12 May GS 2001 art 55

Posted at 14:57h in CanRC, GS 2001 by

GS 2001 Article 55 – CRCA: Brazil

Committee 3 presented its proposal on the Igreja Reformadas do Brasil (IRB).The following was adopted:

1.    Material

  • 1.1.          The report of the CRCA regarding the Reformed Churches in Brazil – Igrejas Reformadas do Brasil (IRB).
  • 1.2.          Letter from the Church at Burlington-Ebenezer.

2.    Observations

  • 2.1.          The report of the CRCA re the IRB, which is included as an appendix in the Acts, serves as Observations. The IRB has requested a sister church relationship with the Canadian Reformed Churches.
  • 2.2.          Ebenezer asks the question whether the CRCA should make a recommendation to enter into a relationship with Brazil, or whether the recommendation should have come from our churches.
  • 2.3.          It is noted in the CRCA report, under Organizational Matters, that clarification is needed on the point whether the CRCA or the CCCA should maintain contact with the church federation in Brazil.

3.    Considerations

  • 3.1.          The IRB was scheduled to be constituted on July 5, 2000. This institution has taken place.
  • 3.2.          The IRB organized themselves as a federation based on the Word of God as summarized in the Three Forms of Unity and the Ecumenical Creeds. Their Church Order is patterned after the Dort model and shows the influences of the Church Order as adopted by our churches.
  • 3.3.          These churches are in part a fruit of the missionary work of our churches and stand on the same basis as the CanRC.
  • 3.4.          They have requested a sister-church relationship.
  • 3.5.          Since the IRB constitution is in part the fruit of the missionary work of the CanRC, and thus comes forth from our churches, the recommendation to enter into ecclesiastical fellowship can come from the CRCA. Moreover the CRCA has been instructed to “investigate diligently all the requests received for entering into ecclesiastical fellowship” (Acts Synod Fergus 1998,Article 132,III,D,1).
  • 3.6.          The CCCA has been mandated by Synod Fergus 1998 to maintain contacts within North America and South America. It is appropriate that the CCCA maintains contact with the IRB.

4.    Recommendations

Synod decide:

  • 4.1.          To offer a relationship of ecclesiastical fellowship to the IRB.
  • 4.2.          To answer Ebenezer with consideration 3.5.
  • 4.3.          To mandate the CCCA to maintain contact with the IRB under the adopted rules for ecclesiastical fellowship.
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