GS 2025 Article 46 – CER (Ecumenical Relations): General Mandate

1.   Material

• 1.1    CER Report 1 – General Mandate (8.2.10.1), Nominations (9.3.1).
• 1.2    Letters from the following churches: Ancaster (8.3.10.1), Grand Rapids (8.3.10.10).

2. Admissibility

• 2.1    The report was declared admissible.
  • Grounds: It was mandated by the previous synod and was received on time.
• 2.2    The letters were declared admissible.
  • Grounds: They interact with a report to GS 2025 and were received on time.

3.   Observations

• 3.1    GS 2022 (art. 121 dec. 3.5) mandated the CER:
  • a)         To continue contact with churches with whom we are in ecumenical relations;
  • b)        To send an appropriate number of delegates to represent the CanRC churches at the meetings of the International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) and North American Presbyterian and Reformed Council (NAPARC);
  • c)         To work in consultation with individual CanRC churches and classes that maintain contact with churches for which the CER also has a mandate;
  • d)        Upon request, to advise CanRC churches regarding the identity of other churches and our relationship with them;
  • e)         To report on any contact with a church with whom we are not in an ecumenical relationship;
  • f)         To appoint one of its members to validate and submit to the treasurer of the General Fund all expenses being submitted for committee work;
  • g)        To submit its report to the churches six months prior to the convening of general synod (a supplementary report can be submitted if necessary);
  • h)        To facilitate hospitality support for fraternal delegates and observers, in consultation with the Convening Church, at each general synod.
• 3.2    From the CER report, the following:
  • 3.2.1    The CER completed its mandate with the involvement of Br. Bos (ERQ, GGRCI, GGRI, GGRI-T), Br. Bouwman (NAPARC, RPCNA, FCC, FCS), Br. De Boer (DGK, FRCA, GKN), Br. Gortemaker (IRB, RCUS), Br. Schouten (URCNA, IRB, RCNZ), Rev. Bruintjes (ARPC, FRCSA, KPCA, KPCK), Rev. Jagt (KPCA, KPCK, FRCNA, HRCNA, NAPARC), Rev. Janssen (FRCNA, HRCNA, ICRC, DGK, GKN), Rev. Pol (ERQ, GGRCI, GGRI, GGRI-T), Rev. Temple (FRCSA, ARPC, ICRC, OPC), Rev. Van Dam (FCC, FCS, OPC, FRCA), Rev. Vandevelde (RCNZ, RCUS, RPCNA, URCNA);
  • 3.2.2    The terms of Br. G. Bos and Br. O. Bouwman end with GS 2025. Also retiring from the CER is Rev. S.C. Van Dam;
  • 3.2.3    The CER met 14 times noting that the merging of the Committee for Contact with Churches in North America (of the CanRC) (CCCNA) and the Committee for Relations with Churches Abroad (of the CanRC) (CRCA) has worked veryprofitably;
  • 3.2.4    In the execution of their mandate there has been interaction with churches outside their mandate, notably the Sudanese Reformed Churches (SRC), the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales (EPCEW), and the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Central and Eastern Europe (RPCCEE);
  • 3.2.5    Br. Schouten was appointed to validate and submit expenses to the treasurer of the General Fund;
  • 3.2.6    The CER should ideally consist of 6 ministers and 6 non-ministers;
  • 3.2.7    Half the members are due to retire in 2028.
• 3.3    The CER recommends:
  • 3.3.1    Synod decide to give the CER the following general mandate:
    • 3.3.1.1   To continue contact with churches with whom we are in ecumenical relations according to the adopted rules;
    • 3.3.1.2   To convey the relevant decisions of general synods to churches with whom we have an ecumenical relation;
    • 3.3.1.3   To work in consultation with individual CanRC churches and classes that maintain contact with churches for which the CER also has a mandate;
    • 3.3.1.4   Upon request, to advise CanRC churches regarding the identity of other churches and our relationship with them;
    • 3.3.1.5   To report on any contact with a church with whom we are not in an ecumenical relationship;
    • 3.3.1.6   To appoint one of its members to validate and submit to the treasurer of the General Fund all expenses being submitted for committee work;
    • 3.3.1.7   To submit its report on the general mandate to the churches 6 months prior to the convening of general synod (a supplementary report can be submitted if necessary);
    • 3.3.1.8   To facilitate hospitality support for fraternal delegates and observers, in consultation with the convening church, at the next general synod.
• 3.4    The Grand Rapids ARC states that almost all the contacts and discussions took place in the context of either NAPARC and ICRC meetings and wonders if the sort of substantive discussions that on-going ecumenical contact requires can be held in that context.
• 3.5    The Ancaster CanRC asks what precisely the standing is of theological students from outside the CanRC who study at CRTS and are thus members of the CanRC, and who are licensed to preach among the churches of their federation of origin. Ancaster requests that this matter be included in some appropriate place in the mandate of the CER, work then be made of it and then reported to the churches ahead of GS 2028. They provide a proposal for implementing this.

4.   Considerations

• 4.1    The CER has fulfilled their mandate.
• 4.2    The Grand Rapids ARC misunderstands the work of the CER delegates. At NAPARC and ICRC meetings, delegates of the various interchurch relationship committees will hold bi-lateral meetings, in addition to the plenary sessions. Further, fraternal delegates are regularly sent to the various assemblies.
• 4.3    The Ancaster CanRC correctly notes that theological students are not included in the current rules for Ecclesiastical Fellowship (EF).

5.   Recommendations

That Synod decide:

• 5.1    To thank Br. G. Bos, Br. O. Bouwman and Rev. S.C. Van Dam for their years of service to the churches;
• 5.2    To give the CER the following general mandate:
  • 5.2.1    To continue contact with churches with whom we are in ecumenical relations according to the adopted rules;
  • 5.2.2    To convey the relevant decisions of general synods to churches with whom we have an ecumenical relation;
  • 5.2.3    To work in consultation with individual CanRC churches and classes that maintain contact with churches for which the CER also has a mandate;
  • 5.2.4    Upon request, to advise CanRC churches regarding the identity of other churches and our relationship with them;
  • 5.2.5    To report on any contact with a church with whom we are not in an ecumenical relationship;
  • 5.2.6    To appoint one of its members to validate and submit to the treasurer of the General Fund all expenses being submitted for committee work;
  • 5.2.7    To submit its report on the general mandate to the churches no later than six (6) months prior to the convening of general synod (a supplementary report can be submitted if necessary);
  • 5.2.8    To facilitate hospitality support for fraternal delegates and observers, in consultation with the Convening Church, at the next general synod;
  • 5.2.9    To pursue the proposal provided by the Ancaster CanRC (included in Appendix 21) and come with recommendations to the next general synod for how theological students may be included in the rules for Ecclesiastical Fellowship (EF).

ADOPTED

During proceedings, the following motion to amend was duly made and seconded:

• In 5.2.9 to replace the words
  • “how theological students are to be included”
• With
  • “how theological students may be included”
• This motion was adopted.