GS 1986 ARTICLE 160
Letter from br. C. Groenewegen (Re Church Order)
Committee 3 presents:
A. MATERIAL
- -Agenda, VIII, F, 4 Letter from br. C. Groenewegen regarding revision of the Church Order (with appendices)
B. OBSERVATIONS
- 1. Br. Groenewegen requests this synod “to appoint a committee on revision of the Church Order. This committee is to consist of ruling elders, pastors and/or theologians. The ruling elders (in service or retired) should make up 50% of the committee,” and he suggests that this committee receive the mandate to under take a general revision of the present Church Order.
- 2. Br. Groenewegen proposes a revised Church Order which should not be binding upon the congregations but should rather be understood as a model of an “ongoing revision.”
- 3. Br. Groenewegen complains that important information concerning his proposal and suggestions have been withheld by the 1983 General Synod of Cloverdale from this generation and those to follow.
- 4. Br. Groenewegen claims that he presents new grounds for the same material (Letter, April 15, 1986, p. 3).
C. CONSIDERATIONS
- 1. It is evident from the Acts of the 1983 General Synod, Art. 91, C. Considerations 2, a and b, that it paid attention to the suggestions proposed by br. Groenewegen. The 1983 General Synod discharged the Committee for the Revision of the Church Order.
- It is not possible to appoint a committee as envisioned by br. Groenewegen, since the churches do not have the type of office-bearers which he suggests (ruling elders in service or retired).
- 2. A Church Order is binding by mutual consent of the churches, and its purpose is to maintai11 good order in the church of Christ, I Cor. 14: 33, 40.
- 3. It is left to the discretion of each general synod to judge what is to be recorded.
- 4.
Scrutiny of material and grounds, presented to the 1983 General Synod of Clover dale and to the 1986 General Synod of Burlington West, warrants the conclusion that br. Groenewegen submits the same material without new grounds.
D. RECOMMENDATION
Synod decides to deny the request. The recommendation is ADOPTED.