Office Bearers

GS 1977 ARTICLE 95 – Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod

Committee I presents:

Material

  • – Agenda 8, N, 1- Proposal Church at Calgary, Alberta.

Observations

  • a. The Church at Calgary proposes that the Committee for Contact with the Ortho­ dox Presbyterian Church receive in addition to their mandate with regard to the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the mandate to seek contact with the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, with a view to determining whether church correspondence can be established with this church federation.
  • b. The Church at Calgary states that the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangeli­cal Synod, has essentially the same confessional Standards and Form of Govern­ment as the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, and that the two church groups are continuing to have talks with a view to merger.
  • c. The Church at Calgary mentions personal contacts on a local level which “have convinced us that the faithfulness of these churches is such that we may expect fruitful contact.”

Considerations

  • a. Synod Edmonton 1965 judged that correspondence with Churches abroad should be established only 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 (Acts, Article 141, II).
  • b. Minor assemblies when making a proposal for taking up contact with other chur­ches should supply Synods with sufficient information as it appears from decisions made by General Synod Hamilton 1962, Acts, Article 82 and General Synod Ed­monton 1965, Acts, Article 141, sub II (see General Synod Toronto, Acts, Article 64).
  • c. The Church at Calgary does not elaborate on the reported faithfulness of the Re­ formed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod.
  • d. The Church at Calgary should have served Synod by providing further informa­tion about these churches re: e.g., confession, government, origin, history, statisti­cal data (compare General Synod Toronto 1974, Acts, Article 20, Consideration 7).

Recommendation

Synod decide

Not to accede to the proposal of the Church at Calgary.

ADOPTED