIA

The Committee on Correspondence (see B.1, pages 9 and IOc, Additional report, page 1, bottom) asked the Committee on Correspondence of the Australian Churches to clarify the rules for admission to the ministry of candidates who did not study at the College of our Churches or Sister-Churches, which rules seemed inconsistent to our Committee.

8. THE NETHERLANDS

The report of our Committee on Correspondence gives proof not only of a lively correspondence but also of a careful study of the Acts Hoogeveen 1969/1970 and Hattem 1972/1973. Their conclusion is:

“Whereas it should be borne in mind that it is not possible for your Committee nor their duty to verify every decision in detail, the Committee with thankfulness may conclude from the Acts of General Synod Hoogeveen and of General Synod Hattem that the Netherlands Sister-Churches have not deviated from the Reformed Confession in doctrine, liturgy, Church govern­ ment, and discipline.”

Our Committee for Correspondence has given expression of this gratitude in a letter (April 3, 1972) to the General Synod of Hattem 1972/73, in which our Committee gratefully acknowledged that “also in the past it has pleased the Lord to keep your Churches faithful to the Reformed Confession and the adopted Church Order”.

9.  SOUTH AFRICA

The Committee on Correspondence studied Acts of Synods 1971, 1972, 1973, from which they concluded that there is room for doubt, about the validity of (some) decisions.

On the basis of further information (see Additional Report IV, 1-5) the Committee recommends “to continue the correspondence with Die Vrye Gereformeerde Kerke.”

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Synod decide:

  • 1. To take note of the fact that the Church at Monte Allegre has ceased to exist;
  • 2. To approve of the  action of the  Committee on Correspondence (see A Informations, sub 6 and 8);
  • 3. To continue the correspondence with The Free Reformed Churches of Australia according to the adopted rules;
  • 4. To continue the correspondence with De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland according to the adopted rules;
  • 5. To continue the correspondence with Die Vrye Gereformeerde Kerke in South Africa as before (see previous decision, Acts Article 57);
  • 6. To have our Churches represented by a delegate to General Synods of Sister-Churches abroad, if invited, and when desirable and feasible.

ADOPTED

B.

OBSERVATIONS:

Ad Winnipeg’s proposal:

  • a.  not to adopt the recommendation of the Committee on Correspondence;
  • b. to rescind the decision of Synod Orangeville 1968, Acts Article 110, part l; on the ground that the Rules for Correspondence provide sufficient safeguards and that not another body should rule over the Churches (Article 85 C.O.); recommending to Synod to “decide that the Committee on Correspondence supply necessary information concerning foreign Sister-Churches and their ministers when requested to do so.”

Ad Barrhead’s proposal:

  • a.  to reject recommendation 1 of the Committee on Correspondence;
  • b. to rescind the decision of the General Synod of 1968, Acts Article 110, part 1;

CONSIDERATIONS:

  • 1. Both Churches are justified in considering that the Rules for Correspondence augmented by the “colloquium” offer sufficient safeguards for admission to the ministry in the midst of the Churches.
  • 2. In addition, the Church Order contains rules for the approbation of calls.
  • 3. These Churches, however, have not proved that the provision of Synod 1968, Acts Article 110, first part, contains an unnecessary safeguard for incidental admission to the pulpit of foreign ministers.
  • 4. It is to be conceded to the Churches at Barrhead and Winnipeg that the present rule as quoted above, creates practical problems and that the procedure could be simplified.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Synod decide:

  • 1. Not to accept the recommendation of the Committee on Correspondence that “Before a Consistory extends a call to a minister from a Sister-Church, or invites a guest minister from a Sister-Church to preach, the Consistory should ask the Committee on Correspondence to provide information whether he is a minister in good standing.”
  • 2. Not to rescind the decision of the Synod of Orangeville 1968, Acts Article 110, part 1.
  • 3. To amend the rule of Article 110, sub 1 of the Acts of the Synod 1968 as follows: Before a guest minister from Sister-Churches abroad is granted the right to conduct services, the Consistory who wishes to invite such a minister shall ascertain that he has written proof, given by the Committee on Correspondence of the Churches in which he is a minister, that he is a minister in good standing; in the absence of such proof, the Consistory shall ask our own Committee on Correspondence to provide such information.

ADOPTED

C.

COMMUNICATIONS:

from the Churches at Chilliwack and Smithville Ad communication from Church at Chilliwack:

OBSERVATION:

The Church at Chilliwack requests Synod to state that Synod 1971, (Acts Article 47) “has erred by not properly completing its agenda as it was in duty bound.”

Ground:

The Acts of the Synod of Hoogeveen were forwarded to Synod 1971, but Synod 1971 failed to examine whether the (then) Committee on Correspondence have fulfilled their task well.

CONSIDERATION:

Synod 1971 could not judge whether the Committee on Correspondence appointed by the Synod of Orangeville 1968 had fulfilled their mandate well, because Synod noted the fact that there were communications from individual members of the Committee, but not a report of the Committee as such; from the Acts of the Synod 1971 it does not appear that this Synod did receive the Acts of the Synod of Hoogeveen, as stated by the Church at Chilliwack.

Ad communication from the Church at Smithville:

OBSERVATIONS:

  • 1. The Church at Smithville observes that the Acts of the Synod of 1971, Article 47, prove that “statement l” in this matter is “incomplete and unfounded” and therefore “should not have been taken”;
  • 2. that decision 2 is “vague, obscure, incomplete”, and therefore should not have been made;
  • 3. that decision 4 should not have been taken, because it is “not to the point”, and must be considered “constituting a danger by undermining the correspondence.”

CONSIDERATIONS:

  • l. The Church at Smithville did not prove that Synod 1971 was wrong in stating the fact that there was no report of the Committee on Correspondence; appointed by the Synod of 1968.
  • 2. From the Report of the Committee on Correspondence appointed by the Synod of 1971, it is evident that the mandate was not “vague, incomplete, obscure”.

RECOMMENDATION:

Synod decide not to accede to the requests of the Churches at Chilliwack and Smithville.          

ADOPTED

D.

KOREA

OBSERVATIONS:

  • l. Ebenezer Church at Burlington proposes to give a positive answer to the request of the Korean Church to recognize them as a faithful Church of the Lord and thus enter into correspondence with them.
  • “Grounds” for this overture:
    • We know already enough about these Churches which have kept the faith in the face of Japanese and Communistic suppression as well as in rejecting every form of false ecumenism.
  • 2. The Committee on Correspondence recommends (B 1, XI, 5a and b)
    • a.  to refrain at the present time from entering into correspondence with the Presbyterian Church (Koryu-Pa) in Korea;
    • b. to charge the Committee on Correspondence with Churches Abroad to continue the contact with this Church and submit a report to the next General Synod.

On the grounds:

  • a. “Synod Edmonton, 1965 judged that correspondence with Churches abroad should only be established after an accurate and serious examination has shown that these Churches not only officially have adopted the Reformed Confession and Church Government, but also practically maintain the same”; (Article 141, II)
  • b. Our Committee could not finish this examination and evaluation as it was charged to do by Synod New Westminster, 1971 (Article 47, 6 sub b)

RECOMMENDATION:

Synod adopt the recommendation of the Committee on Correspondence, (see above 5 a and b).

OBSERVATION:

On the basis of the information contained in the Report of the Committee on Correspondence, pages 19 and 20, sub 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, the Committee recommends that “no financial assistance will be considered before a decision is made on the request of the Korean Presbyterian Church to enter into correspondence with them.”

RECOMMENDATION:

No financial assistance by the Committee on Correspondence on behalf of and with the half of the Churches and in cooperation with the Netherlands Churches be considered before a decision is made on the request of the Korean Churches to establish correspondence with the Korean Presbyterian Church.

ADOPTED

E.

Additional Report Committee Ad Hoe (These Acts Articles 134, 135, 136, 137, 140)

MATERIAL:

Agenda – Additional Report of the Committee for the Correspondence with the Churches Abroad.

OBSERVATION:

The Committee on Correspondence “deems it advisable that with a view to the future, Synod expresses itself whether or not Sister-Churches should be invited to send delegates to a General Synod and whose task this is”.

RECOMMENDATION:

  • 1. Synod decide that such an invitation shall be extended.
  • 2. Synod charge the Committee on Correspondence to do so at least one year before the date the next General Synod is to convene.

Ground: This is in harmony with rule No. 2 of the Rules for Correspondence.

ADOPTED

F. FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

  • 1. Synod express its gratitude for the work done by the Committee on Correspon­dence with Churches Abroad;
  • 2. Synod decides to continue the Committee with the following mandate:
    • a.  to maintain correspondence in accord with the Rules for Correspondence and to do so with:
      • De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland
      • Die Vrije Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid Afrika The Free Reformed Churches of Australia.
    • b. to continue the contact with the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Koryu-Pa),
    • and to submit a report on this contact to the next General Synod.
    • c. to send an invitation to Sister-Churches Abroad at least one year prior to the date the next General Synod is to convene.
    • d. to have our Churches represented by a delegate to General Synods of Sister-Churches Abroad, if invited, and when desirable and feasible.
    • e. to execute the decision made by this Synod (Acts Article 57) to send an “appeal to Die Vrye Gereformeerde Kerk at Pretoria (praeses Dr. C. van der Waal) to rescind their teachings concerning marriage and divorce and to earnestly seek the unity and fellowship of the faith with Die Vrye Gerefor­ meerde Kerke in Suid Afrika”.
    • f.  to inform the Churches from time to time about that which is of interest in their correspondence with Churches Abroad.                                                                  

ADOPTED