21 Jun GS 1998 art 98

Posted at 13:50h in CanRC, GS 1998 by

GS 1998 Article 98 – Relationship with the Free Reformed Churches

Committee III presents: II G.

I. MATERIAL

  • A. Letter from Regional Synod West

II. OBSERVATIONS

  • A. Regional Synod West of December 2, 1997 dealt with the overture of Classis Pacific of December 10, 11, 1996 concerning contact with the Free Reformed Churches of North America. Regional Synod gratefully took over the overture of Classis Pacific in toto.
  • B. Classis Pacific made the following recommendations:
    • 1. Classis Pacific notes with joy and thanksgiving the confessional unity which the Canadian Reformed Church at Aldergrove and the Emmanuel Free Reformed Church at Abbotsford have observed in each other and which has led to a mutual recognition as true Churches of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    • 2. Classis Pacific urges the Regional Synod of the Canadian Reformed Churches in Western Canada to support this unity endeavour by overturing General Synod 1998, at Fergus Ontario, to establish a committee for contact with the Free Reformed Churches of North America with the intent of reaching full federative unity.
    • 3. Classis Pacific advises the Canadian Reformed Church at Aldergrove to refrain from implementing its relationship with the Emmanuel Free Reformed Church at Abbotsford pending the decision of General Synod 1998.
    • 4. Classis Pacific encourages the Church at Aldergrove to keep alive this matter of promoting unity locally and federatively.

III. CONSIDERATIONS

  • A. The church at Aldergrove has taken the proper ecclesiastical way by channeling their requests via the minor assemblies and by providing these assemblies with sufficient information.
  • B. In the light of the developments between the Emmanuel Free Reformed church at Abbotsford and the Canadian Reformed Church at Aldergrove, the cause of unity would require that discussions between churches in these federations also take place on a federative level.
  • C. “Fellowship with other churches should be initiated only after a thorough and serious investigation is made and it is clear that these churches not only accept the Reformed confessions and regulations of Reformed church government but also abide by them” (Synod Edmonton 1965, Acts, Art. 141 II). From the enclosed material it appears that the Free Reformed Churches of North America hold that the Holy Scriptures are the inspired and infallible Word of God, have as their doctrinal standards the Three Forms of Unity, and base their church government on the same church polity as the Canadian Reformed Churches.

IV. RECOMMENDATION

  • A. To note with gratitude the contact between the Canadian Reformed Church at Aldergrove and the Emmanuel Free Reformed Church at Abbotsford.
  • B. To add the following to the mandate of the Deputies for the Promotion of Ecclesiastical Unity:
    • 1. To take up contact with the External Relations Committee of the Free Reformed Churches of North America.
    • 2. To initiate fraternal dialogue with the Free Reformed Churches in North America with a view towards establishing federative unity.

ADOPTED

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