10 Sep GS 2022 art 166

Posted at 17:48h in CanRC, GS 2022 by

GS 2022 Article 166 – RPCNA (Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America)

1.   Material

  • 1.1    Report of the CCCNA (8.2.11.1) on the RPCNA.
  • 1.2    Submissions from the following CanRC: St. Albert (8.3.11.1), Willoughby Heights (8.3.11.2), London-Pilgrim (8.3.11.3).

2.   Admissibility

  • 2.1    The report was declared admissible.
  • 2.2    The submissions were declared admissible.

3.   Decisions

Synod decided:

  • 3.1    To mandate the Committee on Ecumenical Relations (CER):
    • 3.1.1   To engage in continued dialogue and contact with the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America (RPCNA), particularly at meetings of the North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC), and when appropriate, to discuss the matters that hinder Ecclesiastical Fellowship (EF);
    • 3.1.2   To take up dialogue and contact with the new Reformed Presbyterian Church of Canada (RPCC) once it is formed;
    • 3.1.3   To submit its report to the churches six months prior to the convening of the next general synod.
  • 3.2    To not be a sponsoring church for the RPCC if it applies for membership in NAPARC.

4.   Grounds

  • 4.1    Re 3.1.1:
    • 4.1.1   While GS 2016 (Art. 90) acknowledged that the RPCNA can be recognized for their faithfulness to the Word of God and their strong Reformed convictions, it also noted that their practice and exegetical defense of ordaining female deacons, as well as GS 2016’s reservations about the place and function of The Testimony, hinders the establishment of EF.
    • 4.1.2   The RPCNA have congregations or preaching points geographically close to the CanRC churches in Ottawa, Elora, Fergus, Guelph, and Denver, and several of these churches have expressed a desire for progression towards unity.
  • 4.2    Re 3.1.2: The RPCNA confirmed a special resolution presented by six Canadian congregations petitioning to become a distinct Reformed Presbyterian Church denomination in Canada, which is expected to take place in the summer of 2022.
  • 4.3    Re 3.2: Past synods have determined that for the CanRC to sponsor a federation of churches to become members of an organization like the ICRC, that federation must be in EF with the CanRC (GS 1998 Art. 52; GS 2007 Art. 27).
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