NR #1996-073: Synod Rejects Wisconsin Overture: Calvin Prof Dr. Hessel Bouma III Remains Free to Teach His Views on Abortion What should the Christian Reformed synod do with a professor at its official denominational college who states that "abortion is not the moral equivalent of murder," that "under exceptional circumstances, abortion occasionally may be recommended, cooperated with, or tolerated," and calls the Synod 1976 decision supporting the Human Life Amendment to the US Constitution "an emotional response to the dramatic increase in abortions in the wake of Roe v. Wade, based on minimal Scripture exegesis"? Synod 1996 answered that question by affirming an earlier conclusion by the college board of trustees "that the book [written by Dr. Hessel Bouma III] and Professor Bouma are strongly but not absolutely pro-life and that Professor Bouma maintains a healthy respect for the decisions of synod and reflects this in his teaching. NR #1996-073: For Immediate Release Synod Rejects Wisconsin Overture: Calvin Prof Dr. Hessel Bouma III Remains Free to Teach His Views on Abortion by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 17, 1996) URNS - What should the Christian Reformed synod do with a professor at its official denominational college who states that "abortion is not the moral equivalent of murder," that "under exceptional circumstances, abortion occasionally may be recommended, cooperated with, or tolerated," and calls the Synod 1976 decision supporting the Human Life Amendment to the US Constitution "an emotional response to the dramatic increase in abortions in the wake of Roe v. Wade, based on minimal Scripture exegesis"? Synod 1996 answered that question by affirming an earlier conclusion by the college board of trustees "that the book [written by Dr. Hessel Bouma III] and Professor Bouma are strongly but not absolutely pro-life and that Professor Bouma maintains a healthy respect for the decisions of synod and reflects this in his teaching." The Bouma controversy originated nearly a decade ago when the Calvin College biology professor participated in the 1985-1986 team of scholars at the Calvin Center for Christian Scholarship. In 1989, Eerdmans published the results of the team's work as a book entitled "Christian Faith, Health, and Medical Practice." Since then, the book has generated a string of negative reviews in the conservative press, periodic overtures to synod, and at least one secession from the CRC in the West Michigan town of South Olive. While the abortion conflict has never reached the proportions of the controversy over fellow Calvin professor Dr. Howard Van Till's views on theistic evolution, it has run almost half a decade longer. Most recently, the abortion conflict led Classis Wisconsin to invite Bouma to explain his views, following which the classis submitted an overture asking synod "to declare that the bookx presents a position on abortion contrary to the position of the Christian Reformed Church" and "to instruct Dr. Hessel Bouma to bring his position on abortion into compliance with the position of the Christian Reformed Church and to instruct the Calvin College Board of Trustees to ensure his compliance." After synod sent an advisory committee report back for reworking the previous week, the committee returned with a new report including the statement about Bouma being "strongly but not absolutely pro-life." According to the advisory committee, "the key issue involves the authority of synodical decisions and related procedures," noting that neither the college board nor the formal language of the Wisconsin overture "allege any violation of Confessions or Scripture." The advisory committee recommendation didn't sit well with some delegates. "If we tolerate this as a teaching in this denomination, I can't accept that," said Rev. Merlin Buwalda of Lake City (MI) CRC. "When I read statements in this book that abortion is not the moral equivalent of murder, I have a real problem with that. This is not a clear, firm, pro-life position." Other delegates questioned the truth of the advisory committee's statement that Bouma was only disagreeing with a synodical decision, not Scripture or the confessions. "What we're really wrestling with here is, 'Is this a creedal matter?'" said Rev. Wendell Gebben of First CRC in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. "What about the Heidelberg Catechism and what it says about the person in the Sixth Commandment?" However, the synodical majority echoed a theme repeatedly voiced during the previous week's discussion on the original advisory committee report - that Classis Wisconsin had not followed proper procedure and that the college board had been more considerate than they needed to be in the absence of formal charges. "If we take a position on every book that is written by someone in the Christian Reformed Church, we will need a three-week synod, not a one-week synod," quipped Pastor George Vander Weit of North Hills CRC in the Detroit suburb of Troy, prompting laughter from some delegates. In the end, synod sustained the advisory committee's recommendation on a voice vote. Cross-References to Related Articles: [No related articles on file] Contact List: Dr. Hessel Bouma III, Professor of Biology, Calvin College Science Building 233, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 * O: (616) 957-6401 Rev. Merlin Buwalda, Pastor, Lake City Christian Reformed Church 403 John St., Box 659, Lake City, MI 49651 * O: (616) 839-4978 * H: (616) 839-4424 * FAX: (616) 839-3099 Dr. Gaylen Byker, President, Calvin College 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 * O: (616) 957-6100 Rev. Adrian Dieleman, Stated Clerk, Classis Wisconsin 908 Visser Ave., Waupun, WI 53963 * O/FAX: (414) 324-4962 * H: (414) 324-2669 * E-Mail: ADieleman@aol.com Rev. Wendell Gebben, Pastor, First Christian Reformed Church 527 North Ave., Sheboygan, WI 53083 * O: (414) 458-3112 * H: (414) 457-5955 Pastor George Vander Weit, North Hills Christian Reformed Church 2901 Waterloo Dr., Troy, MI 48084 * O: (810) 645-1990 * H: (810) 649-5388 * E-Mail: NoHillsCRC@aol.com ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr96-073.txt .