30 Nov GS 1986 art 94

Posted at 10:52h in CanRC, GS 1986 by

GS 1986 ARTICLE 94

Re Article 44, Church Order

Committee 3 presents:

A.    MATERIAL

– Agenda VIII, F, 5 Overture of the Church at Carman concerning Arti­cle 44 of the Church Order.

B.    OBSERVATIONS

  • 1.     The Church at Carman, in examining the Church Order adopted by General Synod Cloverdale of 1983, noticed a difference between the “old”  Article 41 in the previous Church Order and the revised one, which is called Article 44 in the Church Order adopted by General Synod 1983.
  • 2.     Some questions to be asked by the president of a classis according to the ” old” Article 41 are not found in the revised Article 44.
  • 3.     The Church  at  Carman  requests  this synod to take into consideration  that, ” neither the committee report nor the Acts of General Synod Cloverdale of 1983 give reasons for deleting the original questions and we can therefore not refer to why this revision was made.”
  • 4.     This church calls this Synod’s attention to the sister-churches in the Netherlands. These churches have amended Article 44, “Kerkorde” in the following way:
    • “De praeses zal vragen of de ambtelijke diensten voortgang hebben , de besluiten van de meerdere vergaderingen nageleefd warden en of er iets is, waarbij de kerkeraden het oordeel of de hulp van de Classis nodig hebben voor de goede voortgang van plaatselijk kerkelijk leven.”
  • Carman translates:
    • “The president shall ask whether the work of the office-bearers continues, the decisions of the major assemblies are executed and where there is any matter in which the consistories need the judgment and help of classis for the proper government of their church.”
  • 5.     It is the opinion of the Church at Carman that matters could be settled “in a more orderly and efficient way to the benefit of Christ’s churches and their members,” if the above quotation be inserted in the present Article 44 of our Church Order.
  • 6.    The Church at Carman, considering the suggestion that these questions will be raised during the yearly church visitation, reasons that church-visitors do not necessarily have to ask these questions.

C.    CONSIDERATIONS

  • 1. Synod 1983 did not provide ground for the deletion of the several questions in Article 44.
  • 2.     The proposal of the Church at Carman does give the president of a classis the opportunity to raise two very important matters relating to:
    • a.     The ministry of the  office-bearers;
    • b.     The honouring of decisions of major assemblies.
    • 3.     The proposal of the Church at Carman may prevent delay in settling matters relating to these questions.

D.    RECOMMENDATIONS

Synod decide:

  • 1.     To amend Article 44, Church Order, in the following way:
    • a.     The president shall ask whether the ministry of the office-bearers is con­tinued, the decisions of the major assemblies are honoured, and whether there is any matter in which the consistories need the judgment and help of classis for the proper government of their church.
    • b.     To instruct the Standing Committee for the Book of Praise to include this amendment in the next printing of the Book of Praise.

The recommendations are ADOPTED .

Print page