Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 22:25:25 -0400 (EDT) From: Darrell128@aol.com Subject: Media Alert: Third Woman CRC Ministerial Candidate to be Ordained in Mt. Pleasan Media Alert: Third Woman Ministerial Candidate in Christian Reformed Church to be Ordained Saturday in Mt. Pleasant At 1 pm on Saturday, August 23, Trinity Christian Reformed Church of Mt. Pleasant will ordain the third woman minister in the 286,000-member Christian Reformed Church. Bouma, who has served her church since 1994 as an unordained pastor, had been repeatedly denied ordination by synod and her group of local churches, Classis Northern Michigan, and Synod 1997 finally had to transfer the Mt. Pleasant church to Classis Muskegon which was willing to allow her ordination. Media Alert: For Immediate Release Third Woman Ministerial Candidate in Christian Reformed Church to be Ordained Saturday in Mt. Pleasant * Mary-Lee Bouma last of three pioneer women CRC candidates to be ordained by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service (August 22, 1997) URNS -- Mary-Lee Bouma knows what it's like to be kept waiting. She also knows what it's like to have to rush at the last minute. Synod 1994 of the Christian Reformed Church said Mary-Lee Bouma couldn't be ordained because she was a woman, but left in place a 1992 rule that allowed her to accept a post as the unordained pastor of Trinity CRC on the campus of Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. Synod 1995 allowed women's ordination but said she'd have to wait another year to apply for candidacy despite having completed the prescribed theological training at the denomination's Calvin Seminary in 1994. Synod 1996 declared Bouma a candidate for the ministry, but Classis Northern Michigan repeatedly refused to allow Bouma's ordination because of her gender. However, when the final step finally came for Bouma, it proceeded with lightning speed. Classis Muskegon called a special meeting on Thursday, August 21 to conduct the required theological exam. Trinity CRC will ordain her only two days later on Saturday, August 23. The change from Classis Northern Michigan to Classis Muskegon occurred because Trinity CRC's original classis, Classis Northern Michigan, never did allow Bouma to be ordained. In a compromise designed to benefit both supporters and opponents of women's ordination, Synod 1996 voted to allow churches in such situations to transfer from a classis that bans women's ordination to join a classis that will, or vice versa. Synod 1997, meeting this past June in Grand Rapids, approved the transfer of Trinity CRC as well as two other transfers -- Pine Creek CRC of Holland, Mich., wanted to join a classis opposed to women's ordination and a California Korean church wanted to join an ethnic Korean classis. "We are sorry that it had to happen, we regret that Classis Northern Michigan basically suggested we leave, but we understand the dynamics," said Bouma. "We don't wish to be a model for anyone else to leave their classis because we would much rather see the unity of the church in every obvious way. There's no cause for rejoicing that we left our classis." Bouma said her ordination as a minister rather than simply an unordained "expounder" was pastorally necessary for her church. "It's been hard pastorally to lead people to Christ, to disciple them, to take them through new members classes and catechism and not be able to baptize them and serve them the Lord's Supper," said Bouma. "That's been really hard for the congregation especially, and it's been hard for me to have it be an issue for them." Bouma -- who generally supports conservative views on topics other than women's ordination and used to accuse women who wanted to be ordained of sinning against God -- said she appreciated questions in her classical examination designed to see if she supported liberal theology. "I enjoyed answering their questions about modern day heresy with the answer that goddess worship is a modern day heresy," said Bouma. "That 'Christa' figure from feminist theology is terribly wrong. I quoted Elizabeth Achtemeier about how perhaps why Scripture revealed God in masculine language is because we creatures would tend to worship the earth from which we sprang as a mother goddess." In addition to serving in her local church, Bouma is a member of a synodical committee studying pastoral ministry to homosexuals. Bouma's ordination will take place at 1 pm at her church, located near the Central Michigan University campus at 211 W. Broomfield in Mt. Pleasant. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1994-043: Second Woman Pastor to Serve Christian Reformed Church; Mary-Lee Bouma to "teach, expound the Word of God, and provide pastoral care" as an unordained solo pastor of Trinity CRC, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan #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 #1996-026: Northern Michigan: No Ordination for Mary-Lee Bouma #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 #1996-101: Northern Michigan Nixes Ordination for Mary-Lee Bouma #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 #1997-029: Classis Muskegon Admits Trinity CRC of Mt. Pleasant; Vote Allows Ordination of Mary-Lee Bouma as Third Christian Reformed Woman Pastor #1997-077: No Theological Classes Allowed for CRC Conservatives Contact List: Rev. Zachary (Zack) Anderson, Pastor, Pine Creek Christian Reformed Church 663 Riley St., Holland, MI 49424 O: (616) 399-1413 * H: (616) 399-2016 Miss Mary-Lee Bouma, Expounder, Trinity Christian Reformed Church 211 W. Broomfield, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 O: (517) 772-0664 * H: (517) 772-1029 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. Douglas Van Essen, Stated Clerk, Classis Muskegon 1132 Peck St., Muskegon, MI 49441 O: (616) 725-7325 * H: (616) 728-6289 Rev. Paul Veenstra, Stated Clerk, Classis Northern Michigan 11520 Atwood Rd., Ellsworth, MI 49729 H/O: (616) 599-2765 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive97: nrma97-5.txt .