From: Darrell128 Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 17:21:33 EST Subject: NR 98004: Cl. Zeeland Rejects Lamont's Effort to Maintain Local Church Property NR #1998-004: Classis Zeeland Rejects Lamont's Effort to Maintain Local Church Property Rights Synod 1997 established a series of procedures to govern secessions from the Christian Reformed denomination. Among the requirements are provisions that "classis shall appoint representatives to meet with the council to attempt to dissuade the council from such action," that "representatives of classis shall have the opportunity to meet in person with the council and to present written rebuttal to the council's grounds," that "representatives of classis shall be informed of the time and location of congregational meetings at which a congregation's withdrawal from the denomination is being considered and shall be given opportunity to persuade the congregation to remain within the denomination," and that "the separation will be complete when classis (or synod upon appeal) declares it acquiesces in the decision of the congregation to disaffiliate from the denomination." At the January 21 meeting of Classis Zeeland, Lamont CRC objected to all of those proposals and unsuccessfully overtured the classis to ask synod to reject the church order article amendment to which they are attached. NR 1998-004: Classis Zeeland: Article 38e Classis Zeeland Rejects Lamont's Effort to Maintain Local Church Property Rights by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service ZEELAND, MICH. (January 21, 1998) - Synod 1997 established a series of procedures to govern secessions from the Christian Reformed denomination. Among the requirements are provisions that "classis shall appoint representatives to meet with the council to attempt to dissuade the council from such action," that "representatives of classis shall have the opportunity to meet in person with the council and to present written rebuttal to the council's grounds," that "representatives of classis shall be informed of the time and location of congregational meetings at which a congregation's withdrawal from the denomination is being considered and shall be given opportunity to persuade the congregation to remain within the denomination," and that "the separation will be complete when classis (or synod upon appeal) declares it acquiesces in the decision of the congregation to disaffiliate from the denomination." At the January 21 meeting of Classis Zeeland, Lamont CRC objected to all of those proposals and overtured the classis to ask synod to reject the church order article amendment to which they are attached. Among other things, Lamont argued that the synodical proposal "presumes too much with regard to the appropriate spiritual care and leadership of a congregation, i.e., it assumes that it cannot be in the best spiritual interests of a congregation to disaffiliate with the CRC," that "this proposal insists that classis representatives have uninvited access to the consistory room and to the congregational meeting of a local congregation," and that "this proposal insists and then enables classis representatives to divide a congregation from the spiritual counsel of its elders with the express purpose of challenging the direction of the council and dissuading the congregation of following it." "This proposal supplants our traditional understanding of reformed church government wherein we believe the local congregation to be a complete church," summarized the consistory, arguing that "this proposal so completely misunderstands this that in the end it basically sums up a decision of the council to disaffiliate as a moot one, leaving the final decision up to a declaration of classis or synod." After a brief floor debate, classis sent the Lamont overture to an advisory committee due to confusion about whether the procedure specified will be ratified by Synod 1998 or only the church order change to which the procedure is attached as a church order supplement. After lunch, the advisory committee unanimously recommended rejection of the overture. That didn't sit well with the Lamont pastor. "We feel this particular church order supplement does not guard the rights and interests of the local church, but creates havoc in the local church," said Rev. Richard Terpstra. Both Pine Creek delegates strongly opposed the proposed church order change. "Pine Creek does not have any intention at this time of leaving the CRC, but if we were so inclined we would be very opposed with this procedure," said Rev. Zachary Anderson. "The problem that many of us have is that synod is doing something that's destructive to congregational unity." "This creates a situation where a classis is virtually commanded to contradict the local church because they are to dissuade the council and thus to create division between the council and the congregation," said Elder Paul Mulder. However, not all the conservative churches in classis agreed with Lamont's overture. "I came here today quite in opposition to some of the things named in this overture, but I now understand why there should be some process put in place," said advisory committee member and Borculo CRC pastor Rev. Harlan Vanden Einde. "If we don't like the process, let some church come and overture to change things in this process." "Borculo CRC has no intention of leaving the denomination, but if we were so inclined, we would not be fearful of standing up and defending our reasons for doing so," continued Vanden Einde. Second Allendale CRC pastor Dr. James De Vries, a member of the synodical committee which proposed the church order change to govern secessions, reminded delegates that the church order change originated with an overture from Classis Zeeland to establish a procedure to handle secessions in light of the secession of Eastmanville CRC from Classis Zeeland. "This is not a new process, this was adopted almost step by step, item by item, from the Orthodox Presbyterian Church," said De Vries. "This is not an unreformed process, this is a process adopted from a staunchly Reformed denomination." Second Allendale CRC Elder Blaine Sessions seconded De Vries' point. "I happen to be a former member of the Eastmanville church, and I feel that if there has been a process like this in place, that decision could have been turned around," said Sessions. "As it was, things were left to those in charge, they did what they wanted, and they got their way." That didn't satisfy Terpstra. "Lamont isn't against a' process; Lamont is against this' process," responded Terpstra. The final vote indicated that others besides Vanden Einde had been convinced by De Vries and the advisory committee report. Almost two thirds of the delegates voted against Lamont's overture. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1997-063: Christian Reformed Synod 1997 Faces Crossroads Decision: Will Seceding Churches Keep Their Property? #1997-073: Synod Modifies Local Church Property Rights 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 Rev. James De Vries, Pastor, Second Christian Reformed Church 11342 Brown St., Allendale, MI 49401 O: (616) 895-4533 * H: (616) 895-7694 Rev. Donald Duff, Stated Clerk, Orthodox Presbyterian Church 614 Roberts Ave., Glenside PA 19038-3711 O: (215) 956-0123 * H: (215) 887-4901 * FAX: (215) 957-6286 Rev. Richard Terpstra, Pastor, Lamont Christian Reformed Church 4745 Leonard Rd., Coopersville, MI 49404 O: (616) 677-3363 * H: (616) 677-2143 Rev. Harlan Vanden Einde, Pastor, Borculo Christian Reformed Church 6464 - 96th Ave., Zeeland, MI 49464 O: (616) 875-8271 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-004.txt .