April 13, 2007 the CANADIAN REFORMED MAGAZINE
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Volume 56, No. 8 • April 13, 2007 THE CANADIAN REFORMED MAGAZINE General Synod Smithers Approaching Reunion What is a General Synod Anyway? General Synod – May 2007 – Smithers, BC Editorial J. Visscher General Synod Smithers Dr. J.Visscher is co-pastor of the Canadian Reformed Church at Langley, Approaching British Columbia [email protected] On May 9, 2007, in the beautiful northern British The CRCA recommends that membership in the Columbia town of Smithers another synod of the International Conference of Reformed Churches be Canadian Reformed Churches (CanRC) will convene. continued. This time twenty-four brothers from across the land With regard to new relationships, the CRCA will meet together (in the past it has always been recommends that ecclesiastical fellowship be sixteen, but those numbers were increased by the last established with: synod) and deal with an agenda that grows longer by The Gereja-Gereja Reformasi of Indonesia, the day. As in the past, no one can predict the length The Reformed Churches of New Zealand. of this assembly, although most of the delegates are At the same time the CRCA recommends that no doubt hoping that a time period of two weeks will Synod not enter into a relationship with several other be sufficient. churches at this time for various reasons (The The agenda Reformed Churches in the Netherlands – Restored, The Gereja-Gereja Reformasi Calvinis of Timur, The So what’s on the agenda? The usual matters Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, The United include any number of general items, letters and Reformed Churches in Myanmar, The Independent overtures from various churches, lengthy committee Reformed Church in Korea). reports, a list of appeals from both churches and Of special note in the CRCA’s report is the request members, and appointments. that Synod Smithers “consider carefully the limits of Of particular interest to our readers may be what what we can and should do as churches in the is in the reports of the different synodical committees. This time all of these reports have been printed, world. .” In addition the CRCA would like Synod to bound, and sent to the local churches for their re-consider whether it is really the task of the CRCA scrutiny, discussion, and reaction. No doubt here and to study all sorts of topics and issues that arise in the there some churches have shared the contents of life of our sister churches. these reports with their members; however, others Contact with churches in the Americas have not done so and so this editorial will attempt to Next, we turn our attention to the 128 page report of inform you. the Committee for Contact with Churches in the Churches abroad Americas (CCCA). Among its recommendations are to The first report to be found in volume one is from continue ecclesiastical fellowship with the following the Committee on Relations with Churches Abroad churches: (CRCA). It is 110 pages in length. Some of its The Orthodox Presbyterian Church, highlights include continuing the relations of The Reformed Church in the United States, ecclesiastical fellowship with the following churches: and The Free Church of Scotland, The Reformed Churches in Brazil. The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), The CCCA also recommends that the CanRC enter The Free Reformed Churches of Australia, into ecclesiastical fellowship with the Reformed The Free Reformed Churches of South Africa, Churches of Quebec. Furthermore, it recommends that The Presbyterian Church in Korea, and our federation join the North America Presbyterian The Reformed Churches in The Netherlands. and Reformed Council (also called NAPARC). 182 • APRIL 13, 2007 On an investigative level, it recommends that the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America be studied with a view to offering it a relationship in the future. At the same time it is recommended that further attempts to contact the Korean Presbyterian Published biweekly by Premier Printing Ltd.,Winnipeg, MB Church in America be discontinued. EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: Editor: J.Visscher; Copy Manager: LauraVeenendaal What is also noteworthy is that the CCCA Coeditors: R. Aasman, E. Kampen, Cl. Stam, C.Van Dam recommends to Synod that it “consider the synopsis of ADDRESS FOR COPY MANAGER : previous discussions with the OPC as the completion Clarion, 57 Oakridge Drive South, St. Albert, AB T8N 7H2 of this part of the mandate.” For many years already E-Mail: [email protected] some of our synodical committees have been told ADDRESS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS: over and over again to discuss the same matters with other churches (visible and invisible church, CLARION, Premier Printing Ltd. One Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R2J 3X5 assurance of faith, covenant of grace, descent into Phone: (204) 663-9000 Fax: (204) 663-9202 hell, Sabbath observance, church polity, fencing the Subscriptions: [email protected] Lord’s Supper, and more). Clearly, the CCCA, as well Advertisements: [email protected] as the CRCA, is tired of this endless repetition and Website : www.premierpublishing.ca would like to see some resolution on these matters. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: One Beghin Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R2J 3X5 The Theological College Subscription Rates for 2007 Regular Mail Air Mail Once again the Board of Governors of the Canada* $47.00* $ 77.00* Theological College submits its report to Synod. It U.S.A. U.S. Funds $57.00 $ 72.00 includes a number of recommendations as well. Some International $84.00 $123.00 of these have to do with the appointment and re- *Including 6% GST – No. 890967359RT appointment of governors. Another has to do with the Advertisements: $14.00 per column inch appointment of Prof. G. H. Visscher as Principal for Full Colour Display Advertisements: $20.00 per column inch the years 2008 – 2011. We reserve the right to refuse ads. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, The Pastoral Training Program also comes with through the Publication Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs. recommendations. The first is to keep this program Cancellation Agreement separate from the College curriculum; the second is to Unless a written subscription cancellation is received we assume you wish to continue to subscribe.You will be invoiced prior to the subscription renewal date. make it mandatory for students entering into the Agreement No. 40063293; PAP Registration No. 9907; ISSN 0383-0438 ministry of the Canadian and American Reformed Copyright © Premier Printing Ltd. Churches; the third is to leave funding for this All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced in any manner without program up to the churches. permission in writing from the publisher, except brief quotations used in connection with a review in a magazine or newspaper. Finally, and most recently, the Board sent another Useful Link: www.canrc.org recommendation to Synod with copies to the churches and this has to do with the appointment of a fifth professor in 2010. In This Issue Contact with the other Reformed churches Editorial – General Synod Smithers Approaching Some year ago a synod appointed a separate — J.Visscher ............................................................................ 182 committee called “The Committee for the Promotion Treasures, New and Old – Reunion of Ecclesiastical Unity.” Its chief aim was to seek — J.G. Slaa ................................................................................ 185 ways to further unity with churches such as the What’s a General Synod Anyway. ? Orthodox Christian Reformed Churches, the Free — J. DeGelder .......................................................................... 186 Reformed Churches in North America, and the United General Synod Smithers, 2007: An introduction to the Reformed Churches in North America. Of these convening church — J.VanSpronsen .................................... 189 churches, most of our time and energy has been Where There’s a Will There’s a Way: directed towards the URCNA. Ecumenical Reflections on the “Seminary Question” With respect to the work of the respective — J.A. Bouwers ........................................................................ 190 committees, it can be reported that the committees Dealing with Disagreements in the Church (2) dealing with the Proposed Church Order have worked — F.G. Oosterhoff .................................................................... 192 together in brotherly harmony and made good Ray of Sunshine — C. Gelms and E. Nordeman ...................... 195 progress towards the fulfillment of their mandate. APRIL 13, 2007 • 183 CChhuurrcchh NNeewwss The committee dealing with a common Songbook Mailing address change could also report that good progress had been made. The only committee that could not report real Owen Sound Canadian Reformed Church has a new progress was the committee dealing with Theological mailing address effective immediately: Education. While the meetings were brotherly and PO Box 304, Owen Sound, ON N4K 5P5 cordial, the URCNA committee members were “not prepared to entertain any proposal for theological Examined by Classis Niagara on March 21, 2007 and education that mandates at least one federational received consent to speak an edifying word in the seminary.” Seeing that this was an integral part of the churches (CO Art. 21), upon successful completion of CanRC committee members’ mandate, there was no the current academic year: negotiation room left to them and a stalemate developed. The matter will now be referred to