From: Darrell128@aol.com Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 10:17:03 -0500 (EST) Subject: NR 97012: Classis Hudson Refuses Apology to Rev. Casey Freswick NR #1997-012: Classis Hudson Refuses Apology to Rev. Casey Freswick First Classis Hudson refused to seat Rev. Casey Freswick of Newton (NJ) Christian Reformed Church at its September 25 meeting because of allegedly schismatic statements made in an interview with United Reformed News Service. Then the Classis Hudson interim committee sent a November 13 letter to all members of Freswick's church except the elders and deacons urging them to disregard the leadership of their council. Now that the Newton CRC members have voted by a 49 to 1 margin to leave the denomination, the classis voted on January 22 against apologizing to Freswick and has asked its interim committee to come back to the May classis with a recommendation on dealing with Freswick's ministerial credentials. At the root of the issue was a July 30 article in United Reformed News Service in which Freswick stated that his church would be overturing the Interclassical Conference to call for a united secession from the CRC. NR #1997-012: For Immediate Release Classis Hudson Refuses Apology to Rev. Casey Freswick for Alleged "Unloving, Un-Christian, and Inappropriate Action" by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service MIDLAND PARK, N.J. (January 25, 1997) -- First Classis Hudson refused to seat Rev. Casey Freswick of Newton (NJ) Christian Reformed Church at its September 25 meeting because of allegedly schismatic statements made in an interview with United Reformed News Service. Then the Classis Hudson interim committee sent a November 13 letter to all members of Freswick's church except the elders and deacons urging them to disregard the leadership of their council. Now that the Newton CRC members have voted by a 49 to 1 margin to leave the denomination, the classis has voted against apologizing to Freswick and has asked its interim committee to come back to the May classis with a recommendation on dealing with Freswick's ministerial credentials. At the root of the issue was a July 30 article in United Reformed News Service in which Freswick stated that his church would be overturing the Interclassical Conference to call for a united secession from the CRC. "It's a very difficult situation to know what to do, but that you have to do something is clear," said Freswick in that article. "We are now practicing the ordination of women, and I believe everyone who believes ordination of women is wrong should leave because of biblical principles. 'What do righteousness and wickedness have in common?' That is a quote from Scripture, and this is wickedness." The article also quoted Freswick as stating that the CRC was incapable of disciplining at least some advocates of homosexuality, women in office, and evolution. "I think we need to declare that we are seceding from the denomination as officebearers and step out and do that regardless of whether our local churches do that or not," said Freswick in the article. "We said last year we were going to talk about secession so no one should be surprised that that's going to be on the agenda for discussion, and the agenda is going to be made by asking local congregations to submit overtures." Meeting January 22 at Irving Park CRC in Midland Park, New Jersey, Classis Hudson received a report from its church visitors that Newton CRC had seceded from the denomination effective December 31. Church visitor Rev. John Keizer of Sussex (NJ) CRC reported that an October 15 effort by him and classical stated clerk Rev. Don Wisse to meet with the Newton council was less than helpful. "Our meeting was not a very pleasant nor a very profitable one," said Keizer. "During our discussion it soon became evident that neither the pastor nor council was open to any positions on this issue of women in office other than their own," said Keizer. "Our words were either unheard or unappreciated." The church visitors were not the only people to have opinions on the Newton matter, however. West Sayville (NY) CRC submitted a formal protest alleging that classis failed to follow due process and requesting that "classis apologize to Rev. Freswick and Newton Christian Reformed Church for its unloving, un-Christian, and inappropriate action against Rev. Freswick." Two other churches submitted comments on the matter: Preakness CRC of Wayne, N.J., submitted an endorsement of the West Sayville protest on its classical credentials and Midland Park (NJ) CRC submitted a statement on its classical credentials that their consistory unanimously opposed an apology to Freswick and Newton CRC. "Our consistory does feel very strongly that whatever the views of Rev. Freswick may be, there was not due process," said Rev. LeRoy Christoffels of Preakness CRC. "We all know that if this had happened with any other minister on any other issue, it would have been handled very differently." After Christoffels moved that classis apologize to Freswick, West Sayville pastor Rev. Jim Stastny urged that classis not "stand around and point fingers" and strongly objected to the classical interim committee sending a letter urging the members to disregard the leadership of their elders and deacons. Stastny said he was particularly upset that the Newton CRC council first learned of the letter from the council vice-president's 93-year-old mother, who showed her son the letter which was mailed to her but not her son. "The intention of that motion is to be loving and merciful," said Stastny. "The issue is not whether Casey is schismatic, but our procedure was not in good order." Classical interim committee secretary Rev. Wesley Van Dyk of Faith Community CRC in Wyckoff, NJ, defended the classical action against Freswick. "I don't understand what was unloving, un-Christian, or inappropriate," said Van Dyk. "No one was abusive to Rev. Freswick, all that was said was to state the fact that he wanted to dismember the denomination of which he is a part." According to Van Dyk, classis' action in refusing to seat Freswick and denying him voting rights at classis was parallel to similar action that might be taken against a troublesome member of corporate or school board of directors. "If on the way into a board meeting, a member of that board were to say he intended to disrupt and dismember the board of which he was a part, that board would have every right to say he should not be allowed to take part in that meeting." Midland Park assistant pastor Rev. John Hoogland said it was appropriate to act against Freswick on the basis of a printed news article because he had contacted Freswick before the meeting to determine the accuracy of the news quotes. "I called Casey and said, is this accurate, is it possible that you really said these things?" said Hoogland. "He said Darrell Maurina -- who is present at this meeting -- doesn't print things about me that are inaccurate or without checking them with me first." After debate, classis voted by a wide voice vote margin not to apologize to Freswick. In a subsequent vote, the classis voted to ask its interim committee to produce a recommendation on what should be done with Freswick's ministerial credentials now that he has left the CRC. Classis will next deal with the Freswick matter at its May 14 spring meeting. "I'm not sure what can be done at this point," said classical interim committee chairman Rev. David Poolman. "We just had a heart to say to the Newton church we're sorry about this situation," said Poolman. "It is a painful thing. Certainly we grieve that there are any divisions." The West Sayville pastor expressed concern that the classis didn't deal with Freswick's credentials at the January meeting. "I was surprised because this is the only time I've been aware of a classis not dealing with a letter of resignation in the classis immediately after such a letter was received," said Stastny. "Given classis' past history with dealing with Casey, I can't help but be a little suspicious of what may be happening." Contacted for comment after the meeting, Freswick said he hoped the reason for the delay was simply that the synodical deputies had not been contacted in sufficient time to attend the meeting. According to Freswick, he had submitted his own letter of resignation and had called to verify that it has been received by classis, but had not thought to verify that Newton CRC's letter of resignation had been received. As of the time of the classis, the Newton CRC letter had not yet been received by the stated clerk. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1996-076: CRC Synod Rejects 25 Overtures and Communications Calling for End to Classical Option on Ordination of Women #1996-088: Interclassical Conference of Christian Reformed Conservatives to be Asked to Create Nongeographical Classes; Minority Urges Immediate Secession from Christian Reformed Denomination #1996-108: Quotes in United Reformed News Service Prompt Classis Hudson to Unseat Rev. Casey Freswick #1997-004: Newton Christian Reformed Church Secedes by 49-1 Vote After Classis Urges Members to Disregard Council Leadership Contact List: Rev. LeRoy Christoffels, Pastor, Preakness Christian Reformed Church 490 Valley Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470 O: (201) 628-1313 * H: (201) 694-1516 Dr. David Engelhard, General Secretary, Christian Reformed Church in North America 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560 O: (616) 246-0744 * H: (616) 243-2418 * FAX: (616) 246-0834 Rev. Casey Freswick, Pastor, Newton Christian Reformed Church 47 Condit St., Newton, NJ 07860 O: (201) 383-9635 * H: (201) 383-2263 * E-Mail: cfres@nac.net Elder Roger Frey, Consistory Vice-President, Newton Christian Reformed Church (Independent) 199 Prospect School Rd., Sparta, NJ 07871 O: (201) 383-3931 Rev. John Hoogland, Assistant Pastor, Midland Park Christian Reformed Church 90 Sea Girt Ave., Oceanport, NJ 07757 O: (201) 445-4260 * H: (908) 222-0075 * FAX: (201) 445-6424 Rev. John Keizer, Pastor, Sussex Christian Reformed Church 1 Jane Dr., Sussex, NJ 07461 H/O: (201) 875-4934 Rev. David Poolman, Interim Committee Chairman, Classis Hudson 416 Cedar Hill Ave., Wyckoff, NJ 07481 O: (201) 444-4177 * H: (201) 652-4277 * FAX: (616) 201) 652-3245 Rev. Jim Stastny, Pastor, West Sayville Christian Reformed Church 31 Rollstone Ave, West Sayville, NY 11796 O: (516) 589-9281 * H: (516) 589-1281 Rev. Wesley Van Dyk, Pastor, Faith Community Christian Reformed Church 551 Franklin Lakes Rd., Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417-3002 O: (201) 891-7662 * H: (201) 847-0530 Rev. Don Wisse, Stated Clerk, Classis Hudson 183 Godwin Ave, Midland Park, NJ 07432 O: (201) 445-4260 * H: (201) 444-6423 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-012.txt .