18 Apr GS 1974 art 20

Posted at 17:33h in CanRC, GS 1974 by

GS 1974 ARTICLE 20 – Contact with The Free [and Old) Christian Reformed Churches of Canada and the U.S.A. (New name: Free Reformed Church of North America.)

Advisory Committee II presents:

MATERIAL:

  • – Agenda 0 1 – Overture from the Church at Lincoln:
  • “Contact with the Free (and Old) Christian Reformed Churches of Canada and the U.S.A.”

OBSERVATIONS:

  • The Church at Lincoln overtures General Synod 1974:
  • 1. To appoint Deputies to establish contact with the Free (and Old) Christian Reformed Churches of Canada and the U.S.A.
  • 2. To request the Free (and Old) Christian Reformed Churches of Canada and the U.S.A. to appoint Deputies to establish contact with the Deputies of the Canadian Reformed Churches.
  • 3. To give Deputies as mandate:
    • a.  To contact the Deputies of the Free (and Old) Christian Reformed Churches of Canada and the U.S.A.
    • b. To examine, and to discuss with the Deputies of the Free (and Old) Christian Reformed Churches of Canada and the U.S.A., all matters concerning the separated existence between the Canadian Reformed Churches and the Free (and Old) Christian Reformed Churches of Canada and the U.S.A. and all matters which concern a possible Church Unity.
    • c.  To report to the next Synod.

CONSIDERATIONS:

  • 1. The Church at Lincoln rightly states that ecclesiastical unity should be sought with all who confess the true faith and maintain it.
  • 2. The Church at Lincoln in its observation no. 2 informs Synod “that these Churches officially accept the Three Forms of Unity and the Church Order of Dordt.”
  • 3. The Church at Lincoln, however, does not give any evidence that these Churches actually maintain the Three Forms of Unity and the Church Order of Dort.
  • 4. The General Synod of Edmonton, 1965, Acts, Article 141, sub II judged: “Correspondentie met Kerken in het buitenland behoort niet te worden aangegaan dan nadat door een nauw en errstig onderzoek is gebleken, dat deze Kerken de Gereformeerde belijdenis en kerkregering niet slechts officieel hebben aanvaard, maar metterdaad handhaven.”
  • 5. The General Synod of Hamilton, 1962, Acts, Article 82 judged: “dat een opnemen van contact met The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, als bedoeld in het desbetreffende voorstel van de Regionale Synode 1961, alleen als roeping van de Synode kan worden erkend, wanneer voor haar vaststaat, dat wij in The Orthodox Presbyterian Church te doen hebben met een gemeenschap, die tot de ware dienst des HEEREN is teruggekeerd; constaterende, dat de mindere vergaderingen niet zulk bewijsmateriaal ter Synode tafel hebben gebracht, waaruit zou blijken dat zij in The Orthodox Presbyterian Church met zulk een gemeenschap te doen heeft; spreekt uit, aan het verzoek van de Regionale Synode 1961 niet te kunnen voldoen.”
  • 6. The Church at Lincoln writes under Observation no. 3 that there was some contact on a local level.
  • 7. The Church at Lincoln should have served Synod by providing further information about these Churches re: origin, history, statistical data etc.

RECOMMENDATION:

Synod decide not to grant the request of the Church at Lincoln.

ADOPTED.

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