13 Nov GS 1989 art 163

Posted at 19:37h in CanRC, GS 1989 by

GS 1989 ARTICLE 163

Committee III presents:

Agenda VIII, D, 13.

A. MATERIAL

Letter from the Church at Brampton, ON. re Acts Regional Synod East of October 15, 16, and 22, 1987, art. 6e, VI, 3.

B. OBSERVATIONS

  • 1. Regional Synod East Oct. 1987 refers to a decision that “whenever ministers from churches with which we have no sister church relationship are admitted to serve in the federation, these ministers first shall undergo the equivalent of a preparatory/peremptory examination. (See Acts of General Synod, Edmonton 1965, Article 39 A, p.16.) Regional Synod judges that this also applies to ministers who come into the federation with their congregations”.
  • 2. The Church at Brampton requests General Synod to decide which of the two examinations should be used (i.e. the level of preparatory or peremptory). They seek clarification so that one system of examination is used throughout the federation of Canadian Reformed Churches.

C. CONSIDERATIONS

  • 1. Synod Edmonton 1965 Art. 39 A (English translation) adopted the following rule: “With respect to those who are serving or served in churches with which the Canadian Reformed Churches do not maintain church correspondence:
    • i. they shall not be called unless they have been declared eligible for a call in the churches;
    • ii. they may be declared eligible for a call only after
      • a. they have submitted proof of their ordination as a minister;
      • b. they have submitted a written exposition of the reasons why they desire to be declared eligible for call within the churches;
      • c. they submit a good testimony about their conduct;
      • d. they submit themselves to an examination on the level of the preparatory and peremptory examination.
    • The classis of their domicile shall examine them in the presence and with concurring advice of the Deputies of the Particular Synod, ad art 49 C.O.”
    • Regional Synod East Oct. 1987 judged correctly that this decision also applies to ministers who come into the federation with their congregations.
  • 2. The preparatory examination is used to declare a person eligible for call in the federation of Canadian Reformed Churches while the peremptory examination is more comprehensive and determines whether a candidate may serve in the federation of Canadian Reformed Churches as a minister.

C. RECOMMENDATION

Synod decide:

ministers who come into the federation with their congregations should be examined at the peremptory level.

MOTION TO AMEND

  • The following motion to amend the Advisory Committee Report is made and duly seconded:
  • 1. To add the following Consideration to the Advisory Committee proposal:
  • In suggesting an examination on the preparatory or peremptory level, Synod Edmonton 1965 referred to the general academic standing of ministers who enter the Canadian Reformed Churches.
  • 2. And to change the Recommendation into the following:

Synod decide:

Synod’s 1965 ruling on this matter is sufficient.

DEFEATED

The Advisory Committee proposal is

ADOPTED

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