GS 1974 ARTICLE 149 – Contact with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Advisory Committee III presents:
MATERIAL:
- Agenda H 1 – Report and Recommendations of the Committee ad hoe appointed by General Synod 1971
- H 2 – Overture Church at Smithville
- H 3 – Overture Church at London
- H 4 – Part of letter of Ebenezer Church, Burlington
OBSERVATIONS:
- 1. MANDATE: Synod 1971 (Acts Article 92, Decisions II, b) gave the Committee the mandate:
- 1. to prepare and forward a letter as outlined in Acts Article 92, Decisions I, to the forthcoming General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
- 2. to serve as contact-address, and to remain diligent in the matter of contact with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
- 3. to report to the next General Synod, and to keep the Churches informed about the developments of this contact.
- 2. The Committee sent a letter in March 1972 as outlined in Acts 1971, Article 92, Decision I, to the 39th General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (see the report of the Committee: A: re. the divergencies in confession; B: re. the divergencies in Church polity; C 1: re. the relationship of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church with Churches that maintain correspondence with the (Synodical) Gereformeerde Kerken in the Netherlands; C 2: re. the membership of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in the Reformed Ecumenical Synod; D. re. the adoption of the Rules of Correspondence.).
- 3. The Committee’s letter was referred to the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations, which replied in their letter of May 24, 1972 that they would gladly recommend to the 40th General Assembly of May 14, 1973 that fraternal delegates be exchanged between the two Churches if the General. Synod of The Canadian Reformed Churches would be willing to receive such a delegate. Our Committee replied to this in a letter of November 18, 1972 that the General Synod 1971 was not in favour of an exchange of fraternal delegates (Acts 1971, Article 92, Conclusions 6). Our Committee urged the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations to promote that the General Assembly give a clear answer to the points brought forward in the letter of March 1972. Our Committee stated that this is the only way in which unity between our Churches can be served.
- 4. The 40th General Assembly of May 14-19, 1973 replied in a letter of August 10, 1973:
- “The Orthodox Presbyterian Church believes that there is sufficient evidence to warrant our recognizing each other as Churches which are committed to the Scriptures as the infallible Word of God and which wish to maintain and give evidence of maintaining Reformed Confessions based on that Word. We also believe that such mutual recognition calls for a fraternal relationship through which further progress may be made toward full acceptance of each other.” “The General Assembly agrees that ‘divergencies in confession and Church polity are serious enough to remain the subject of further and frank discussion’. However, the Assembly is not prepared to adopt the rules of correspondence of The Canadian Reformed Churches and at this time prefers a fraternal relationship between our two Churches. If The Canadian Reformed Churches are prepared to accept what may seem to be less than ideal relationship, then a basis for continued, and potentially fruitful, talks on doctrine and polity may be established.”
- 5. Our Committee replied to the 41st General Assembly in a letter of March 6, 1974 and expressed the fear that our General Synod will be unable to act upon the matter since the 40th General Assembly did not go into the substance of the letter of March 1972 (re: the divergencies in confession and Church polity). The Committee in the same letter also asked the 41st General Assembly:
- 1. to complement the answer of the 40th General Assembly with a comment on the doctrinal and church-political points stated in our letter of March 1972.
- 2. to communicate the objections of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church against the rules of correspondence adopted by The Canadian Reformed Churches.
- 3. to provide us with a definition of the concept of ‘fraternal relations’ which is unfamiliar to us and to state which possible benefits such relations may have for a closer contact between the two Churches. The 41st General Assembly referred this letter to the Committee on Ecumenicity and Interchurch Relations. A reply from this Committee has not been received yet.
- 6. The 40th General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church decided to terminate their sister-church relationship with the (Synodical) Gereformeerde Kerken in the Netherlands.
- 7. The 40th General Assembly decided “to instruct the delegates to the RES 1972 to prepare, for presentation to the 41st General Assembly a recommendation with regard to whether the Orthodox Presbyterian Church should continue membership in the RES or should withdraw, and include specific grounds in support of the recommendations … ” Our Committee reported that no action was taken by the 41st General Assembly on this decision.
- 8. Our Committee recommends that General Synod take a decision on the question whether or not Synod is prepared to exchange fraternal delegates.
- 9. The Church at Smithville concludes that the recommendation of the Committee mentioned under 8 is superfluous since Synod 1971 took a decision with regard to ‘fraternal relationship’ (Acts 1971 Article 92).
- 10. The Churches at London and Smithville are convinced that there is sufficient reason to continue the Committee on Contact with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
- 11. The Ebenezer Church at Burlington suggests that we should either accept the Orthodox Presbyterian Church as they are or stop all discussion with them.
- 12. Our Committee has given no information on the actual discussions with the Committee of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
CONSIDERATIONS:
- 1. a. Both The Canadian Reformed Churches and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church agree that “divergencies in confession and in Church Polity are serious enough to remain the subject of further and frank discussion.” (cf Acts 1971 Article 92, Cone!. 7 and letter from 40th General Assembly August 1973)
- b. Although our Committee sent a detailed description and biblical argumentation of these divergencies, no General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church has, till now, given any answer to the same.
- 2. a. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church is at this time not prepared to accept our rules for Correspondence, their fear being that these may result in a domination of the one body over the other.
- They prefer “fraternal relations” at this stage, which seems to consist only in “exchanging fraternal delegates” at each other’s broadest assemblies.
- b. We prefer a continued contact between the Committees of both The Canadian Reformed Churches and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church as being of greater value for “further and frank discussion of the divergencies in Confession and Church Polity.”
- 1.a. The termination of the sister-relationship between the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the (Synodical) “Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland” is a cause for gratitude.
- b. The membership of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in the “Reformed Ecumenical Synod” has been reconsidered, but no definite action has been taken as yet.
- c. The relationship between the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and the Chris tian Reformed Church needs further investigation.
- 4. a. Re: letter Ebenezer Canadian Reformed Church at Burlington.
- The present stage of the relationship does not warrant either full fellowship or breaking off the relationship altogether.
- b. Re: communications of the Churches at London and Smithville.
- There is sufficient reason to continue the contact for the purpose of “further and frank discussion” of the existing divergencies, with the hope that, with the Lord’s blessing, they may disappear.
- 5. The Committee for Contact with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church asks for a decision of Synod on the exchange of fraternal delegates.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Synod decide:
- 1. to express its gratitude to the Committee for all the work done, and to include in the Acts the Report & Appendix I of their Committee.
- 2. not to take a decision regarding the fraternal relationship since Synod does not know what exactly is the contents of such fraternal relationship and since the Committee for Contact asked for a clarification of this relationship.
- 3. to continue the Committee for Contact with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church with the mandate:
- a. to continue the contact with the Orthodox Presbyterian Church;
- b. to study the forthcoming answer on our letter of March 1972, and continue the discussion with the Committee of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church on existing divergencies;
- c. to discuss and evaluate the relationships of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church with other Churches, as the Reformed Presbyterian Church (Evangelical Synod) and the Christian Reformed Church;
- d. to inform the Churches from time to time about the progress made (e.g. by press-releases of combined committee-meetings);
- e. to report on all its activities to the next General Synod.