GS 1989 ARTICLE 102 – Committee I presents: Agenda Item VIII, I
A. MATERIAL
Report of the Committee for Relations with Churches Abroad
B. INTRODUCTION
- 1. The Committee for Relations with Churches Abroad had received the following mandate from Synod 1986
- A. General
- 1. to continue the Ecclesiastical Fellowship with the Free Reformed Churches of Australia, De Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland, and Die Vrije Gereformeerde Kerken in Suid-Afrika in accordance with the adopted rules.
- 2. 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. (Acts Art. 145, D, 1, 2)
- B. Name change
- 3. to change the name of this Committee to “The Committee on Relations with Churches Abroad”. (Acts 1986, Art. 177, D, 1)
- C. Church Relations
- 4. to continue to address the sister churches on the matter of church relations, setting forth the decisions and concerns of the Canadian Reformed Churches, as outlined by the General Synods of Smithville (Acts, Art. 154, D, 1, 2) and Cloverdale (Acts, Art. 110, D, 1).
- 5. to evaluate the reactions of the sister churches in these matters with respect to a possible common approach.
- 6. to report to the next General Synod with suitable recommendations (Acts 1986, Art. 177, D, 2).
- D. Korea
- 7. to explain to the PCK this decision of the General Synod of Burlington West of 1986.
- 8. to respond to any reaction, inquiries, and information the PCK may direct to our churches.
- 9. to be diligent in the endeavour to improve communications with the PCK so that the “entering into and maintaining of a correspondence relationship” becomes possible.
- 10. to report to the next General Synod. (Acts, Art. 150, D, 3)
- E. Scotland
- 11. to charge the Committee on Correspondence with Churches Abroad to open contacts with the FCS to investigate and evaluate their history, background, doctrinal standards and their maintenance, church government, and their practices in order to ascertain whether we should recognize them as a true church of our Lord Jesus Christ and should enter into a sister-church relation with them.
- 12. to instruct the Committee on Correspondence with Churches Abroad to continue to inform the churches about the history, background, doctrinal standards and their maintenance, church government, and practices of the other churches which participate in the ICRC and with whom we have no sister church relationship.
- 13. to keep the current sister churches informed of all progress made in this regard and to work in cooperation with them.
- 14. to submit its findings and recommendations to the next General Synod;
- 15. to keep the churches informed of progress made. (Acts 1986, Art. 178, E, 2, 3, 4, 5)
- F. The International Conference of Reformed Churches
- 16. to instruct the Committee on Correspondence with Churches Abroad to prepare the next meeting of the ICRC as they have outlined in their report by:
- a. requesting the Canadian Reformed Church at Cloverdale to organize a prayer service before the commencement of the 1989 meeting of the ICRC;
- b. consulting the sister churches on suitable topics for the 1989 meeting of the ICRC;
- c. assuming all reasonable cost related to their role as host on behalf of the Canadian Reformed Churches;
- d. depending on the nature of the matters to be discussed to invite either one or both of the professors of the Theological College recommended by the Committee as advisors to the Conference;
- e. designating two members of the Committee as delegates.
- 17. To advise the executive of the ICRC that the amendments as proposed by the General Synod of Burlington West 1986 be placed on the agenda instead of those proposed by Synod Cloverdale 1983, to wit:
- a. that a stipulation be included in the “Basis” of the ICRC that the delegates subscribe only to the standards of the churches of which they are a member;
- b. that membership of the RES is an impediment to membership of the ICRC;
- c. that “CONSTITUTION Art. V – Authority” be amended to read: “The conclusions of the conference shall be advisory in character. Member churches are to be informed of these conclusions and are recommended to work towards their implementation.” (Acts 1986, Art, 175, D, 1, 2)
- 16. to instruct the Committee on Correspondence with Churches Abroad to prepare the next meeting of the ICRC as they have outlined in their report by:
- A. General
C. OBSERVATIONS
- I. The Free Reformed Churches of Australia (FRC)
- The Committee notes that
- 1. Acts of Synods were exchanged with the FRC of Australia. An invitation to attend the General Synod of Albany, September 1987 was received. Greetings and best wishes were sent by telegram.
- 2. the FRC have reaffirmed their previous statement that the Free Church of Scotland is a faithful church of the Lord.
- 3. the FRC have also recognized the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ireland as a faithful church of the Lord, and a relationship of temporary contact has been formed.
- 4. through its deputies the FRC are presently entertaining contacts with several Reformed and Presbyterian churches. The FRC are ending their attempts to make contact with the Dutch Reformed Church of Sri Lanka.
- 5. the FRC have instructed their deputies to propose a number of amendments to the Constitution of the ICRC. They also wish to place the matter of Bible translations on the agenda of the ICRC.
- 6. the relationship between the FRC and the Canadian Reformed Churches has seen intensification in recent years.
- 7. from the correspondence received it can be noted with thankfulness that the FRC of Australia continue to be faithful to the Word of the Lord, the confessions, and the Church Order.
- The Committee notes that
- II. Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland (Vrijgemaakt) (GKN(V))
- The Committee notes that
- 1. the Acts of Synods were exchanged with the GKN(V). Upon the invitation of the Dutch churches to attend the General Synod of Spakenburg-Noord 1987, two delegates represented our churches at this assembly.
- 2. the GKN(V) have initiated and still maintain contact with several Reformed and Presbyterian Churches around the world.
- 3. the GKN(V) are making a number of proposals to amend the constitution of the ICRC. The GKN(V) apparently do not accept the proposal of the Canadian Reformed Churches regarding the basis and Constitution of the ICRC. They also do not accept the position of the Canadian Reformed Churches respecting the incompatibility of membership in the RES and ICRC.
- 4. it may express gratitude for the fact that the GKN(V) desire to be faithful to God’s Word and to abide by the Reformed creeds and Church Order.
- The Committee notes that
- III. Die Vrije Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika (VGK)
- The Committee notes that
- 1. Acts of Synod were exchanged with the VGK of South Africa. The Committee also received an invitation to attend their General Synod in Johannesburg, 1987. Greetings were communicated by mail.
- 2. the VGK of South Africa have recognized the Westminster Standards as a Reformed confession, and they propose that when contacts are made with foreign churches that subscribe to this confession, issues re “the divergencies are raised in all modesty, so that in the light of God’s Word they together may proceed in the confession of the truth.”
- 3. the VGK of South Africa will continue the contact with the Presbyterian Church of Korea.
- 4. the VGK of South Africa have applied for membership in the ICRC, and this will be considered at the ICRC meeting of June, 1989.
- 5. from the correspondence received, it can with gratitude conclude that the VGK of South Africa desire to be faithful to the Word of God, the Reformed Confessions and the Church Order.
- The Committee notes that
D. CONSIDERATIONS
- 1. from the correspondence with and the Acts of the FRC of Australia, the GKN(V), and the VGK of South Africa, we may gratefully conclude that these churches are faithful to the Word of God, the confessions, and the Church Order.
- 2. with regard to our correspondence with these churches, the Committee has fulfilled its mandate.
- 3. the Committee for Churches Abroad notes that at this moment it is not ready to report anything concrete concerning a unified approach and common set of rules for ecclesiastical relations. (see the Committee Report, Appendix )
E. RECOMMENDATIONS
Synod decide :
- 1. to thank the Committee for the work done since 1986.
- 2. to continue the Ecclesiastical Fellowship with the Free Reformed Churches of Australia, the Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland and Die Vrije Gereformeerde Kerke in Suid-Afrika in accordance with the adopted rules.
- 3. to charge the Committee to send an invitation to our sister churches abroad to attend the next General Synod as soon as its date has been established and published by the convening church, and to have our churches represented by a delegate to General Synods of such churches abroad if invited and when feasible.
- 4. to renew the mandate of the Committee as given by Synod 1986 concerning the following points:
- a. to request the churches abroad that in the matter of relationship 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 consultation with these sister churches.
- c. to continue to address the sister churches on the matter of church relations, setting forth the decisions and concerns of the Canadian Reformed Churches, as outlined by the General Synods of Smithville (Acts, Art. 154, D, 1, 2) and Cloverdale (Acts, Art. 110, D, 1).
- d. to evaluate the reactions of the sister churches in these matters with respect to a possible common approach.
- e. to report to the next General Synod with suitable recommendations (Acts 1986, Art. 177, D, 2).