NR #1995-092: Atlantic Northeast Votes Down Women in Office, Overtures Christian Reformed Synod to Overturn 1995 Decision Classical efforts to approve women in office by declaring parts of the Christian Reformed church order "inoperative" have met with some surprising reverses in classes which have historically supported women in office. Conservatives in Classis Kalamazoo, Classis Alberta North, and elsewhere rallied to prevent adoption of motions which would implement the Synod 1995 decision to allow these classes to officially approve the ordination of women. Another closely divided classis, Atlantic Northeast, went a step further by asking synod to overturn the 1995 decision entirely. NR #1995-092: For Immediate Release Atlantic Northeast Votes Down Women in Office, Overtures Christian Reformed Synod to Overturn 1995 Decision (October 18, 1995) URNS - Classical efforts to approve women in office by declaring parts of the church order "inoperative" have met with some surprising reverses in classes which have historically supported women in office. Conservatives in Classis Alberta North rallied to win a rare victory: by a slim majority, a classis which has been struggling with the much more divisive issue of homosexuality rejected efforts to approve women in office. In Classis Kalamazoo, East Martin CRC pastor Rev. Stephan Van Eck successfully appealed a decision of the chair and convinced a majority of classical delegates to rule an overture supporting women in office out of order on the technical grounds that it didn't meet the synodical requirement that classes declaring the church order inoperative cite "local needs and circumstances" for doing so. However, few classes have made more reversals than Classis Atlantic Northeast. In 1991 and 1993, the classis rejected overtures opposing women in office or calling for the discipline of churches electing women elders. In 1992 and 1994, the classis approved such overtures. Many of these votes were by slim margins and the change of even a few votes would have brought a different result. This year, Goshen CRC and Rochester CRC came to Classis Atlantic Northeast's October 5 meeting with diametrically opposite overtures. Rochester CRC, based on the grounds given by Synod 1995, asked classis to declare the word "male" inoperative in the church order. Goshen CRC - which submitted the defeated 1991 and 1993 overtures - asked classis to overture synod to overturn the entire decision allowing classes to declare the word "male" inoperative. Citing four grounds, Goshen CRC argued that "the overwhelming, if not clear, proclamation of Holy Writ is that ecclesiastical office is reserved for men only," that "compromise on issues of this magnitude has been disastrous for the church historically," and that "the Book warns against distorting, twisting, adding to or subtracting from God's words." The overture to declare Church Order Article 3a inoperative failed by an 11-13 margin and the vote to overture synod to eliminate the classical option to do so passed by a 13-11 margin. Ironically, the church sending the overture to the closely divided classis is itself divided: Goshen CRC declined to delegate its pastor to the meeting and instead exercised its option to send two elders because the pastor would not promise to defend his own church's overture. If the Goshen pastor had voted against his church's overture, it would have gone down to defeat in a tie vote at classis. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1995-087: Most Christian Reformed Classes Decline Synodical Option to End Prohibition on Women in Office #1995-088: List of Classis Decisions on Women in Office [See related article list at crossreferences] Contact List: Rev. Robert Arbogast, Stated Clerk, Classis Kalamazoo 6138 Ormada Dr., Kalamazoo, MI 49001 * O: (616) 342-2646 * H: (616) 629-5258 Rev. J. George Auperlee, Stated Clerk, Classis Atlantic Northeast 255 Goldthwaite Rd., Whitinsville, MA 01588 * (508) 234-2927 Rev. Nicholas Knoppers, Stated Clerk, Classis Alberta North 10736 - 43 St., Edmonton, AB T6A 1V4 * H/O: (403) 469-2993 Rochester Christian Reformed Church 2750 Atlantic Ave., Penfield, NY 14526 * (716) 381-7861 Rev. Wesley Timmer, Pastor, Goshen Christian Reformed Church RD 2, Box 471, Rt. 17-A, Goshen, NY 10924 * O: (914) 294-5817 * H: (914) 294-5313 Rev. Stephan Van Eck, Pastor, East Martin Christian Reformed Church 1782 - 5th St., Martin, MI 49070 * (616) 672-9071 ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/reformed: nr95-092.txt .