file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr94-060b.txt ------------------------------------------------- Confessional Conference on Ecclesiology Scrapped for 1995 by John Van Dyk c 1994 Christian Renewal Distributed by Reformed Believers Press Service Lynwood, Ill. (November 30, 1994) RBPS - Three years ago, the Committee for a Confessional Conference requested that the Alliance of Reformed Churches become the convener for a series of Confessional Conferences for Reformed Church Unity. The purpose of the conferences was to prepare confessional statements to address the nagging issues of evolutionism and egalitarianism which are adversely affecting the church today. The committee was also planning to study the subject of ecclesiology at its next conference. The Alliance agreed to convene the conferences, and over the last two years two conferences were held at Wheaton College in Illinois, but with little participation on the part of the Alliance churches. In the words of steering committee member Rev. Paul Murphy attendance has been "sparse" at best. Only 65 people attended last year's conference, down from 80 to 90 in 1992. "The steering committee in evaluating the progress of the conference has no plans for a 1995 conference," Murphy announced in his report to this year's Alliance. Whether that signals the end of the effort "to bind the Reformed and Presbyterian churches closer together" by adding to the confessions, or whether this is a postponement remains to be seen. Unauthorized Letter to PCA Churches Causes Stir at Alliance and in Presbyterian Church in America by John Van Dyk c 1994 Christian Renewal Distributed by Reformed Believers Press Service Lynwood, Ill. (November 30, 1994) RBPS - A letter sent to over 600 pastors, leaders, and others affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America caused a stir in that denomination and led to extensive debate on the floor of the Alliance of Reformed Churches. The letter was written and sent this past August by Rev. Steve Schlissel of Messiah's Congregation in Brooklyn, New York and Rev. Paul Murphy of Dutton Independent Reformed Church in suburban Grand Rapids. The letter invited those churches who "share our conviction that the time has come for a re-alignment of Reformed and Presbyterian churches in North America" to come to this November's Alliance meeting and participate as delegates by expressing agreement with the Three Forms of Unity. The letter goes on to identify the Alliance of Reformed Churches as being "in a unique position to serve as a birthing room for a United Reformed Church, made up of truly Reformed elders and congregations from both the Continental and British Isles traditions. The goal of a united church would be greatly served," the letter suggests, "by the presence of official delegates from your congregations at the next meeting of the Alliance in November." "It was sent to the mailing list of the Presbyterian Advocate and some select others," said Schlissel in a subsequent interview. "I would have sent it to every Presbyterian church but I was advised not to because it would be a waste of money. My intention was to have everybody in North America know about the Alliance, not just the PCA but the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, the Reformed Presbyterian Church in North America, the Reformed Presbyterian Church General Assembly, the Associate Reformed Presbyterians, and everybody else who is truly Reformed." Assuming that the letter from the two ministers bore the approval of the Alliance, PCA Interchurch Relations Committee chairman Rev. Eric Perrin sent a letter to Schlissel and ARC stated clerk Rev. Jerome Julien which they received a few days prior to the November Alliance meeting. In his letter, Perrin wrote that he recognizes the voluntary nature of a congregation's membership in the PCA, but views the "appeal for PCA churches to join another church" as coming "perilously close to promoting schism in the body of Christ if it does not in fact cross the line." The brief letter closes, "Brothers, we express our concern to you, feeling that the Appeal is at best inappropriate, and at worst injurious to the name of our Savior. For the sake of Christ and the holy unity of His Church, we ask you to consider carefully what you do." Responding to Perrin's letter, Julien, in his capacity of stated clerk, advised Perrin that the letter was not authorized by the ARC. The advisory committee of the Alliance, in response to the stated clerk's report, considered this response to Perrin's letter adequate and recommended that nothing further be added. However, a majority of delegates disagreed. During debate on the matter, delegates were divided on the proper response. While some suggested that silence was the better part of wisdom, other delegates noted the necessity of correcting wrong notions of what the Alliance is since Perrin's letter identified the ARC as a "church." Others took issue with Perrin's accusation of "schismatic activity" by two brothers before contacting them personally with the charges. Still others argued that Perrin was "being used by the CRC to paint the Alliance as a schismatic organization." There were also concerns expressed that what Schlissel and Murphy did by writing their letter was "inappropriate, and that they should be taken to task" for their actions as well. In the end the majority of delegates agreed on the need to respond in writing to the PCA stated clerk, since the letter would then also be read at the next PCA General Assembly, and a committee was given the assignment to formulate a letter. The letter begins by informing the PCA that the Alliance has no official ecclesiastical standing. It goes on to explain that the membership is composed of independent and denominationally affiliated churches, and that therefore membership in the Alliance "is not schismatic," as Perrin suggested in his letter. The letter also explains that participation in the Alliance is open to all churches who "wholeheartedly subscribe to the Reformed confessional standards." It reemphasizes the fact that the letter from Schlissel and Murphy was not at the request of the ARC. It also advises Perrin to handle any grievances he has against the two ministers by following Matthew 18. The closing paragraphs conclude with a note of dismay in response to "disparaging comments which have been written and spoken about the ARC by members of the PCA Inter-Church Relations Committee at the 1994 General Assembly, and at the recent meeting of NAPARC." "As a denomination which only 22 years ago went through a struggle similar to that of many of our churches, we would expect commendation and support," the letter concludes. Rev. Jelle Tuininga said he felt the letter was unbalanced because it appeared to focus on Perrin's response rather than the original letter from Schlissel and Murphy which he described as imprudent at best. However, Rev. Steve Arrick, pastor of Cornerstone Church in Hudsonville, Michigan - one of two Alliance pastors whose ministerial credentials are with the PCA - said that the "record needs to be set straight and the truth be made known" about the Alliance in the face of slander. "I want this movement to survive and not be pounded away by misrepresentation," said Arrick. The majority agreed and voted to send the letter. Alliance Declines Dordt College Offer of Board Representative by Darrell Todd Maurina c 1994 Christian Renewal Distributed by Reformed Believers Press Service Lynwood, Ill. (November 30, 1994) RBPS - This year, the Alliance of Reformed Churches received and declined an unprecedented offer from a CRC-related college. In a letter to the Alliance, Dordt College president Dr. John Hulst invited the Alliance to follow the practice of other denominations with significant student representation at his college by allowing a member of an Alliance church to become a nonvoting advisory member of the Dordt College board. In addition to the denominationally-owned Calvin College in Grand Rapids, four other undergraduate liberal arts colleges are affiliated with the Christian Reformed denomination: Redeemer College in Ancaster, Ontario; The King's University College in Edmonton, Alberta; Trinity Christian College in suburban Chicago, and Dordt College in the northwest Iowa community of Sioux Center. With approximately 1100 students, Dordt is second only to Calvin in size and has attracted significant numbers of conservative students from families which are unhappy with Calvin. Attracting conservative students wasn't enough to please the majority of Alliance delegates, however. Speaking as chairman of the advisory committee dealing with the matter, Elder Roger Swets noted continuing concerns about how conservative Dordt College really is. "This is an advisory position with no vote and we felt it was a public relations move on their part," said Swets. Elder Peter Yonker of Reformed Heritage Community Church in Holland seconded Swets' concerns. "I think sending an advisory board member constitutes an endorsement of the institution and I don't think we want to move in that direction," said Yonker. Not everyone agreed with Swets' rationale, however. "It seems to me that as long as our students are attending these institutions we should have representatives on their boards to find out firsthand what is going on," said Rev. Ray Sikkema of Hamilton Independent CRC in Ontario. Two Michigan pastors argued that regardless of the merits of the Dordt offer, the Alliance was not yet able to accept. Rev. Ray Lanning of the Independent Reformed Church of Cutlerville and Rev. Steve Arrick of Cornerstone Church in Hudsonville both argued that the proposal was premature because the Alliance is not yet a denomination and has no procedures in place for nominating board representatives. In the end, those who felt the offer was premature and those who questioned Dordt's commitment to conservative principles had enough combined support to decline the offer. Whether Dordt's offer will be repeated when the Alliance is more structured remains to be seen. Alliance Archings by Darrell Todd Maurina and Al Siebring c 1994 Christian Renewal Distributed by Reformed Believers Press Service * Whither the Yearbook? In 1992 the Alliance of Reformed Churches endorsed the already-existing yearbook published by the Chicago-based organization Reformed Believers United. The initial yearbook had been produced through telephone calls to each independent church, but when a questionnaire was mailed out the following year many churches failed to respond. The 1994 Alliance directed the stated clerk to distribute and receive questionnaires, publishing an annual yearbook "if the clerk has adequate information from a majority of the churches of the Alliance by December 1." (DTM) * Unread Reading Sermons: Voting down a recommendation from its advisory committee, the Alliance decided against appointing a committee to "receive, edit, and provide to the churches" manuscripts of sermons to be read in churches when no minister is present. Rev. Paul Murphy of Dutton Independent Reformed Church in Michigan argued that modern VCR technology could supply the need and Dr. Nelson Kloosterman of Mid-America Reformed Seminary noted that sermons for reading services could already be obtained from the Canadian Reformed churches. However, Rev. Mark Zylstra of Evergreen Covenant Reformed Church in Agassiz, British Columbia, said reading sermons were essential for isolated Canadian churches which could seldom locate a substitute preacher when their pastor is absent. (DTM) * Proposal to Equalize Travel Costs Rejected: For several years, the more remote Alliance churches have expressed concern that travel costs to the Alliance can easily run into thousands of dollars and have already resulted in more distant churches being unable to send all three delegates to which they are entitled. This year, Telkwa Reformed Church in British Columbia and Bethel Independent CRC in Calgary, Alberta, asked the Alliance for formal equalization of travel expenses among all member churches. Telkwa, which is the second-farthest away from Chicago of all the Alliance churches, spent nearly $800 to send one delegate to the meeting. Telkwa pastor Rev. Jim Klazinga didn't fly back to his home church until the Monday following the meeting, fulfilling a requirement that he "stay over" a Saturday night. Without that cost-saving measure, his cost would have been about $2000. However, the Alliance voted not to institute a system of shared travel expenses, citing concerns about the "establishment of a bureaucratic structure." Instead, churches which need financial assistance with their travel expenses were urged to request help directly from other churches. (AS/DTM) * ARC Stays in Chicago: On a related note, Calgary sent an overture urging that the Alliance meetings be rotated annually among a variety of locations at the invitation of member churches. Ever since its earliest days as a "consistorial conference" in the mid-1980's, the Alliance of Reformed Churches has met in the Chicago area, almost always at the Lynwood church. For the last few years, various overtures have sought to have the Alliance meet elsewhere. This year as in previous years, cost factors prevailed and the Alliance rejected the overture. The committee which studied the overture was prepared to recommend a compromise by suggesting that meetings be held either in the Chicago or Toronto areas, which have the highest concentration of churches in the Alliance, but the overture was withdrawn due to concern that meeting anywhere other than Chicago would require connecting flights and further increase travel costs for most delegates. (AS/DTM) * Overtures on Ministerial Training, Revenue Canada Withdrawn: Trinity Reformed Church of Lethbridge withdrew two of its overtures, one asking the Alliance to establish contact with Revenue Canada to clarify the rules on financial contributions from the churches, the other asking for an easing of the procedures involving ordination exams for ministerial candidates. The advisory committee studying the matter had recommended rejection of both overtures. (AS) * Contact Committee with CRC Rejected: The Alliance won't be pursuing closer official ties with the Christian Reformed denomination anytime soon. Citing concerns that the move would lead some to perceive the Alliance as an organized denomination, the committee instead recommended that any discussion on themes of fellowship be pursued by local ARC churches, in cooperation with CRC member churches in their communities. (AS) * Julien Re-Elected Stated Clerk: For the first time in the history of the Alliance of Reformed Churches, its stated clerk has not only completed his term but also been re-elected. Rev. Jerome Julien's two immediate predecessors stepped down after a single year amidst turmoil in their local churches. Julien, however, has proved a survivor and was elected to a second term as stated clerk, to expire in 1998. (DTM) * P.Y. DeJong Addresses Alliance: Although many of the leading figures in the Alliance of Reformed Churches are younger men and a significant number are from non-Dutch backgrounds, the Alliance has attracted some of the most prominent older members of the CRC. Among them are past Synod president Rev. Henry Vander Kam and Classis Florida's first stated clerk, Rev. Ed Heerema. However, perhaps no Alliance pastor has a longer pedigree than Dr. P.Y. DeJong, who served 53 years in the Christian Reformed ministry and is likely to be the only person ever to serve on the faculty of both Mid-America Reformed Seminary and Calvin Theological Seminary. Son of equally prominent CRC minister Rev. Y.P. DeJong and father of current Calvin Seminary president Dr. James A. De Jong, Rev. P.Y. DeJong raised more than a few eyebrows when he seceded from the northwest Iowa church he attended and joined what was then the closest Alliance church, Lynwood CRC (Independent) - over 650 hundred miles away from his home. This year, DeJong was invited to give the Alliance's devotional speech on the first evening of the Alliance. While focussing on spiritual matters, DeJong did throw in a few points which would later be raised in discussion. Among other items, DeJong urged the Alliance not to be afraid of federation and not to be afraid of fellowship with Presbyterians - so long as they did not force the Westminster Confession's distinctive view of the covenant upon Alliance churches. (DTM) Contact List: Rev. Steve Arrick, Pastor, Cornerstone Church 6442 - 36th Ave., Hudsonville, MI 49426 * O: (616) 669-2190 * H: (616) 669-3457 * FAX: (616) 669-4321 Dr. Bao Xuan Nguyen, Pastor, Saigon Reformed Presbyterian Church PO Box 813, Garden Grove, CA 92642 * H/O: (714) 638-9619 * FAX: (714) 636-0285 Dr. P.Y. De Jong RR #1 Box 25, Orange City, IA 51041 * H/O: (712) 722-4408 Rev. Joghinda S. Gangar, Pastor, Wellandport Orthodox Reformed Church RR #1, Wellandport, ON L0R 2J0 * H/O: (416) 386-6652 Rev. Edward Heerema 619 SE 32nd St., Cape Coral, FL 33904 * H: (813) 574-1270 Dr. John Hulst, President, Dordt College 498 - 4th Ave. NE, Sioux Center, IA 51250 * O: (712) 722-3771 * F: (712) 722-1198 Rev. Jerome Julien, Stated Clerk, Alliance of Reformed Churches 34 Azores Crescent, Cambridge, ON N1R 7Z4 * H/O: (519) 622-1033 Rev. Jim Klazinga, Pastor, Telkwa Reformed Church Box 504, Telkwa, B.C. V0J 2X0 * H/O/F: (604) 846-9710 Elder David Kloosterman, Vice-President, Immanuel Fellowship Church 5630 Powderhorn, Kalamazoo, MI 49009 * (616) 375-5751 Dr. Nelson Kloosterman, Professor, Mid-America Reformed Seminary Rt. 2, Box 163, Orange City, IA 51041 * O: (712) 737-3446 * H: (712) 737-4838 * FAX: (712) 737-3318 Rev. Ed Knott 2759 Porter St. SW, Wyoming, MI 49509; H: (616) 534-4683 Rev. Ray Lanning, Pastor, Independent Reformed Church of Cutlerville 1088 Harvester Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49508 * H/O: (616) 554-0001 Rev. Rein Leestma, Pastor Emeritus, Lynwood (IL) Christian Reformed Church (Independent) 1429 Inverness Lane, Schererville, IN 46375 * H: (219) 322-8890 Elder Peter Moen, Chairman, 1993 Alliance of Reformed Churches 159 Jacksonville Rd., Pequannock, NJ 07440 * H: (201) 694-7118 Rev. Paul Murphy, Pastor, Dutton Independent Reformed Church 6940 Hanna Lake Rd., Caledonia, MI 49316 * H/O: (616) 698-7467 Rev. K. Eric (Ric) Perrin, Chairman, PCA Interchurch Relations Committee 703 Woodcreek Ct., Columbia, SC 29212 * O: (803) 772-1000 * H: (803) 781-7520 * FAX: (803) 772-1003 Rev. William H. Pols, Pastor, Edmonton Orthodox Reformed Church 10324 - 107 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5H 0V8 * O: (403) 424-9397 * H: (403) 473-3320 Rev. Ralph Pontier, Pastor, Alliance Reformed Church 207 Kansas Ave. NW, Orange City, IA 51041 * H/O: (712) 737-2202 Rev. Dennis Royall, Pastor, Trinity Reformed Church of Cape Coral 2223 SE 1st St., Cape Coral, FL 33990 * H/O: (813) 574-5360 Rev. Steve Schlissel, Pastor, Messiah's Congregation 2662 E. 24th St., Brooklyn, NY 11235 * (718) 332-4444 Rev. Mark Scholten, Pastor, The Christian Reformation Church 1001 - 33rd St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49548 * H/O: (616) 246-6203 Rev. Ray Sikkema, Pastor, Hamilton Independent Christian Reformed Church 1411 Upper Wellington St., Hamilton, ON L9A 3S8 * O: (416) 383-8315 * H: (416) 389-7821 Elder Jim Swets, Vice-President, Lynwood Christian Reformed Church (Independent) 19352 Wildwood, Lansing, IL 60438 * H/O: (708) 895-3133 Elder Roger Swets, Clerk, Independent Reformed Church of Cutlerville 6898 Eastern Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49508 * O: (616) 459-1171 * H: (616) 554-0878 Rev. Jelle Tuininga, Pastor, Trinity Reformed Church 1807 2nd Ave. "A" N., Lethbridge, AB T1H 0G4 * (403) 328-4799 Rev. Henry Vander Kam, Interim Pastor, Free Christian Reformed Church 7691 Black Mar Circle, Kalamazoo, MI 49002 * H: (616) 324-3816 Rev. Duane Vedders, Pastor, Immanuel Fellowship Church 5206 North Riverview Dr., Kalamazoo, MI 49004 * O: (616) 343-5357 * H: (616) 375-4012 Rev. G.I. Williamson 119 Normal College Ave., Sheldon, IA 51201 * H: (712) 324-3467 * F: (712) 324-3178 Rev. Dick Wynia, Pastor, Bethel Independent Christian Reformed Church 5824 Bow Water Crescent NW, Calgary AB T3B 2E2 * (403) 286-3195 Elder Peter Yonker, Reformed Heritage Community Church 3984 North 168th Ave., Holland, MI 49423 * O: (616) 399-1009 Rev. Mark Zylstra, Pastor, Evergreen Covenant Reformed Church PO Box 529, Agassiz BC V0M 1A0 * H/O/F: (604) 796-0228 --