Office Bearers

GS 2025 Article 184 – Overture CCO Jun 2020: phrase “summarized in the confessions”

1.   Material

  • 1.1    CCO Overture, dated June 5, 2020 (8.4.1.2).
  • 1.2    Letter from Hamilton (Blessings) dated September 30, 2024, submitting the overture directly to Synod, according to GS 2022 art. 78 (8.4.1.1).
  • 1.3    Letters from the following churches: Ancaster (8.5.8.1), Arthur (8.5.8.2), Attercliffe (8.5.8.3), Brampton (Grace) (8.5.8.4, 8.5.8.5), Burlington (Ebenezer) (8.5.8.6, 8.5.8.7), Burlington (Fellowship) (8.5.8.8), Burlington Waterdown (Rehoboth) (8.5.8.9), Calgary (8.5.8.10), Carman East (8.5.8.11), Carman West (8.5.8.12), Chilliwack (8.5.8.13), Dunnville East (8.5.8.14), Edmonton (Immanuel) (8.5.8.15), Fergus North (8.5.8.16), Grand Rapids (8.5.8.17), Grand Valley (8.5.8.18), Houston (8.5.8.19, 8.5.8.20), Kerwood (Grace) (8.5.8.21), Langley (8.5.8.22), Niagara South (8.5.8.23), Orangeville (8.5.8.24), Ottawa Jubilee (8.5.8.25), Sardis (8.5.8.26), Smithville (8.5.8.27), Tintern Spring Creek (8.5.8.28), Willoughby Heights (8.5.8.29), Winnipeg (Redeemer) (8.5.8.30).

2.   Admissibility

  • 2.1    The overture was declared admissible.
    • Grounds: This overture was submitted directly by the Hamilton (Blessings) CanRC, as authorized by the decision of GS 2022 art. 78. GS 2022 had sustained an appeal concerning this matter but ruled that the overture itself could not be adopted at that time due to procedural grounds (lack of prior church interaction), instructing that a church could resubmit the overture directly to GS 2025 after distributing it to all churches.
  • 2.2    The letters from the churches were declared admissible.
    • Ground: These letters interact with an overture to GS 2025 and were received on time.

3.   Observations

  • 3.1    The overture proposes to amend the questions in the liturgical forms for Baptism of Infants, Baptism of Adults, and Public Profession of Faith by replacing the term “confessions” with “Apostles’ Creed.” Thus, for example, the first question of the Public Profession of Faith form would read, “First, do you wholeheartedly believe the doctrine of the Word of God, summarized in the Apostles’ Creed and taught here in this Christian church?”
  • 3.2    GS 1977 gave the following mandate (among others) to the Committee on Translation and Revision of the Confessional and Liturgical Forms, “to revise the Liturgical Forms and to update the language, especially the Form for the Holy Supper and the Form for the Solemnization of Marriage.” The committee gave no recommendation to GS 1980 to revise the liturgical questions of the baptism or public profession of faith forms. No church requested a change to these forms.
    • 3.2.1    GS 1980 art. 129 cons. 10 simply states, “Consistency should be maintained with respect to ‘summarized in the Creeds’” but no explanation is given for switching from “articles of the Christian faith” to “the Creeds.”
    • 3.2.2    GS 1983 art. 145 cons. 4 gives revisions to the various forms including replacing the term “creeds” with “confessions.” Under the form for the baptism of infants, the following is mentioned, 4A8 “In order to avoid misunderstanding, the word ‘creeds’ in the second question should be replaced by ‘confessions.’” (In the other two forms, 4B4 and 4C3, the fact of the replacement is simply mentioned.) This change was simply made at GS 1983 without any recommendation by the committee or request by a church.
    • 3.2.3    GS 1986 art.144 dealt with a substantive appeal against this decision of GS 1983 to change “creeds” to “confessions.” The appeal was denied without substantiation, simply claiming that when LD 7 says that a Christian must believe all that is promised us in the gospel, which the articles of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith teach us in a summary, “it does not suggest that this basic summary excludes the further confession [sic] given in the Three Forms of Unity.” It did not appreciate that the “articles of the Christian faith” specifically refers to the Apostles’ Creed (cf. LD 7, QA 22).
    • 3.2.4    Subsequent appeals against the procedural errors were denied on the basis that the change from “articles of the Christian faith” to “creeds” and then “confessions” was merely linguistic (GS 1989 art. 161, cons. C1, and GS 1992 art. 121 cons. 3A & art.122 cons. 3C).
    • 3.2.5    It is the conviction of this overture that previous synods erred by declaring that the change was merely linguistic.
  • 3.3    The overture gives the following grounds for its argument that the change from “articles of the Christian faith” to “confessions” was wrong and not merely a linguistic change and that therefore the change should be reversed and the original wording with articles of the Christian faith referring to “Apostles’ Creed” be restored.
    • 3.3.1    Throughout most of church history, the Apostles’ Creed has been closely connected to the sacrament of baptism, as infants of believing parents and adult baptism takes place in the name of the triune God.
    • 3.3.2    The Apostles’ Creed is referred to in the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 7, Q/A 22 as a summary of what a Christian must believe.
    • 3.3.3    The Apostles’ Creed is what is referred to in the pre-1980 form as “the articles of the Christian faith” – this expression is a direct quote from Heidelberg Catechism, LD 7, Q/A 22.
    • 3.3.4    The use of “confessions” instead of “Apostles’ Creed” in the current form has led to the erroneous idea of “confessional membership,” that one can only become a communicant member of a CanRC if one unequivocally pledges allegiance to the Reformed confessions (the Three Forms of Unity; cf. GS 1986 (art.144, cons. C2) which explained the phrase “as taught here in this Christian church” as “one gives allegiance to all the confessions of the church”). The overture argues that making public profession of faith is not about giving allegiance to specific theological documents, but rather about responding to the personal promises of the triune God. Dr. N. Gootjes notes that the phrase “taught here in this Christian church” refers to the preaching and catechetical instruction of the church which was in line with the Reformed confessions. Also from a historical perspective, those answering these questions would not have had theological knowledge beyond the Apostles’ Creed but they agree to accept and submit to Reformed teaching and preaching.
    • 3.3.5    At the end of section D, the overture clarifies the central role of the Reformed confessions in the Church’s teaching: “The Canadian Reformed churches are confessional churches and should remain so. Officebearers in the Canadian Reformed churches subscribe to the Reformed confessions and should continue to do so. The Scriptures, as faithfully summarized in the Reformed confessions, must be preached and taught without apology. Members of local Canadian Reformed churches, even those who dispute some confessional affirmations, must accept Reformed teaching and preaching (so as to remain teachable and not promote contrary teaching).”
    • 3.3.6    Switching back to “Apostles’ Creed” (equivalent to “articles of the Christian faith”) from “confessions” will bring the CanRC into alignment with sister-churches, for example, the URCNA. For instance, the Trinity Psalter Hymnal (TPH) uses the phrase “articles of the Christian faith” in 5 out of 6 forms: in both of the infant baptism forms and in both of the public profession of faith forms and in one of the adult baptism forms. The other adult baptism form uses “confessions of this church”.
  • 3.4    While some churches support the overture and agree with its argumentation, other churches disagree with the overture or have some questions surrounding the following matters:
    • 3.4.1    Some churches argue that the matter has been decided upon by previous general synods and therefore should not be reopened.
    • 3.4.2    Some churches object that the confessions are essentially just an elaboration of the Apostles’ Creed and therefore do not see a tension between the two, and see no need to revert back to the original wording.
    • 3.4.3    Some churches object to the expression “impersonal theological formulations” (Overture, Section B, p.4) and hold that an unnecessary false dilemma is created between God’s personal promises and the confessions.
    • 3.4.4    Some churches are concerned that “Apostles’ Creed” is too minimalist for public profession of faith.
    • 3.4.5    Some churches wonder how CO art. 61, which specifies that only those who have made public profession of the Reformed faith shall be admitted to the Lord’s supper, would function when “confessions” has been replaced by “Apostles’ Creed”.
    • 3.4.6    Some churches wonder how church discipline for false teaching would function when “confessions” has been replaced by “Apostles’ Creed.”
    • 3.4.7    Some churches are concerned with the confusion and possible weakened Reformed confessional identity that might result among church members if the established practice (for around 40 years) of the current question is changed back to the pre-1980 version.
    • 3.4.8    Smithville believes that the change from “articles of the Christian faith” to “confessions” arose from the broader context of the struggles in the Dutch churches with respect to the necessity of confessional subscription in the second half of the 1960s, and the decades which followed. Some of the undermining of the authority of the confessions was thought to be trickling over to Canada as well and therefore to ensure the confessional fidelity of the CanRC, it was felt to be a good idea to switch to “creeds” and then “confessions” in the 1980s in Canada.
    • 3.4.9    Ancaster draws attention to GS 1971 art. 93, “The Churches should stick to the soundly Reformed position of the first Synod of the Canadian Reformed Churches that the basis of the federation is the submission to the Word of God, in complete binding of all its members, specifically its office-bearers and delegates to the Creeds and the Church Order.”
    • 3.4.10  Ancaster further draws attention to an agreement between the CanRC and the OPC, finalized in 2001: “The churches of the Reformation believe that they have to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3) and are called to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned (Rom 16:17). Anyone who answers the membership vows in the affirmative is bound to receive and adhere to the doctrine of the Bible. The patristic church has summarized this teaching in the Apostles’ Creed and the churches of the Reformation have elaborated on this in their confessions. Every confessing member is bound to this doctrine and must be willing to be instructed in it. (CCOPC Report to GS 1998; see Acts of GS 1998, Appendix 8, p. 308; it was finally adopted by GS 2001 art. 45 dec. 5.5).

4.   Considerations

  • 4.1    The Liturgical Forms for Baptism and Public Profession of Faith are vital instruments for the edification and worship of the church and must accurately reflect the truth of Scripture and the confessional basis of our faith in a manner that is clear, pastoral, and according to the Church Order.
  • 4.2    The initial changes to the wording in 1980 and 1983 occurred outside the normal and proper church orderly procedures for revising such fundamental documents. Church order principles dictate that significant matters affecting the churches in common should originate from the churches through overtures or synodical committee reports, allowing for careful study and input from the congregations. The absence of such a process in 1980 and 1983 constitutes a serious procedural error that warrants revisiting the matter.
  • 4.3    When a serious procedural error has occurred in the past, integrity and truthfulness demands that the situation be addressed and rectified. It is not appropriate to let such matters lie simply because, in the view of some churches, a desirable outcome has been achieved. Matters cannot be considered settled and binding which rest on a demonstrably erroneous foundation.
  • 4.4    While the confessions as a whole faithfully summarize the doctrine of God’s Word, the Apostles’ Creed holds a unique historical and theological place as an ancient, ecumenical, and baptismal creed. It succinctly summarizes the core truths of the gospel, particularly concerning the Triune God and the work of Christ, which are central to baptism (Matthew 28:19). Emphasizing this foundational creed in the baptismal and profession questions for members aligns with the catholicity of the church, highlighting the shared faith of the Church of all times and places.
  • 4.5    The language of our Reformed confession, the Heidelberg Catechism (Lord’s Day 7, Q/A 22-23), in response to the question “what must a Christian believe?” uses the phrase “articles of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith” and explicitly equates this phrase with the Apostles’ Creed. It is fitting and appropriate that the questions in the Liturgical Forms are consistent with the language found in our Confession, supporting the use of either the original phrasing “articles of the Christian faith” or the phrase “Apostles’ Creed” as its direct referent.
  • 4.5.1    Ancaster is correct that the phrase “impersonal theological formulations” is an unnecessarily pejorative description of the Heidelberg Catechism’s expression of faith. Certainly, the Catechism is a deeply personal confession of faith. The Canons of Dort also offers much practical encouragement and comfort to the elect. The point of the overture is that the increased depth and detailed explanation of the Three Forms of Unity can potentially run the risk of obscuring the fact that at the time the vows are made, it is a response to the clear personal promises of the triune God.
  • 4.6    The phrase “and taught here in this Christian church” serves as a vital reference to the teaching ministry of the church that expounds upon the doctrine summarized in the Apostles’ Creed, which includes teaching from the confessions. Reverting to a phrase equivalent to the original wording clarifies that the primary summary confessed at foundational moments such as baptism and profession of faith, is the Apostles’ Creed, which is then further explained and elaborated upon through the teaching of the confessions within the church. This approach recognizes that there are different expectations of members versus office-bearers (who subscribe to the confessions) while still maintaining that the doctrine taught in the church is Reformed doctrine, rooted in Scripture and summarized in the confessions. This is affirmed in the overture at the end of point D.
  • 4.6.1    The vows made by members at their public profession of faith are distinct from the confessional subscription required of office-bearers. The member is confessing to believe the doctrine of Scripture taught in the church, not necessarily a working knowledge of Reformed doctrines confessed in the Three Forms of Unity at a level that enables one to teach and refute. As noted in the letter from Ottawa (Jubilee), if the profession of faith were equivalent to confessional subscription, office-bearers would not require a separate act of subscription as part of their ordination.
  • 4.7    Currently with the questions in the Baptism and Profession of Faith forms containing “confessions,” there are members who answer the question but do not fully comprehend the Reformed confessions. This is a significant problem and not an uncommon one, which the church must avoid as much as possible.
  • 4.8    In a number of letters from the churches, some questions or objections are raised with respect to the requirement in CO art. 61 for consistories to admit only those who have made public profession of the Reformed faith to the Lord’s supper. This CO article is not undermined by stating “summarized in the Apostles’ Creed and taught here in this Christian church” in the liturgical questions. The “Reformed faith” is the doctrine taught in the CanRC based on Scripture as summarized in the confessions. The phrase “taught here in this Christian church” explicitly connects the confession of the Creed to the confessional teaching context of the church, which for example explains the creed in the Lord’s Days 7-22. The questions in the Forms for Infant and Adult Baptism and Profession of Faith must be understood and applied in the broader context of the church’s teaching ministry, which is bound by the confessions. The consistory’s examination process further ensures that the profession aligns with the Reformed faith. Therefore, the proposed wording is consistent with the requirement of professing the Reformed faith for admission to the Lord’s supper.
    • 4.8.1    When the overture calls the concept of “confessional membership” an error, it overstates its case. Members of the CanRC who have made public profession of faith are bound by Reformed doctrine as found in the Three Forms of Unity since those are the Reformed confessions to which the office-bearers have subscribed and according to which the church preaches and teaches. In the first question of the Form for the Profession of Faith, believers profess that they wholeheartedly believe the doctrine of the Word of God … taught here in this Christian church. In so doing, they bind themselves to the church’s teaching which is according the Three Forms of Unity. In answer to the fourth question, believers promise to submit to the discipline of the church if it should happen that they become delinquent in doctrine or life. The standard for judging such delinquency is the Word of God as the church confesses it in the Three Forms of Unity.
    • 4.8.2    At the same time, it is true that the term “confessional membership” can be misused in a way which obscures the catholicity of the church and can create the mistaken impression that only those who have bound themselves to the Three Forms of Unity can be true Christians.
    • 4.8.3    The term “confessional membership” should not be understood to exclude those from membership who struggle, as yet, to affirm a particular point of Reformed doctrine. The overture rightly points out that historically such individuals have still been received into membership provided that they are educable and submissive to the teaching of the church and they refrain from causing public discord or division.
  • 4.9    While the current wording has been in use for a significant period of some 40 years in the churches, it should be noted that the Reformed churches have used the phrase “articles of the Christian faith” for hundreds of years, since the late 1500s. For instance, the 1566 Form for the Baptism of Infants by Dathenus uses the phrase “articles of the Christian faith” in the second question; this phrase was used in the Forms published in Psalters during the remainder of the 16th century and into the 17th. The post-acts of the great Synod of Dort contain an adult baptism form which uses the same phrase.
    • 4.9.1   The argument that the word “confessions” is necessary in order to ensure a “Reformed” profession of faith necessarily implies that from the late 1500s until 1980, Reformed consistories were admitting to the Lord’s supper members who had not made public profession of the Reformed faith.
    • 4.9.2   It is significant to note that in the context of the previously mentioned struggles in The Netherlands (which involved some desiring to loosen the ties to the Reformed confessions), the Reformed Churches in The Netherlands (liberated) (GKv) did not change the questions in their forms from “articles of the Christian faith” to “confessions” but retained “articles of the Christian faith.”
    • 4.9.3   The quote from GS 1971 art. 93 demonstrates that, when the CanRC still had the phrase “articles of the Christian faith” in the questions in the forms of baptism and profession of faith, this was in the context of an unapologetic and unequivocal commitment to the Three Forms of Unity for members and specifically for office bearers.
  • 4.10  With respect to the concerns raised about the pastoral impact of changing the wording back, pastoral care and diligent teaching can mitigate confusion and help members understand the relationship between the Apostles’ Creed and the Reformed confessions as faithful summaries of God’s Word. The current wording, understood by some to imply the requirement for a comprehensive understanding of the Reformed confessions, can in fact create pastoral burdens for sincere believers that a return to the more historically Reformed phrase can alleviate.
  • 4.11  Sustaining the overture rectifies past procedural errors and allows the churches to return to a wording that is strongly supported by historical Reformed practice, the explicit teaching of the Heidelberg Catechism, and a focus on the core gospel truths confessed at baptism and public profession of faith, without abandoning the importance of the confessions as guiding summaries of the doctrine taught in the church.

5.   Recommendations

That Synod decide:

  • 5.1    To sustain the overture from Classis Central Ontario (CCO).
  • 5.2    To replace the words “summarized in the confessions” in the Form for the Baptism of Infants, the Form for the Baptism of Adults, and the Form for the Public Profession of Faith, with the words “summarized in the Apostles’ Creed.”
  • 5.3    To instruct the Standing Committee for the Publication of the Book of Praise (SCBP) to update the wording of the above forms according to this decision.

ADOPTED

L. Kok had his negative vote recorded.