09 Nov GS 1989 art 116

Posted at 15:31h in CanRC, GS 1989 by

GS 1989 ARTICLE 116

Committee I presents:

Agenda Item VIII, I (continued from Article 103)

A. MATERIAL

Report of the Committee for Relations with Churches abroad.

MOTION TO AMEND

The following motion to amend the Advisory Committee proposal is made and duly seconded:

  • To add Recommendation 3 which reads:
  • To inform the FCS that it is our desire to do full justice to the Scriptural call for church unity by putting this unity to practice and be united in the same federation of churches with all the faithful congregations in Canada and the U.S.A.

ADOPTED

V. The Free Church of Scotland (FCS)

B. OBSERVATIONS

The Committee notes that

  • 1. Acts of Synods/Assemblies and historical documents were exchanged with the FCS. The FCS has expressed willingness to establish relations with the Canadian Reformed Churches.
  • 2. The FCS has a relationship of “temporary ecclesiastical contact” with the Free Reformed Churches of Australia and with the GKN(V).
  • 3. It is not ready to make a recommendation regarding a full sister-church relationship as per mandate Synod 1986. The Committee is pleased with progress made, but there are areas of concern that need further discussion and consideration.
  • 4. In order to obtain more insight into FCS and so come with a proper recommendation, it is the Committee’s intention to have extensive discussions with the FCS delegates at the forthcoming meeting of the ICRC in Vancouver, in June 1989.
  • 5. Prof. Dr. K. Deddens visited the FCS in April, 1987, and he has reported extensively on this visit, cf. Appendix 1.

C. CONSIDERATIONS

  • 1. The Committee has served the churches well by providing extensive information regarding the Free Church of Scotland.
  • 2. Intensifying contact with the FCS appears desirable, since this accords with Synod’s mandate in 1986. This is supported by Dr. K. Deddens’ report that this church “is the key to the whole Presbyterian world,” cf. p. 15, Report.
  • 3. Synod notes that the Committee recommends that in the light of past mandates, our churches’ efforts to work for a sister-church relationship with the FCS must be done in coordination with our sister churches in Australia and the Netherlands. As outlined by past Synods, the aim should be to strive for a united approach and a common set of rules.

D. RECOMMENDATIONS

Synod decide:

  • 1. to thank the Committee on Relations with Churches Abroad for the work done.
  • 2. to renew the mandate given to the Committee by Synod 1986 Art. 178, E, Recommendations, 2, a,b, (p. 92), and charge the Committee to come to Synod 1992 with a report of its findings and recommendations.
  • 3. to inform the FCS that it is our desire to do full justice to the Scriptural call for church unity by putting this unity to practice and be united in the same federation of churches with all the faithful congregations in Canada and the U.S.A.
  • 4. to keep the current sister churches informed of all progress made in this regard, and to work in cooperation with them.
  • 5. to inform the churches concerning the affiliated churches of the FCS in Canada and the USA.
  • 6. to keep the churches informed of progress made. The Committee Report as amended is

ADOPTED

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