GS 1974 ARTICLE 189 – Closing

The chairman speaks the following words:

Dear brethren,

We have almost reached the end of this General Synod.

Really the end! For when this Synod is closed there is no Synod anymore.

Neither a chairman.

The Church Order states that “his office shall cease when the assembly has been ended” (Article 35).

I am thankful for this Reformed stipulation for more than one reason. Not that you brethren have made it difficult for me. On the contrary! I wish to express to you my sincere appreciation and gratitude for bearing with me as your chairman, also in my weaknesses and shortcomings. I kindly beg your pardon, if I have done injustice to you once in awhile by interrupting you or cutting you short, the intention of which was to have matters dealt with in an orderly way.

I thank you all, also my co-officers, for your cooperation.

Above all we bring at this moment thanks to our heavenly Father. Many a time we have prayed fervently for His blessing upon our meetings and He has heard us. It is fitting to first and formost humbly praise our LORD.

It is a tremendous blessing, sometimes so easily taken for granted, that the Lord our God allows His Churches in this country in this world of today to fulfill their calling unhindered and without persecution. Also that this Synod could finish its agenda unhindered and uninterrupted. The Lord, Who via His Churches has called and counted us worthy to serve Him in this Synod in so many significant matters, has enabled us to fulfill our task. He gave health, energy; the guidance of His Holy Spirit so that we in submission to His Word and the Order of the Church, bound together by the unity of faith, brotherly love and understanding, could face the issues before us and reach decisions.

We all are aware of the fact that our work is imperfect and we pray that the Lord will graciously forgive us oi.r shortcomings and will sanctify our work for the upbuilding of His Church and the glory of His Name.

Since it pleases the Lord to work by way of means, we thank Him that He has made so many ready and willing to assist Synod in its work.

There is first of all the convening Church of Toronto which so efficiently prepared this Synod and made this churchbuilding with its fine facilities available.

There are the many brothers and sisters of the Church of Toronto who received us in their homes and took good care of us. We thank you all from the heart for your generous hospitality.

We take this opportunity to especially express the great appreciation and gratitude of Synod for all what you hr. and sr. Huizing and hr. and sr. Bouwkamp have done assisted by many willing helpers. Each day … and that were I am sure more days then you counted on … dinner and lunch had to be ready. And it was ready! And how!! And that was only part of all what you did. We deeply appreciate your work without which this Synod would have been impossible.

Then we remember at this moment also the congregations and Consistories, which let us delegates go for this work of the Churches in common and we render them our thanks.

Brethren, you have noticed that I have refrained so far from evaluating the work of this Synod. That is impossible at the moment; that is neither our task here. That is the privilege of the Churches which have sent and charged us. May they judge our work and the decisions taken in love which binds everything together in perfect harmony, letting the peace of Christ rule, to which we were called in one body.

Christ Jesus the only Head and Bishop of His Church brought us together for a time to do this work. We have come to know and appreciate each other. We thank Him for the privilege of serving Him together. May God’s grace strengthen all them

who by this Synod are appointed in the various Committees or still have to do work for this Synod, to do it joyfully and faithfully.

And as we now part from each other, may the Lord keep each one of us and lead us to our homes and loved ones. May He continue to use each one of us in our respective places in Christ’s Church.

In closing this Synod I pray that the Lord may bless His Churches and keep them; that He may make His face to shine upon them and be gracious unto them; that He may lift up His countenance upon them and give them peace.

I thank you!

The chairman then reads from Scripture I Peter 5:1-11.

The assessor, the Rev. M.C. Werkman, speaks a word of thanks to the chairman for the way in which he has led the meetings.

Psalm 116:1, 7, 9 is sung. The Rev. M.C. Werkman leads in prayer and thanksgiving.

At 0.22 on Saturday, November 30 the chairman closes the seventh General Synod of The Canadian Reformed Churches.

On behalf of General Synod:

• J. Mulder, chairman.
• G. Van Rongen, first clerk.
• M. Van Beveren, second clerk.
• M.C. Werkman, assessor.