20 Oct GS 1977 art 1

GS 1977 ARTICLE 1 – Opening

On behalf of the convening Church at Coaldale, Alberta the Rev. J. Visscher calls the assembly to order. He requests to sing from the Book of Praise Psalm 84:1, 6, reads Ephesians Chapter 1, and leads in prayer.

He addresses the delegates as follows:

• “Esteemed Brothers,
• On behalf of the convening Church, the Church at Coaldale, I would like to welcome all of you to Southern Alberta, to the first Canadian Reformed Church instituted in this land 271h. years ago, and to the General Synod 1977.
• We are grateful that you have all arrived safely and we pray that the Lord will bless the work that you have been called upon to do here. You will have to deal with a number of matters, very few of which are new, but all of which are relevant to the life of the Chur­ches. Matters pertaining to the Theological College, to relations with other Churches, to the Book of Praise, to the Heidelberg Catechism, to Bible Translations, to the revision of the Church Order, to women’s voting rights and so on, all of these subjects will have to be handled in a wise, discerning and up-building way.
• And that is not an easy task. Therefore we pray, brothers, and the entire fellowship of the Canadian Reformed Churches prays, that the Lord will give you, to use the words of the apostle Paul, ‘a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him’ (verse 17). May you labour in the awareness that you are here to serve only one Person, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. It was He whom God the Father raised from the dead and placed at ‘his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come, and he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all!’ It is this Lord and Head who has made you office-bearers in His Church and dele­gates to this Synod.
• Be faithful to Him.
• Be dependent on His Spirit. Be mindful of His Word.
• Do everything to ‘the praise of His glory.’
• The Lord bless you and make you a blessing to the Canadian (American) Reformed Churches and so to the Church of all ages.”