10 Aug GS 1992 art 137
GS 1992 ARTICLE 137 – Closing
The chairman thanks the two clerks for the work they did. A special word of apprecia- tion is extended to br. A. Kingma for his assistance in the secretarial duties which he so generously offered. Also the ladies who prepared all the meals and refreshments are given a hearty word of appreciation. The church at Lincoln, ON is thanked for their great hospitality.
In closing the chairman speaks the following words:
Brothers, we have come to the end of our agenda and that means that we have also come to the end of General Synod Lincoln 1992 of the Canadian Reformed Churches. For slightly over two weeks we have worked together: debat- ing, discussing, sharing, walking, deciding and considering. It has been a very intensive time but also a very rewarding time in terms of the fellowship that we have experienced and the work that we have done.
Now, it is time to close and that means that some words of appreciation are in order. First of all, we extend a hearty word of thanks to the church at Lincoln which has hosted this Synod. Brothers and sisters, your preparations, your hospi- tality and your assistance on a daily basis have served to enable us to function in a most effective manner. May I add, that special words of thanks are fitting for the ladies who wined and dined us so well. We can only express our highest compli- ments for your cooking. That also explains why the members of Synod will be car- rying home more than just extra papers.
Speaking to you, brothers, I would like to express my appreciation for the great way that you have worked together in your advisory committees. You have had to come to grips with some very difficult matters, and in all cases you have done so in a constructive and co-operative manner. This does not mean that you always agreed, but even when you disagreed you continued to respect each other and to work together. Personally, I am thankful that you made life relatively easy for your rookie chairman. I hope that you will forgive any mistakes that I have made.
Of course, it also needs to be said that a chairman does not function alone, and I wish to extend the warmest of thanks to the other members of the Executive. I have had a very trusty and experienced side-kick in the person of Rev. Cl. Stam, very obliging and diligent clerks in the persons of the Revs. Aasman and Agema. It would be hard to find better executive members than these.
In closing, brothers, the time has come for us to head homeward. In due course the churches will be informed of the decisions that we have made here and they will have to judge whether or not we have served them well. Still, they are not the only judges. For I would remind you all that in the final analysis there is only one to whom we must all give account, namely our Lord Jesus Christ, the Head and the Saviour of the church. May He see fit to bless our humble and sin- stained efforts and use them to advance the cause of His church and the glory of His Most Holy Name.
Brothers, farewell and the peace of the Lord be with you and with all the churches.
The chairman asks Rev. Cl. Stam to close Synod. Rev. Cl. Stam thanks Rev. J. Visscher for the excellent leadership he gave during this Synod. He also asks that Hymn 58: 1 and 2 be sung, and closes in prayer.
Synod is closed.
By order of Synod
- Rev. J. Visscher Chairman
- Rev. Cl. Stam Vice-chairman
- Rev. R. Aasman First clerk
- Rev. D.G.J. Agema Second clerk