24 May GS 1983 art 99

GS 1983 ARTICLE 99 – Correspondence with Churches Abroad

The discussion on the Advisory Report re Correspondence Presbyterian Church of Korea (Koryu Pa) is continued. One round of discussion is completed.

The discussion on the Advisory Report of Committee IV re sister Churches is con­tinued. The Recommendations D 1-7 are adopted as amended.

Committee IV presents:

A. MATERIAL –   Agenda VIII,   H. 1.  

Report from the Committee for Correspondence with Churches Abroad and additional report.

H, 2. Letter from the Free Reformed Churches of Australia.

B. OBSERVATIONS

• 1.  Synod Smithville 1980 gave the Committee for Correspondence with Churches Abroad the following mandate: “Gratefully to continue the correspondence under the adopted rules with:
  • a.   The Free Reformed Churches of Australia
  • b.   De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland
  • c.   Die Vrije Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika.”
• 2.  The Free Reformed Churches of Australia: The Committee reports:
  • a.   The Acts of Synod Armadale 1980, contain the following comment:
    • ” Re Canada a developing divergence is noted in matters of common con­cern such as new versions of the Creeds, Liturgical Forms and Prayers, due to lack of consultation. Synod decides to send a letter to the Synod of the Canadian Reformed Churches convening at Smithville next November. ex­ plaining our concern in the light of the official correspondence as we desire it” (Art. 30).
  • b   The Acts of Synod Kelmscott 1983, contain the following highlight s:
    • i  The adoption of the new Psalm section and the Forms of the Canadian Reformed Churches (Criticisms on the Forms will be passed on to the Canadian Reformed Churches).
    • ii  The selection of only thirty-on e Hymns out of the Hymn section for use in the Churches. (No explanation is given.)
    • iii  The adoption of a revised version of the Church Order. (This version was not available for comments and/or recommendations).
    • iv  The recommendation to use the Revised Standard Version (1971 edition) in the Churches.
    • v  The decision
    • a.   to continue the correspondence with: Canadian Reformed Churches
    • De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland
    • Die Vrye Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika The Presbyterian Church in Korea
    • The Churches of Sumba-Savu;
    • b.   to recognize as faithful Churches:
    • The Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ireland The Free Church of Scotland
    • The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Taiwan;
    • c.   to investigate the possibilities to seek new contacts with other Church­ es, in close connection with deputies from the sister Churches, espe­ cially The Netherlands;
    • d.   to request the Deputies “to formulate rules for temporary contact with Churches which do not yet belong to the sister Churches”;
    • e.   to join the International Conference of Reformed Churches and to pro­ pose two amendments to the Constitution, one dealing with the Re­ formed Ecumenical Synod and the other stressing “that members should strive for unity with member Churches of the Conference in their own country.”
  • c. A letter was sent to Australia (April 28, 1981) informing the Deputies that a certain letter mentioned in the Acts of Synod Armadale 1980 and addressed to Synod Smithville 1980 was never received, and that therefore this Synod was unaware of their concerns.
  • d.   In April 1983 notice was received that the Synod of the Free Reformed Church­ es would meet the following month in Kelmscott. No report from the Australian Deputies for Correspondence was received
  • The Committee recommends that the correspondence with the Free Reformed Churches in Australia be continued in accordance with the adopted rules.
• 3.  De Geretormeerde Kerken in Nederland The Committee reports:
  • a.        i that they did not send a delegate to Synod Arnhem 1981 due to the expenses factor and the upcoming Constituent Assembly of the ICRC at Groningen;
    • ii that they were notified of the upcoming Synod, scheduled for April 25. 1984 at Heemse. An invitation to send a delegate to this Synod was included.
  • b.   that no response was received to the request of Synod Smithville. (Acts 1980, Art. 145). to use the Form for the Ordination/Installation of Missionaries in translated format:
  • c.   that the Acts of Synod Arnhem 1981 disclose that this Synod decided:
    • i   not to appoint general deputies ad Art. 19 Church Order. but to urge the deputies ad Art. 19 Church Order of the several Regional Synods to adopt among themselves a suitable form of cooperation;
    • ii    to introduce a classical examination tor missionaries and to establish an institute for training of missionaries. This institute will be indepen­dent and yet work in close cooperation with the Theological College:
    • iii   to continue in accordance with the adopted rules Ecclesiastical Fellow­ship with:
      • a.   the Presbyterian Church in Korea
      • b.   the Free Reformed Churches of Australia
      • c.   the Vrije Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika
      • d.   the Canadian Reformed Churches
      • e.   the Reformed Churches on Sumba Savu
    • iv to establish Ecclesiastical Fellowship with:
      • the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ireland
    • v to offer to establish Ecclesiastical Contact with:
      • a.   the Free Church of Scotland
      • b.   the Dutch Reformed Church of Sri Lanka
      • c.   the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, Second Presbytery
      • d.   the Reformed Church in Japan
      • e.   Die Gereformeerde Kerk in Suid-Afrika – “Dopperkerken” (if certain conditions are met)
    • vi to continue initial contact with:
      • a.   the Reformed Churches of New Zealand
      • b.   the Orthodox Presbyterian Church of New Zealand
      • c.   the Orthodox Presbyterian Church in the USA
      • d.   the lgreja Presbiteriana Conservadora do Brasil
      • e.   the National Presbyterian Church of Chile
    • vii to seek contact with:
      • a. the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) b a Church in Nigeria
    • viii    to instruct the Committee on Relations with Churches Abroad to pub­lish a bulletin in the English language every six months with a view to the many contacts abroad;
    • ix   to request the sister Churches abroad to change Rule c as follows: “The Churches shall inform each other as much and as soon as possi­ble concerning proposals (c.q. reports) and decisions which pertain to linguistic or such like changes of the Confessions or nonessential changes of the Church Order and the liturgical Forms; concerning pro­posals for changes in essential points of doctrine, however, the sister Churches abroad shall receive ample opportunity (at least three years) to forward their Judgment before binding decisions will be made.”
  • The Committee recommends:
    • a.   not to accede to the request of General Synod Arnhem 1981 of our Netherlands sister Churches that their proposed Rule c for ecclesiastical fel­low ship (correspondence with Churches abroad) be adopted;
    • b.   to continue the correspondence with De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland in accordance with the adopted rules.
• 4.  Die Vrije Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika The Committee reports:
  • a.   Synod Pretoria 1980 decided to continue the efforts for contact with the Korean Presbyterian Church (Koryu-Pa) ;
  • b.   to continue the correspondence with the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland;
  • c.   Synod Johannesburg 1982 decided to continue the existing relationship of correspondence with the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, the Free Re­ formed Churches in Australia and the Canadian Reformed Churches;
  • d.   this Synod instructed the deputies to prepare a Scripturally responsible form of ecclesiastical communion with the Korean Presbyterian Church, taking into consideration the difference in language;
  • e.   this Synod rejected the “two levels of correspondence ” as it is practiced both in Canada and The Netherlands (i.e. Ecclesiastical Fellowship and Ecclesi­astical Contact);
  • f.    Die Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika (GKSA) have broken their relation­ ship with the Synodical Reformed Churches in The Netherlands:
  • g.   the differences with the GKSA have now been narrowed down by Synod Johannesburg as follows:
    • i  “Die Gereformeerde Kerk should break the ties with the RES.
    • ii  Die Gereformeerde Kerk should discontinue the practice of the so-called “double correspondence,” for instance they have ecclesiastical relations with the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland and the Christelijke Gere­ formeerde Kerken in The Netherlands.
    • iii  Die Gereformeerde Kerk should condemn the practice of some of its ministers to conduct services in the ” 14de laan Church” (a split from Die Vrije Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika).”
• The Committee recommends:
  • To continue the relationship with Die Vrije Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika in accordance with the adopted rules.

C. CONSIDERATIONS

• 1.  From the correspondence it has become clear that the Committee has made every effort to meet the concerns of the Free Reformed Churches of Australia regarding our new versions of the Creeds, Liturgical Forms and Prayers.
• 2.  Synod Orangeville 1968 declared that the Canadian Reformed Churches are fully willing to bind themselves by the promise contained in this “voorafgaand overleg” whenever a change in the Three Forms of Unity is deemed necessary (Acts, 1968, Art. 79, 6, b).
• 3.  From the correspondence with and the Acts of the Free Reformed Churches of Australia, De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland and Die Vri je Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Alrika, we may gratefully conclude that these Churches are faithful to God’s Word and the Church Order.

D. RECOMMENDATIONS

Synod decide:

• 1.  To continue the Ecclesiastical Fellowship with The Free Reformed Churches of Australia. De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland and Die Vrije Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika in accordance with the adopted rules. ADOPTED
• 2.  To request the Free Reformed Churches of Australia to make their revised ver­sion of the Church Order available to our Committee for Correspondence for possible comments and/or recommendations. ADOPTED
• 3.  To add to the present Rule c of the Rules for Correspondence: “re proposals for changes in the Three Forms of Unity, the sister Churches abroad shall receive ample opportunity (at least three years) to forward their judgment before bind­ing decisions will be made.”
• Rule c reads then as follows:
  • To inform each other concerning changes of. or additions to, the Church Order and Liturgical Forms, while the corresponding Churches pledge to express them­ selves on the question whether such changes or additions are considered ac­ceptable. Regarding proposals for changes in the Three Forms of Unity. the sister Churches abroad shall receive ample opportunity (at least three years) to for­ ward their judgment before binding decisions will be made.”
• 4.  Again to request the Netherlands sister Churches permission to publish the translation of the Form for Ordination/Installation of Missionaries for use in the Cana­dian Reformed Churches.
• 5.  a. To request the Churches abroad that in the matter of “relationships or con­tacts with third parties” there be consultation and coordination between sister Churches.
  • b. To request the Churches abroad that contacts in countries where sister Churches are already established be made not independently but in con­ junction with these sister Churches.
• 6.  To charge the Committee to send an invitation to sister Churches abroad at least one year prior to the date the next General Synod is to convene and to have our Churches represented by a delegate to General Synods of such Churches abroad, if invited and when feasible.
• 7.  To thank the Committee tor Correspondence with Churches Abroad for the diligent performance of their work.