24 Jul GS 2013 art 132

Posted at 16:52h in CanRC, GS 2013 by

GS 2013 Article 132 – Free Reformed Churches of South Africa (FRCSA)

Committee 3 presented a proposal. With a few changes, this was the result:

1.         Material:

Report from the CRCA (8.2.1)

2.         Observations:

  • 2.1.      Synod Burlington 2010 gave the committee the following mandate in regard to the FRCSA (Acts, Article 82, Recommendation 4):
    • [4.1.]    To continue EF with the FRCSA under the adopted rules;
    • [4.2.]    To recommend the FRCSA to the churches as worthy of continued financial assistance, to help them support the needy churches in the federation and to assist them with their extensive mission work and relief efforts among the disadvantaged and sick in South Africa;
    • [4.3.]    To mandate the Board of Governors of our Theological College to encourage and assist when possible the FRCS in their efforts to set up their Ministerial Training Structure.
  • 2.2.      The CRCA informed the deputies of the FRCSA for relations with churches abroad of the decisions of Synod Burlington 2010 regarding the FRCSA.
  • 2.3.      An invitation was received to attend the Synod of the FRCSA in 2011, but the CRCA was not able to send a delegate and a letter of greeting was sent.
  • 2.4.      The CRCA also contacted the committee from the church at Coaldale for financial assistance to the FRCSA.
  • 2.5.      The FRCSA experience economic struggles and depend on sister churches including the CanRC for help.
  • 2.6.      The FRCSA churches are doing significant mission work and receive 95% of their income for this from sister churches, for which they are thankful.
  • 2.7.      Regarding theological training, the Sotho-speaking brothers of these churches are being trained at a different institution than the coloured Afrikaans-speaking brothers and the Afrikaans-speaking brothers from the older churches are being advised to go to Hamilton. It is the desire of the FRCSA for the future that all the brothers will be trained in Hamilton and the FRCSA are thankful for the invitation to make use of the training in Hamilton. However, because of practical reasons not all the brothers will be able to study in Hamilton all the time. The deputies of the FRCSA ask if it will be feasible to offer the first year of Hamilton’s theological training in South Africa, through distance theological training from Hamilton with the use of facilitators in South Africa.
  • 2.8.      The FRCSA have contact with the Reformed Churches in South Africa. The Reformed Churches in South Africa rejected the plea to install women in the office of elder but they do install women deacons.
  • 2.9.      We have not sent a delegation to a synod of the FRCSA in 2011 or 2008. It deserves serious consideration to send a delegation to the next synod of the FRCSA if an invitation is received.

3.         Considerations:

  • 3.1.      It is evident that the FRCSA continue to be a faithful church of the Lord Jesus Christ in accordance with the rules for ecclesiastical fellowship.
  • 3.2.      An ad-hoc Synod in April 2010 dealt with the issue of finances and made guidelines for deputies to come with new proposals on how to deal with the financial situation. The federation hopes to become less dependent on financial support from sister churches.
  • 3.3.      With regards to theological training, the FRCSA do value the training in Hamilton and encourage the Africaans-speaking brothers from the older churches to study there.
  • 3.4.      The FRCSA value the relationships with sister churches abroad very much and it is important for us to remember that encouragement from our side means much more for them than we often realize.
  • 3.5.      Although an invitation was received to attend the Synod of the FRCSA in 2011, the CRCA was not able to send a delegation at that time. Neither was a delegation sent to the 2008 FRCSA Synod. It deserves serious consideration to send a delegation to the next synod of the FRCSA if an invitation is received.

4.         Recommendations:

That Synod decide:

  • 4.1.      To continue EF with the FRCSA under the adopted rules;
  • 4.2.      To recommend the FRCSA to the churches as worthy of continued financial assistance, to help them support the needy churches in the federation and to assist them with their extensive mission work and relief efforts among the disadvantaged and sick in South Africa;
  • 4.3.      To mandate the Board of Governors of our Theological College to investigate together with the FRCSA if there are possibilities to set up a form of distance learning for the first year of theological training, with the use of facilitators in South Africa;
  • 4.4.      To send a delegation to the next synod of the FRCSA if possible.

ADOPTED

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