From: Darrell128 Date: Mon, 2 Mar 1998 18:31:05 EST Mime-Version: 1.0 Subject: NR 98010: Classis California South Loses Third of Membership NR #1998-010: Classis California South Loses Third of Membership The Christian Reformed denomination has lost a net total of 37,316 members - 11.8% of its 1992 high water point of 316,415 members - but that decline hasn't been uniform throughout the denomination. Few regions have been hit more severely than southern California, where Classis Greater Los Angeles lost forty percent of its members following the 1993 Korean secession. Classis California South has now joined that list after losing over a third of its members and two of its four largest churches. NR 1998-010: For Immediate Release: Classis California South Loses Third of Membership by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (February 10, 1997) URNS - The Christian Reformed denomination has lost a net total of 37,316 members - 11.8% of its 1992 high water point of 316,415 members - but that decline hasn't been uniform throughout the denomination. Few regions have been hit more severely than southern California, where Classis Greater Los Angeles lost forty percent of its members following the 1993 Korean secession. Classis California South has now joined that list after losing over a third of its members and two of its four largest churches. Over a two month period beginning in November, Classis California South lost the 827-member Escondido CRC, the 716-member First CRC of Chino, the 327-member Ontario CRC, the 126-member Christ Reformed Church of Placentia, and a portion of Hope CRC of San Marcos. A small branch church in Ramona under Escondido CRC's supervision joined the Orthodox Presbyterian Church at an earlier date, but the rest of the seceders have voted to join the United Reformed Churches. The end result is that the classis, which reported 6503 members in 1997, now has dropped to 4280 members. The secessions followed a November 15 meeting of sixty conservative ministers, elders, and deacons in the three Christian Reformed classes of California South, Greater Los Angeles, and Central California, mostly from eight churches which had previously been active in the Interclassical Conference. When not all participants in the November 15 regional meeting agreed it was time to leave, the largest churches decided to act on their own. "Most of us had already made some pretty firm decisions and it was informing the other churches what we had done and where we are at," said Rev. Andrew Cammenga, pastor of Escondido CRC and chairman of the 1995 and 1996 Interclassical Conferences. Three days after the meeting, Escondido CRC voted by a 79% to 21% margin to leave the denomination effective December 1. Complicating the Escondido situation is that there are no alternative Christian Reformed congregations in the immediate area for the 21% who want to remain in the denomination. "About half of those want to keep worshipping with us, the other half would like to start a CRC somewhere in the city," said Cammenga. "[Regional Pastor] Rev. Ray Hommes and [retired minister Rev. Henry] Karsten met with Escondido dissenters on November 24; there is a steering committee that came out of that." That wasn't the case for First CRC of Chino, the fourth-largest church in classis which is in the same community as the 996-member Calvary CRC, the largest church in the classis and one of the largest in the denomination. First CRC left the denomination with an 88% margin, a vote attributed by its pastor to the fact that people dissatisfied with the direction of the church had the opportunity to go elsewhere at a much earlier date. "People have had a choice in our community of where to go while being Christian Reformed, people have expressed that choice both in coming to our church and in going elsewhere," said First CRC pastor Rev. Ron Scheuers. "A couple of families have left us and transferred to Calvary Chino, that was two families." Scheuers said most people who voted against secession still attend his church. "I guess to this day we're very, very grateful for the peacefulness of this movement, it was done without hatefulness or rancor, it was done very openly with people's knowledge," said Scheuers. "We had many meetings to discuss this matter, to pray about it, and we are grateful it was done with such good spirit." The neighboring Ontario CRC had a lower margin in favor of secession but a comparable margin in favor of joining the United Reformed Churches. According to the church's pastor, 70% voted in favor of leaving the CRC but 76% voted to join the United Reformed Churches. "After the first vote, some people had voted principially against leaving, thinking the time is not now but the next best thing is United Reformed," said Rev. Randy Lankheet. "We gave several reasons for leaving, basically the same as the other churches, listing the failure of the CRC to discipline those who signed the form of subscription, including Howard Van Till, Prof. Hessel Bouma, and Eastern Avenue failing to discipline Rev. Jim Lucas at this point. We also felt the whole matter of denominational control over local property is a violation of our Reformed heritage of congregational control over property." Lankheet said his church, as with the others, had held discussions with other Reformed denominations besides the United Reformed Churches. " "The one other denomination our council seriously considered was the Presbyterian Church in America, and although there were a lot of good reasons to join the PCA, the practicalities of joining the URC outweighed the many good points of the PCA," said Lankheet, citing practical reasons "such as the continuing of a largely Dutch and Reformed character in the URC, the Three Forms of Unity held by the URC, and our familiarity with almost all the pastors in the URC." "One more reason is our local fellowship with First Chino and Escondido who previously voted to go into the URC," said Lankheet. The issue of maintaining ties with sister churches was also a major factor in the decision of a new church plant, pastored by two ministers prominent in the American evangelical world, to leave the CRC. Christ Reformed Church of Placentia, California, began with twelve members in the living room of Dr. Michael Scott Horton in the summer of 1995. Between his time as host of the nationally-broadcast "White Horse Inn" radio program and his duties with Christians United for Reformation and the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, Horton and his co-pastor Rev. Kim Riddlebarger managed to begin a Christian Reformed congregation under the supervision of Ontario CRC. The rapidly-growing church reported 126 members to the 1997 CRC yearbook, but now has 282 members with a total attendance of 320. Riddlebarger said he didn't want to be in a denomination without the support of local conservative churches that shared his congregation's objections to the policies of Christian Reformed Home Missions. The congregation apparently agreed: with only one dissenting vote, the congregation voted to leave the CRC, join the United Reformed Churches, and repay $27,500 to CRC Home Missions that was used to start the church. "I have a principled difference on the method of evangelism with Christian Reformed Home Missions," said Riddlebarger. "God seeks sinners, sinners don't seek God, and God calls men and women to faith through the proclamation of His Word. The ministry of the church is defined by the nature of the church; the ministry of the church is defined by the proclamation of the Word, administration of the sacraments, and exercise of discipline." Even more important for Riddlebarger was the question of whether the church's ministry would be impaired by a new property provision adopted by Synod 1997 and scheduled to be ratified by Synod 1998. "The central reason for us is that Synod 1997 changed everything for us," said Riddlebarger. "The amendment to the Church Order regarding property is a significant issue for us because we are in the process of saving money to build. We do not want to risk losing our assets if we leave after Synod 2000." The Placentia church had other reasons as well for its vote. "The OPC and the PCA breaking ecclesiastical fellowship was a significant issue in our decision to leave," said Riddlebarger. "The third reason is the cumulative effect of the Jim Lucas homosexual issue, Dr. Hessel Bouma's views on abortion, women in office, and the way the CRC eliminated the historic decision of 1994 that the Bible clearly opposes women's ordination." Why would a mission church with only three families from a Christian Reformed heritage join the United Reformed Churches? "The URC represents the continental Reformed tradition and it represents what the CRC ought to be, a confessional body concerned about being faithful to the Three Forms of Unity and the Church Order. That's why we joined," said Riddlebarger. "Our congregation is much more at home in the continental Reformed tradition and the Three Forms of Unity. The Heidelberg Catechism is a treasure and we're much more at home with the continental tradition." "I want to see our congregation excited about being part of a confessional Reformed tradition that gives us an opportunity to plant churches that are first and foremost Reformed in the best sense of the term, centering on Word and sacrament, and will teach a new generation of young believers the catechism," said Riddlebarger. While Christ Reformed Church decided it's time to leave the CRC to continue its mission work, another conservative mission church will be staying with Classis California South, at least for the time being. Rev. Randy Young of the 104-member Friendship Community CRC of Fontana, a Chinese pastor serving a racially mixed church with contemporary worship, said that at least for the time being his church felt it would be best to stay and fight. "For about three months we really did a lot of Scripture searching as well as theological reading, and after our research as a council, we determined that it was not God's will for us to leave yet," said Young. "Instead, we have decided to remain in the denomination and to increase our outspokenness against the abuses in the denomination, and to make very clear where we stand as a local congregation on the issues." "I do believe that the Christian Reformed Church is in big, big trouble, and if you compare it to a big ship, the ship is sinking," said Young. "The reason we have decided to stay is because we are a very evangelistic church and nearly all the people in our church do not have ties to the Christian Reformed Church. The Christian Reformed Church has not affected our ministry much yet, but I could see it happening in the future. When it does happen in the future, I do believe we have biblical warrant to leave." What could cause the Fontana church to secede from the CRC? "If the denomination imposed women elders or women pastors on the local churches it would be a reason for leaving right away," said Young. "Another example would be if the official beliefs of the denomination changed such that if one were to believe in the official beliefs of the Christian Reformed Church and not be saved, then of course this could not be considered a true church." "Another reason would be persecution, if the reputation of the denomination made it such that we could not do an effective local ministry here, then we would leave," said Young. "That is closer into the near future because we feel that those churches that have left, they have valid reasons for leaving." Despite his church's decision to stay in the CRC for now, Young said he understood why the larger conservative churches in the classis had voted to leave. "A church like Escondido felt that by sending their youth to the Young Calvinist Convention or other Christian Reformed activities it just did not edify the youth in a way that Escondido felt was Scriptural," said Young. "There's such a conflict there that remaining in the denomination would not be helpful to the local ministry. That is a form of persecution." 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 #1995-106C: Interclassical Conference Urges Christian Reformed Synod to Lead Denomination in Repentance; Calls for Formation of "Covenant Union" of CRC Conservatives #1996-076: CRC Synod Rejects 25 Overtures and Communications Calling for End to Classical Option on Ordination of Women #1996-117B: Separation Without Secession: Interclassical Conference Urges Christian Reformed Synod to Create New Conservative Classes #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 #1997-059: 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 #1997-077: No Theological Classes Allowed for CRC Conservatives #1997-084: California CRC Conservatives Call Special Meeting to Respond to Synodical Rejection of Interclassical Conference Proposals #1997-098: Escondido Ministers, First Chino Council Announce Intention to Secede from Christian Reformed Church Contact List: Dr. Hessel Bouma III, Professor of Biology, Calvin College Science Building 233, 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 O: (616) 957-6401 Rev. Andrew Cammenga, Pastor, Escondido Christian Reformed Church 1850 N. Broadway, Escondido, CA 92026 H/O/FAX: (760) 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. Michael Scott Horton, President, Christians United for Reformation 2034 East Lincoln, No. 209, Anaheim, CA, 92806 O: (714) 956-2873 * F: (714) 956-5111 Rev. Jerome Julien, Stated Clerk, United Reformed Churches in North America 3646 - 193rd Pl., Lansing, IL 60438 H/O: (708) 418-5321 * FAX: (708) 418-5591 Rev. Randal Lankheet, Pastor, Ontario Christian Reformed Church 125 East Philadelphia St., Ontario, CA 91761 H/O: (909) 984-8201 Rev. Jim Lucas, Chaplain, As We ARE PO Box 7824, Grand Rapids, MI 49510 O: (616) 456-6174 * E-Mail: JimLucas12@aol.com Rev. Kim Riddlebarger, Co-Pastor, Christ Reformed Church 6806 Crescent Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620 O: (714) 528-2633 * H: (714) 761-3858 * E-Mail: krddlbrgr@aol.com Rev. Ron Scheuers, Pastor, First United Reformed Church 12943 Magnolia Ave., Chino, CA 91710 O: (909) 591-9111 * H: (909) 590-2324 * FAX: (909) 464-9636 * E-Mail: IChinoCRC@aol.com Rev. Randal Young, Pastor, Friendship Community Christian Reformed Church 6101 Cherry Ave., Fontana, CA 92336 O/FAX: (909) 899-7660 * H: (909) 899-4249 Dr. Howard Van Till, Chairman, Department of Physics, Calvin College 3201 Burton St. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 O: (616) 957-6000 * FAX: (616) 957-8551 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-010.txt .