From: Darrell128@aol.com Date: Sun, 7 Jun 1998 01:59:20 EDT Subject: NR 98047: RCA General Synod to Begin Main Business Monday Morning NR #1998-047: RCA General Synod to Begin Main Business Monday Morning When the Reformed Church in America's General Synod reconvenes Monday morning at the denomination's Hope College in Holland, Michigan, the day's agenda will include many of the major issues under consideration by this year's annual meeting of the 311,000-member denomination. Before recessing to advisory committees on Saturday morning, synodical delegates learned the first item on Monday's agenda will be a report from the Committee of Reference on how to handle two contradictory proposals on homosexuality from denominational General Secretary Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson and from Rev. Douglas Van Bronkhorst, pastor of First Reformed Church in the Grand Rapids suburb of Grandville. Other key items will be joint presentations by the heads of the National Association of Evangelicals and National Council of Churches, theological debates on the uniqueness of Christ, handling those who oppose women's ordination, ecumenical relations with the United Church of Christ and United Church of Canada, and evangelism and missions work of the RCA. NR #1998-047: For Immediate Release: RCA General Synod to Begin Main Business Monday Morning * Contrasting proposals on homosexuality by General Secretary, suburban Grand Rapids pastor, to be first item on morning synodical agenda * Ecumenicity to take center stage as Reformed Church in America hosts heads of National Council of Churches, National Association of Evangelicals * Women in office to be celebrated; end to "conscience clause" for opponents of women's ordination to be considered * Evening session to consider evangelism and missions in denomination by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service HOLLAND, MICH. (June 6, 1998) URNS - When the Reformed Church in America's General Synod reconvenes Monday morning at the denomination's Hope College in Holland, Michigan, the day's agenda will include many of the major issues under consideration by this year's annual meeting of the 311,000-member denomination. Before recessing to advisory committees on Saturday morning, synodical delegates learned the first item on Monday's agenda will be a report from the Committee of Reference on how to handle two contradictory proposals on homosexuality from denominational General Secretary Rev. Wesley Granberg- Michaelson and from Rev. Douglas Van Bronkhorst, pastor of First Reformed Church in the Grand Rapids suburb of Grandville. Granberg-Michaelson proposed in his Friday evening speech to General Synod that it establish a three-year moratorium on discussion of homosexuality, arguing that the RCA's current position "that the practicing homosexual lifestyle is contrary to Scripture, while at the same time encouraging love and sensitivity toward such persons as fellow human beings" is sufficiently clear. On the other hand, Van Bronkhorst used a special provision in the RCA book of church order to introduce an item of new business not on the synodical agenda criticizing the denomination's New Brunswick Theological Seminary in New Jersey, whose president nominated an openly practicing lesbian for a one- year teaching post. Granberg-Michaelson called the seminary's decision to appoint the lesbian professor "a mistake," warning in his speech to General Synod that "it threatened to create a breach of trust between the denomination and New Brunswick Theological Seminary." Granberg-Michaelson also praised the seminary board for voting to rescind the appointment and urged synod to instruct its agencies to "help enable congregations and classes to enter a process of intentional discernment concerning the pastoral challenges raised by the issue of homosexuality over the next two years" using previously- adopted synodical positions and study guides. RCA synodical rules allow the president and general secretary to make recommendations for general synod action in their opening speeches. The Committee on Reference assigned five such proposals by synod president Dr. Charles Van Engen, a second proposal by Granberg-Michaelson, and another new business item by Canadian RCA minister Rev. Livingstone Chen to appropriate committees. Advocating Women's Ministry in the Church On Tuesday morning, general synod will address a proposal by Van Engen to "do everything in our power to foster, develop, and encourage the ministry and leadership of women at all levels of church life - including as elders and deacons, as ministers of the Word and sacrament, and as leaders in classes, regional synods, and General Synod Council staff," to "instruct the General Synod Council to examine the historical, cultural, and structural barriers to the leadership of women in the mission of the church," and to "develop an intentional and long-range plan" for equal representation of women "in all levels of church life" for report to General Synod 2000. The proposal by Van Engen will come as part of the report on the advisory committee on church vocations; General Synod also has a proposal from the Commission on Theology scheduled to come before it on Monday afternoon that would ask the denomination to ask its Commission on Church Order to study the appropriateness of the "conscience clause" which allows RCA officebearers to oppose the ordination of women. A report by the RCA's Commission on Women indicates that approximately a quarter of RCA church council members are currently women. The percentage isn't evenly spread through the denomination; in one fourth of the RCA's 46 classes, the percentage of women ranges from two to ten percent, but some classes have a percentage as high as 62%. The three RCA regional synods on the east coast tend to have significantly higher percentages of women council members, according to the report, whereas the three RCA regional synods in the midwest tend to have significantly lower percentages. RCA Missions, Evangelism, and Decisionmaking On Monday evening, the RCA General Synod will hear reports from the committee on evangelism and church growth at 7 p.m. and from the committee on world mission at 7:30 p.m. Three of Van Engen's other proposals will be dealt with at that time: a proposal to "declare that a goal of the Reformed Church in America is to see that by the year 2005 a majority of the congregations of the RCA will have participated actively, personally, and directly in parenting another congregation in partnership with their classes, regional synods, and appropriate General Synod Council units," a proposal to create a global/local mission convocation for the spring of the year 2000, and a proposal to instruct Mission Services to "seek ways to develop three new mission partnerships" with churches or mission agencies in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Van Engen's first proposal, to have the General Synod Council appoint a task force to study how the RCA "can develop a new understanding of the purpose, makeup, and work of its consistories" as agents of mission and ministry, is still under consideration by the Committee of Reference. The new business item by Rev. Livingstone Chen, a Chinese RCA minister who urged the General Synod to advocate for persecuted Chinese Christians in Indonesia, will be referred to the Christian Action Commission. The RCA also has a proposal before it from Granberg-Michaelson to instruct the synodical officers, General Synod Council moderator, and the General Secretary to "study alternative ways to conduct business meetings and make decisions in the assemblies" evaluate methods used by other church bodies, and report back no later than General Synod 2000. RCA: Ecumenical and Evangelical "The Reformed Church in America is ecumenical and evangelical." That was the message from RCA General Secretary Rev. Wesley Granberg- Michaelson, himself a former staff member at the World Council of Churches, to Friday's session of the RCA General Synod. In his speech, Granberg- Michaelson warned that "for decades the most damaging division in the Protestant church has not been between its denominations, but between those 'evangelical' Christians and those described as 'ecumenical, mainline' Christians." "A cold war between them has been waged. Separate organizations and institutions have been formed. Stereotypes have been created. Suspicions and hostility have been fostered. And the body of Jesus Christ, and his witness in the world, has suffered," said Granberg-Michaelson. "As the twenty-first century dawns, it is time that all this be brought to an end. It is unbiblical. It is inaccurate. It is shameful. As the Christian calendar turns to a new millennium, Christian groups are preparing to write new chapters in our fellowship and ecumenical relationships with one another. The Reformed Church in America can be a bridge-builder in that process and can help prepare the way for where the Spirit will lead." In an effort to present the RCA as both "ecumenical and evangelical" and to help build bridges between the two traditions, Granberg-Michaelson announced a special event: joint presentations by the respective heads of the National Council of Churches and the National Association of Evangelicals. The two officials, NCC General Secretary Dr. Joan Brown Campbell and NAE interim president Rev. David Melvin, will address two functions of the RCA General Synod. At 6:45 am Monday morning, the two officials will hold a "dialogue/panel discussion" at an ecumenical breakfast. The two will also make an ecumenical presentation to the General Synod itself at 1:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon. Salvation Through Christ Alone and Ecumenical Issues The RCA's biggest issue in recent years has been the question of salvation through Christ alone. In addition to a proposal from the Classis of Central California to reconsider requiring all ministers and churches to annually reaffirm that salvation is through Christ alone - a modified version of an earlier proposal that came one vote short of ratification this past year by the necessary two-thirds of RCA classes - the RCA has a number of related theological and ecumenical issues on its agenda. One of those issues will come up Monday morning in the report of the RCA's Commission on Judicial Business. Retired campus minister Rev. Don Van Hoeven of Kalamazoo, who was formally rebuked by the Classis of Southwest Michigan for heresy after writing articles in four local newspapers supporting the universal salvation views of Rev. Richard Rhem of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, is appealing the dismissal of his case by the Regional Synod of the Great Lakes. The General Synod's judicial business commission recommends that Van Hoeven's appeal be rejected on technical grounds, namely, that the rebuke was an action of pastoral admonition rather than judicial discipline. The theological commission will report on Monday afternoon with a study committee report affirming the uniqueness of Christ and necessity of Christ for salvation. However, other items on the advisory committee docket for the theology and Christian unity topics may draw at least as much attention: the RCA has a large number of overtures before it, many >from the denomination's three classes in Canada which express serious objections to last year's adoption of the "formula of agreement" with the Presbyterian Church (USA), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and United Church of Christ. Complaints focus on the UCC's "open and affirming" position toward practicing homosexuals. In related matters, several Canadian RCA classes ask General Synod to take a variety of actions against the United Church of Canada in light of its refusal to discipline its moderator who denied the deity of Christ, the necessity of salvation through Christ alone, the bodily resurrection of Christ, the historicity of Scripture, and the traditional Christian understanding of heaven and hell. Many of the RCA's Canadian churches originated in secessions from the United Church of Canada under the leadership of Dr. Jonathan Gerstner, former synod executive of the RCA's Regional Synod of Canada. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1998-033: Three Reformed Denominations to Hold General Assemblies or Synods this Year in West Michigan #1998-046: RCA General Secretary to General Synod: Don't Let Homosexuality Divide Us Contact List: Rev. E. Wayne Antworth, Director, RCA Stewardship & Communication Services 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115 O: (212) 870-2954 * FAX: (212) 870-2499 * E-Mail: ewantworth@worldnet.att.net Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary, Reformed Church in America 49 Yawpo, Oakland, NJ 07436 O: (212) 870-2845 Dr. Norman Kansfield, President, New Brunswick Theological Seminary 25 Seminary Place, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 O: (908) 247-5241 * H: (908) 249-1463 Rev. Douglas Van Bronkhorst, Senior Pastor, First Reformed Church 3060 Wilson Ave. SW, Grandville, MI 49418 O: (616) 534-5465 * H: (616) 532-7191 Rev. Charles Van Engen, President, RCA General Synod 1998 948 S. Bradish Ave., Glendora, CA 91740 O: (818) 914-3038 * H: (818) 963-9399 Rev. Donald Van Hoeven 1024 Westfall, Kalamazoo, MI 49006 H: (616) 381-8586 1998 General Synod Schedule [Compiled from the published agenda and updated with other sources] Monday morning, June 8 6:45 am: Dialogue/Panel Discussion with NAE and NCC executives 8:15 to 9 am: Worship 9:15 am: Role Play 9:45 am: General Synod Council report #2 Board of Directors report Judicial Business report RCA Colleges/Seminaries/Theological Education Agency report Monday afternoon, June 8 1:30 p.m.: Ecumenical Presentation by NAE and NCC executives 2:00 p.m.: Christian Unity report Christian Worship report Theology report Christian Heritage and Communications report Monday evening, June 8 7:00 p.m.: Evangelism and Church Growth report 7:30 p.m.: World Mission report Tuesday morning, June 9 8:15 to 9 am: Worship 9:15 am to 12: Church Vocations report Financial Support report Tuesday afternoon, June 9 1:30 p.m.: Election of President Nomination of Vice-President Church Order report Christian Action report Unfinished Business Tuesday evening, June 9 7:00 p.m.: Introduction of Vice-Presidential Candidates Christian Education and Discipleship report Unfinished business Wednesday morning, June 10 7:45 to 8 am: Morning prayers 8:00 am: Election of Vice-President General Synod Council report #3 Committee of Reference report Commission on Nominations report Unfinished Business Resolutions Church Order (editorial) report 10:45 am: Closing Communion and Installation of New Officers ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-047.txt .