From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97033: Holland Classis Rejects CO Amendment to Require Annual Declaration ... NR #1997-033: Holland Classis Rejects Church Order Amendment to Require Annual Declaration that Salvation is Through Christ Alone By an overwhelming voice vote after only a brief debate, the Reformed Church in America's Classis of Holland rejected a pending amendment to the denomination's book of church order which, if ratified by two-thirds of the denomination's 46 regional classes, would require all ministers and churches to annually reaffirm that salvation is through Christ alone. Meeting March 25 at Third Reformed Church of Holland, the Holland Classis was the last of the eight classes of the Regional Synod of the Great Lakes to vote on the amendment. All other classes in the regional synod except Lake Erie have already passed the amendment, often by wide margins. NR #1997-033: For Immediate Release RCA's Holland Classis Rejects Church Order Amendment to Require Annual Declaration that Salvation is Through Christ Alone * Western Seminary Professor Dr. Chris Kaiser: "Many of us believe there are individuals who have never heard the Gospel, have never come to an articulate faith in Jesus Christ, but are still saved through Jesus Christ." * Retired Pastor Arie Blok: "If we turn down this change in the book of church order we are sending a message to the world that we're really not concerned about this issue in the church." by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service HOLLAND, Mich. (March 25, 1997) URNS -- By an overwhelming voice vote after only a brief debate, the Reformed Church in America's Classis of Holland rejected a pending amendment to the denomination's book of church order which, if ratified by two-thirds of the denomination's 46 regional classes, would require all ministers and churches to annually reaffirm that salvation is through Christ alone. Meeting March 25 at Third Reformed Church of Holland, the Holland Classis was the last of the eight classes of the Regional Synod of the Great Lakes to vote on the amendment. All other classes in the regional synod except Lake Erie have already passed the amendment, often by wide margins. At 13,629 members in 14 churches, the Holland Classis is the fourth-largest in the 312,803-member denomination and the third-largest in the regional synod. The RCA's largest classis is the Classis of California, followed by South Grand Rapids and Zeeland. More important than the Holland Classis' size, however, is its influence in the Reformed Church in America, due in large part to the denomination's Hope College and Western Theological Seminary being located within its bounds. The classis ministerial roll includes nine ordained professors, teachers, administrators, and denominational staff members -- more than any other classis in the denomination -- and a number of laypeople in member churches are professors at Hope College. One of the denomination's most prominent progressive churches, the historic Hope Reformed Church of Holland, hosted a "Kindred Spirits Gathering" on March 3 bringing together invited RCA leaders concerned about a perceived fundamentalist backlash against Rev. Richard Rhem of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, retired Kalamazoo campus minister Rev. Don Van Hoeven, and others in the RCA advocating similar views. Overtures and judicial business committee chairman Rev. Case Van Kempen argued that those voting to defeat the amendment did not necessarily oppose salvation through Christ alone. "We discussed the proposed change at some length and decided early on that we were going to recommend a 'no' vote," said Van Kempen. "We want to assure the classis that we all unanimously believe that salvation is through Christ alone." Van Kempen cited a number of technical objections to the church order amendment. In its official report advocating rejection of the amendment, the committee argued that the proposed question is in the wrong order and is redundant, and noted that "the committee does not dispute the truth" of the statement affirmed by the amendment. That explanation didn't satisfy retired minister Rev. Arie Blok. "I think it would be a very great error to treat this as simply a question of whether the paper is in order," said Blok. "As all of you know, why we have this addition is really due to the disturbance about Dick Rhem and the Classis of Muskegon, whose influence is by no means limited to the Classis of Muskegon," said Blok. "If we turn down this change in the book of church order we are sending a message to the world that we're really not concerned about this issue in the church." Dr. Christopher Kaiser of Western Theological Seminary took the floor of classis to strongly oppose the proposed amendment. Kaiser argued that the amendment was not Reformed because it had an Arminian emphasis on personal faith. "Our salvation is not our laying hold of Christ, it is Christ laying hold on us," said Kaiser. Kaiser noted that the Reformed tradition has historically believed that certain categories of people could be saved by divine election apart from explicit faith in Christ. "We all believe this, I hope, of children dying in infancy," said Kaiser. While Calvinists have historically argued that at least some children of believers dying in infancy could be saved by divine election, Kaiser went further. "Many of us believe there are individuals who have never heard the Gospel, have never come to an articulate faith in Jesus Christ, but are still saved through Jesus Christ," said Kaiser. Kaiser's speech silenced supporters of the amendment and the subsequent voice vote against the amendment was one of the strongest votes of the entire evening. The amendment is before each classis of the denomination because it was adopted by a 148-112 majority at the 1996 General Synod. If passed by two-thirds of the denomination's 46 classes and ratified at this summer's General Synod, the Reformed Church in America will require each of its ministers and churches to inform classis on whether "the doctrines of the gospel [are] preached in your church in their purity in conformity with... the truth that divine redemption from sin is only by grace through faith in the perfect work of the Lord Jesus Christ alone, the only mediator between God and humankind." If ratified, the new question would follow up on two "constitutional inquiries" that each RCA classis is already required to ask each year to all ministers and elder delegates to classis. Currently, each church must inform classis on whether the doctrines of the gospel are preached in conformity with "the Word of God" and "the Standards of the Reformed Church in America," namely, the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, and Canons of Dort. Contacted after the classis meeting, the author of the overture strongly objected to the decision of the Holland Classis. "Kaiser's argument that it would be Arminian is humorous," said Rev. Patrick Shetler, pastor of First Reformed Church of Grant, Michigan. "That statement comes directly from Question 14 of the Compendium of Christian Religion. That just shows a lack of knowledge of Reformed theology; the very issue of the Reformation was justification by grace through faith in Christ alone." "This shows they didn't seriously engage the [Scripture] texts that we gave or the doctrinal standards," said Shetler. Nevertheless, Shetler said he was glad that Kaiser had given a theological reason for opposing the amendment rather than simply focussing on technical issues. "I guess I'm glad the Holland Classis voted it down for theological reasons even if the theological reasoning is wrong," said Shetler. Nationwide, the Reformed Church in America has 312,802 members in 949 local churches. The Regional Synod of the Great Lakes, composed of churches in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and a few scattered churches at a greater distance, is by far the largest of the denomination's eight regional synods, with 83,569 members in 150 churches. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1996-013: Special Meeting of RCA's Muskegon Classis Discusses Homosexuality, Scripture, Salvation Apart from Christ #1996-023: Muskegon RCA Classis: No Room for Pastor Questioning Salvation Apart from Christ, Authority of Scripture #1996-086: Muskegon Classis Rebukes Rhem for "Heretical" Views, Restarts Negotiations "to Reach a Mutually Acceptable Separation Agreement" with Christ Community Church #1996-091: Rhem Conflict Leads to Homosexuality Debate in Muskegon #1996-092: Back to the Drawing Board: Muskegon Classis Tables Proposed Settlement with Pastor of RCA's Fourth-Largest Church #1996-093: Dr. Jonathan Gerstner on Rhem: "Tragedy is the Only Word" #1996-094: Second RCA Minister Faces Discipline for Theological Views #1996-103: Classis Muskegon Averts Heresy Trial, Completes Separation Agreement with Richard Rhem, Christ Community Church #1996-110: Appeal Stalls Settlement Agreement on Rev. Richard Rhem; Protests Greet Upcoming Rhem Keynote Speech for RCA Regional Synod of the Mid-Atlantics on "The Church in Conflict... Can Non-Believers be Saved?" #1996-118: Rhem to Reformed Church in America: "The Bible is a Wax Nose" #1997-001: Muskegon Classis Suspends Separation Agreement Until Regional Synod Adjudicates Appeal on "Gross Sexual Misconduct" Allegations Against Richard Rhem #1997-002: Rhem's Attorney Responds: "Classis... Has Engaged in Conspiratorial Actions Which Were Maliciously Calculated to Damage Rev. Richard Rhem and Christ Community Church" #1997-007: Appeal of Charges Against Rhem Sent Back to Committee by RCA's Regional Synod Executive Committee; Van Hoeven Appeal to Proceed with Recommendation of Dismissal #1997-019: Reformed Church in America Classes Poised to Vote on Church Order Change: Should All RCA Ministers and Churches Annually Reaffirm that Salvation is Through Christ Alone? #1997-026: SW Michigan Becomes First RCA Michigan Classis to Ratify Church Order Amendment on Salvation Through Christ Alone #1997-027: "Kindred Spirits Gathering" of RCA Progressives Meet in Holland to Discuss Direction of Reformed Church in America #1997-028: Rhem Case on Hold; Muskegon Classis Affirms Salvation Through Christ Alone #1997-031: Reformed Church in America's Second and Third Largest Classes Vote to Affirm Salvation Only Through Christ 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 Rev. Marvin Hoff, Stated Clerk, Classis of Holland (RCA) 2390 Orchard, Holland, MI 49424 H/O: (616) 399-9585 Dr. Christopher Kaiser, Professor, Western Theological Seminary 101 E. 13th St., Holland, MI 49423 O: (616) 392-8555 Rev. Richard Rhem, Senior Pastor, Christ Community Church 225 East Exchange St., Spring Lake, MI 49456 O: (616) 842-1985 * H: (616) 846-7777 * F: (616) 842-3476 * E-Mail: christcommunity@novagate.com Rev. Patrick Shetler, Pastor, First Reformed Church 271 E. State Rd., PO Box 365, Grant, MI 49327 O: (616) 834-8668 * H: (616) 834-7246 * E-Mail: grantreformedchurch@worldnet.att.net Rev. Dennis Tebeest, Pastor, Hope Reformed Church 77 W. 11th St., Holland, MI 49423 O: (616) 392-7947 * H: (616) 392-5552 Rev. Donald Van Hoeven 1024 Westfall, Kalamazoo, MI 49006 H: (616) 381-8586 Rev. Case Van Kempen, Chairman, Classis Holland Overtures and Judicial Business Committee 133 E. 34th St., Holland, MI 49423 O: (616) 396-8272 * H: (616) 396-7224 Rev. Sherwin Weener, Synod Minister, Regional Synod of the Great Lakes 4500 - 60th St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 O: (616) 698-7071 * H: (616) 457-3572 * FAX: (616) 698-6606 * E-Mail: RSGLWeener@aol.com ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-033.txt .