Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 14:47:34 -0400 (EDT) From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97098: Escondido Ministers, 1st Chino Council Announce Intention to Secede from Christian Reformed Church NR #1997-098: Escondido Ministers, First Chino Council Announce Intention to Secede from Christian Reformed Church Escondido Christian Reformed Church has been a leading force in the conservative wing of the CRC for a number of years. If the church's four pastors have their way, the church will become a leading force in secession from the denomination.On August 3, Escondido CRC pastor Rev. Andy Cammenga read an announcement from the pulpit that he and the other three ministers who attend the congregation -- Classis California South stated clerk Rev. James Howerzyl, Westminster Theological Seminary president Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, and retired Westminster professor Dr. Derke Bergsma -- have decided it is time to leave the denomination. In a related September 7 letter, the council of First CRC of Chino informed their members that they "are now unanimously recommending to you that we peacefully separate from our family, the Christian Reformed Church." NR #1997-098: For Immediate Release: Escondido Ministers, First Chino Council Announce Intention to Secede from Christian Reformed Church by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (September 15, 1997) URNS -- Escondido Christian Reformed Church has been a leading force in the conservative wing of the CRC for a number of years. If the church's four pastors have their way, the church will become a leading force in secession from the denomination. On August 3, Escondido CRC pastor Rev. Andy Cammenga read an announcement from the pulpit that he and the other three ministers who attend the congregation -- Classis California South stated clerk Rev. James Howerzyl, Westminster Theological Seminary president Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, and retired Westminster professor Dr. Derke Bergsma -- have decided it is time to leave the denomination. In a related September 7 letter, the council of First CRC of Chino informed their members that they "are now unanimously recommending to you that we peacefully separate from our family, the Christian Reformed Church." "We have found that at least as ministers that further roads to change seem to be closed to us with the decision not to allow theological classes and the fact that the votes in synod certainly seem to indicate the same lessening of concern on the part of people in the denomination," said Cammenga. "It just indicates the malaise of the people in the Christian Reformed Church at the present time," said Cammenga. "There is not a great deal of use in being unable to take a stand against the drive toward mainline Christianity which the CRC is headed for." Cammenga said he and the Escondido CRC council had been meeting with representatives of other Presbyterian and Reformed denominations, and would be meeting with CRC General Secretary Dr. David Engelhard and CRC Executive Director of Ministries Dr. Peter Borgdorff. "We've consulted with people from other denominations," said Cammenga. "We were ready to have them introduce their denominations to us, to find out what stands they held, to find out what their goals are, to find out what it takes to gain entrance into the denomination, or in the case of the Presbyterians whether we could retain our creeds." Cammenga said the key issues of concern to the Escondido ministers were worship, the ordination of women, the place of the confessions in the church, and what subscription means to those confessions. Why does Cammenga believe it's time to leave the CRC? According to Cammenga, the CRC has become ruled by an "unbiblical tyranny." "We see a trend that the denomination is more and more ignoring the body of Christ as the local church and the denomination as an aid to the church, and now we are finding there is an unreformed hierarchical attitude and that certainly is most clearly expressed in the change of the church order for ownership of property," said Cammenga. The secession of Escondido CRC, which at 827 members is the second-largest congregation in Classis California South and accounts for 13% of its membership, would have dramatic effects on the classis. The secession of the 716-member First Chino CRC, fourth largest in the classis, and of four other churches with similar concerns, could cost the classis up to a third of its members. Rev. Roger Bultman, pastor of Redlands CRC, said he hoped any secession would be peaceful. "Sometimes God's people, instead of fighting our enemies, we end up fighting each other, and meanwhile Goliath continues to taunt and call God's people names," said Bultman. "I think it appears it's no longer possible for us to stay together, and we ought to part ways in as amicable a way as possible," said Bultman. "Often what happens is a name calling session with accusations of being a false church." "If we can avoid all those things and recognize we will love the Lord and will meet together in heaven, but on some issues people judge significant enough, they feel compelled to part ways with us, let's do it in as friendly a way as possible, and with as much integrity as possible." Bultman said the people who will be remaining in Classis California South hadn't yet decided whether they would seek to depose or otherwise discipline the seceding ministers and churches -- at least in part because the conservative churches currently form a majority of the classical interim committee and other leading committees of classis. "We ought not try to hurt or injure those who are leaving, and those who are leaving ought not to try to maintain control as long as possible," said Bultman. Bultman said the decision on granting a status of honorable release, release, dismissal, or deposition to the seceding ministers should depend in large part on whether they would seek to take CRC members out of other churches -- citing Rev. Tom Vanden Heuvel's PCA mission work in Holland, Michigan, as an example of conduct that lacks integrity. "If Andy Cammenga goes to Jenison and plants a PCA, because after all these people need a good church to go to, there not being any left, I have a real serious problem with that," said Bultman. "I'm not suggesting he would; what you declare needs to reflect accurately the realities of the situation. If they're amicable you wouldn't want to cast any aspersions on them." Whatever happens, if Escondido follows the leadership of its ministers and First Chino follows the leadership of its council, there will be major changes in Classis California South. "I think it'll impact the classis in a lot of different ways," said Bultman. "There'll be the pain of separation, and there'll be a sense of grief; on the other hand, we'll have a more united classis and classis will be able to move ahead with a greater degree of enthusiasm and unity than has been present. We were at odds with each other instead of being at odds with the devil." Cross-References to Related Articles: #1995-070: Christian Reformed Classes Permitted to Declare Church Order Ban on Women's Ordination "Inoperative"; Synod Decision Given Immediate Effect without Two-Year Ratification Process #1996-076: CRC Synod Rejects 25 Overtures and Communications Calling for End to Classical Option on Ordination of Women #1996-077: Churches Allowed to Switch Classes for Theological Reasons #1996-117B: Separation Without Secession: Interclassical Conference Urges Chri stian Reformed Synod to Create New Conservative Classes #1997-008: Classis Zeeland Votes by 72% Margin to Receive Pine Creek Christian Reformed Church Pending Synodical Approval #1997-010: Classis Holland Acquiesces in Pine Creek Request to Transfer to Classis Zeeland Due to Opposition to Women in Office #1997-011: Classis California South Endorses Classes Grouped by Theological Affinity Instead of Geography; Organizers Hope a Tenth of CRC May Join New Conservative Classes #1997-029: Classis Muskegon Admits Trinity CRC of Mt. Pleasant; Vote Allows Ordination of Mary-Lee Bouma as Third Christian Reformed Woman Pastor #1997-047: Classis Zeeland Endorses Theological Classis Proposal #1997-059: Classis California South Adopts South Holland Affirmations #1997-063: Christian Reformed Synod 1997 Faces Crossroads Decision: Will Seceding Churches Keep their Property? #1997-065: Orthodox Presbyterian General Assembly Breaks Longstanding Christian Reformed Fraternal Relationship #1997-066: Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly Cuts Ties with Christian Reformed Church Over Women's Ordination #1997-068: Christian Reformed Synod Convenes Today in Grand Rapids; Major Issues to Include Feminine Language for God, Abortion, Interchurch Relations, Local Church Property Issues, Theologically-Defined Classes #1997-073: Synod Modifies Local Church Property Rights #1997-074: Severance of Ties, Dealing with Seceders Dominate CRC Agenda #1997-075: Calling God "Mother," Theological Classes to Headline Thursday's Christian Reformed Synod #1997-076: Christian Reformed Synod Rejects Calling God "Mother" #1997-077: No Theological Classes Allowed for CRC Conservatives #1997-084: California CRC Conservatives Call Special Meeting to Respond to Synodical Rejection of Interclassical Conference Proposals Contact List: Dr. Derke Bergsma, Professor Emeritus, Westminster Theological Seminary in California 8975-424 Lawrence Welk Dr., Escondido, CA 92026-6423 O: (619) 480-8474 * H: (619) 749-1151 * FAX: (619) 480-0252 Dr. Peter Borgdorff, Executive Director of Ministries, Christian Reformed Church 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560 O: (616) 246-0832 * H: (616) 957-3288 Rev. Roger Bultman, Pastor, Redlands Christian Reformed Church 1246 Via Florence, Redlands CA 92374 O: (909) 798-2221 * H: (909) 794-1690 * E-Mail: rdbultman@eee.org Rev. Andrew Cammenga, Pastor, Escondido Christian Reformed Church 1850 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92026 H/O/FAX: (619) 745-2324 * E-Mail: ACAMMENGA@aol.com 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 * E-Mail: engelhad@crcna.org Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, President, Westminster Theological Seminary 1725 Bear Valley Parkway, Escondido, CA 92027 O: (619) 480-8474 * H: (619) 741-1635 * FAX: (619) 480-0252 Rev. James Howerzyl, Stated Clerk, Classis California South 1317 Ivy, Escondido, CA 92026 H/O: (619) 741-5319 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-098.txt .