Date: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 14:40:12 -0400 (EDT) From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: NR 97099: Classis GR North Faces 2 Conservative Secessions, Mayfair Women's Ordination NR #1997-099: Classis Grand Rapids North Faces Two Conservative Secessions; Mayfair CRC Proposes Allowing Women's Ordination When Classis Grand Rapids North meets today at 4 pm, it will have to deal with actions by both supporters and opponents of the ordination of women. Mayfair Christian Reformed Church is proposing that classis use an option granted to it by Synod 1995 of the CRC to "declare that the word 'male' in article 3a of the church order is inoperative and to authorize the churches in Classis North to ordain and install women in the office of elder, minister, and evangelist." At the same meeting, classis will have to deal with the secession of Little Farms CRC of Coopersville and Walker CRC, both of which oppose the ordination of women and other trends in the denomination. Approximately one third of the CRC's 47 classes -- regional groups of churches -- allow the ordination of women. NR #1997-099: For Immediate Release: Classis Grand Rapids North Faces Two Conservative Secessions; Mayfair Christian Reformed Church Proposes Allowing Women's Ordination by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (September 16, 1997) -- When Classis Grand Rapids North meets today at 4 pm, it will have to deal with actions by both supporters and opponents of the ordination of women. Mayfair Christian Reformed Church is proposing that classis use an option granted to it by Synod 1995 of the CRC to "declare that the word 'male' in article 3a of the church order is inoperative and to authorize the churches in Classis North to ordain and install women in the office of elder, minister, and evangelist." At the same meeting, classis will have to deal with the secession of Little Farms CRC of Coopersville and Walker CRC, both of which oppose the ordination of women and other trends in the denomination. Classis Grand Rapids North has 21 churches with 10,075 members. Approximately one third of the CRC's 47 classes -- regional groups of churches -- allow the ordination of women. In the Grand Rapids area, Classis Grand Rapids East, Classis Muskegon, and Classis Holland allow women's ordination. Classis Grand Rapids North, Classis Grand Rapids South, Classis Georgetown, Classis Grandville, Classis Kalamazoo, Classis Thornapple Valley, and Classis Zeeland do not; Classis Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids South have defeated overtures to allow the ordination of women. The interim committee of Classis Grand Rapids North has no recommendation yet regarding the ministerial status of the pastors involved, but classis will hear a presentation by Walker CRC pastor Rev. Joel Vander Kooi about his reasons for leaving the CRC. "We have no recommendation about it because we did not know about it until just recently; Joel called me to tell me he would be coming to classis to personally present his reasons for leaving, and I suppose we'll have a recommendation after that," said Rev. Frederick Van Dyk, stated clerk of Classis Grand Rapids North. "We need the synodical deputies for [processing Rev. Vander Kooi's credentials], and I suppose that means we'll have to handle that at our January meeting." The Little Farms pastor, Evangelist Robert Van Manen, is an ordained evangelist rather than ordained minister and therefore the synodical regulations regarding ministers withdrawing from the CRC do not directly apply to him. Both churches seceded by large majorities: Walker CRC voted on September 9 to leave by a 73% majority, and Little Farms voted on September 15 by a 97% majority. The 320-member Walker church will join the United Reformed Churches; the 144-member Little Farms church will join the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Van Manen emphasized that his church's reasons for joining the Orthodox Presbyterian Church were more important than their reasons for leaving the CRC. "I think it goes back to the whole issue of the Word of God," said Van Manen. "I don't think our decision to leave was tied to any particular decision the Christian Reformed Church has made as much as we see a general drifting and departing from what we believe the Word of God directly states. It's the general drift away from the Word of God." "For our local church we felt that the OPC was the place we should be; we have spent many hours studying this, many hours in prayer over this individually and as a congregation, and we truly believe this is God's spirit leading us in this direction," said Van Manen. "The fact that at this time they have an established history and an established track record was part of the reason for us going in that direction. As a congregation that is just beginning to grow and to find its feet, we wanted to be a part of a denomination that has been around for awhile." Van Manen noted that his congregation, technically still a mission work of Westview CRC in Grand Rapids, has nearly doubled in size in recent years. Little Farms CRC recorded 57 members in the 1991 Yearbook, reporting 1990 statistics from the first year of Van Manen's ministry. "This is not a move out of anger, this is not a move out of spite, and it is not a move out of anything Westview has done," said Van Manen. "They have granted us much freedom to make this decision, they have not tried to intervene in any way, shape, or form," said Van Manen. "There's no hard feelings there, they haven't made life difficult at all." Walker CRC cited similar reasons for secession in its letter to classis, but focused more directly on the matter of membership in the Christian Reformed denomination. "The reasons for this decision are many, but they all revolve around the fact that the Word of God no longer functions as the sole authority for the governing of doctrine and discipline in the CRCNA," wrote the Walker CRC council. "We have not made this decision in a spirit of self-righteousness but in a spirit that cherishes the kind of righteousness Christ both gives to and requires of his own." While recognizing that classis would probably not agree with the decision to secede, the Walker council asked Classis Grand Rapids North to try to understand its reasons. "Please understand that this is a matter of conscience for us," wrote the council. "We could no longer stay in the CRCNA and have a clear conscience before God." The council is also requesting that classis grant "honorable release" to Vander Kooi. "When it comes down to it, it's an overwhelming sorrow that those with whom we have had a close ecclesiastical fellowship for so long prefer to go another way which is not God's way and we cannot go with them," said Vander Kooi. Despite the split vote in the congregation, Vander Kooi said he hoped the church would remain relatively united. "Over half of the 26% that didn't actually go along with this gave indication two months ago in a survey ballot they would stay with our congregation, and we have every expectation that we will keep over 95% of our people," said Vander Kooi. "We as a council hope to keep 100%." Mayfair CRC pastor Rev. Peter Verhulst declined on-the-record comment about his church's reasons for proposing the ordination of women, or on the decisions by two member churches of classis to secede. According to a "council update" distributed by the church, Mayfair CRC's congregation voted by a 66-33 margin on May 19 to endorse the council overture to Classis Grand Rapids North. "In 1995 Synod determined that churches may elect women to the office of elder," wrote the Mayfair council in its overture to classis. "In order to do so, each classis can act on behalf of its churches, or churches can indicate their intent to take such action. Mayfair believes it is preferable for classis to have the first opportunity to act." "The Mayfair council has given serious consideration to local needs and circumstances at Mayfair and has reached the conclusion that Mayfair would benefit from opening the office of elder to women," the council reported in its overture. "We have no immediate circumstances that call for a woman minister or evangelist." 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 #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 Contact List: 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 Rev. Frederick Van Dyk, Stated Clerk, Classis Grand Rapids North 3110 - 17 Mile Rd., Ceder Springs, MI 49319 H/O: (616) 696-9863 * E-Mail: fvandyk@juno.com Evang. Bob Van Manen, Pastor, Little Farms Christian Reformed Church 12582 - 24th Ave., Marne, MI 49435 O: (616) 677-6170 * H: (616) 677-2087 Rev. Peter Verhulst, Pastor, Mayfair Christian Reformed Church 1740 Lyon St. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-3718 O: (616) 454-3114 * H: (616) 235-7303 Rev. Joel Vander Kooi, Pastor, Walker Christian Reformed Church 1985 Randall Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504-2136 O: (616) 453-8101 * H: (616) 453-5767 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nr97-099.txt .