24 Feb GS 1980 art 34

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GS 1980 ARTICLE 34 – Proposals – Church Order

Committee II presents a Majority and Minority Report. The Majority Report reads as follows:

A.  Material – 

  • Agenda VIII, D, 3 –  Proposals of br. C. Groenewegen.
  • D, 4 – Letter from the Church at Burlington-East.

B.  Observations

  • 1. Br. C. Groenewegen requests changes in the Church Order Articles 4, 11. 12, 13, 23, 27, 37, 42, 79, and 84. His primary concern is the position of elders and he would like to see this changed “similar to the practice of the RPCES.”
  • 2. The Church at Burlington-East proposes changes in the Draft Church Order Articles 11, 19 (18), 23 (25, 16), 42 (40) and 58 (21).

C.  Considerations

Since Synod 1980 (Acts, Article 19) decided to continue the Committee for the Revision of the Church Order with a mandate (in addition to the mandate received from Synod 1977, Acts Article 71) to solicit remarks on a complete, definite draft and to report to Synod 1983, it would be premature for Synod 1980 to deal with requests either for changes in the present Church Order or proposals for changes in the Draft Church Order.

D.  Recommendation

Synod decide to pass on these proposals to the Committee for the Revision of the Church Order.                                                                                            

ADOPTED

Consequently, the Minority Report is not voted on. It reads as follows:

A. Material – 

  • Agenda VIII, D, 3 –  Proposals of br. C. Groenewegen.
  • D, 4 – Letter from the Church at Burlington-East.

B.  Observations

  • 1. Br. C. Groenewegen suggests that Synod “adopt a policy similar to the practice of the RPCES” (Vol. I, page 6).
  • 2. Br. C. Groenewegen does not really address himself to the Draft of the Committee for Revision, although he has sent his proposals to this Committee.

C.  Considerations

  • 1. When Synod New Westminster 1971 appointed a Committee for the Revi­sion of the Church Order, it specified that the Committee “undertake a general revision of the presently adopted Church Order, as much as the “profit of the Churches demand it” (Article 86, Church Order), with preservation of the Reformed character of this Church Order; paying special attention to suggestions, submitted in the past by Churches and major assemblies concerning change, correction, updating and/or deletion of articles, as well as profitable additions.”
  • 2. Although br. C. Groenewegen has addressed himself to the Committee for the Revision of the Church Order, his proposals extend far beyond the mandate given to this Committee and as well beyond the intent of the revision as requested by previous Synods.
  • 3.  Since it is evident that the proposals have not been considered by the Churches, it is not in the province of General Synod to deal with them.

D. Recommendation

Synod decide not to accede to the requests of br. C. Groenewegen.

E. Observation:

The Church at Burlington-East proposes changes in the Draft Church Order Articles 11, 19 (18), 23 (25, 16), 42 (40) and 58 (21).

F. Consideration

Synod 1980 has decided (Acts, Article 19) “not to adopt at the present time any articles of the Church Order in its revised form” and “to continue the Committee for the Revision of the Church Order with the mandate to send a complete, definite draft of the revised Church Order to the Churches before January 1, 1982, soliciting remarks from the Churches to be sent to the Com­mittee before January 1, 1983 and to present the result of its work to General Synod 1983.”

G. Recommendation

Synod decide to pass the proposals from the Church at Burlington-East on to the Committee for the Revision of the Church Order.

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