Date: Sat, 28 Mar 1998 23:55:52 EST From: Darrell128 Subject: NR 98019: Classis Lake Erie Asks CRC Synod to Review Honorable Release Declarations for Seceding Ministers NR #1998-019: Classis Lake Erie Asks CRC Synod to Review "Honorable Release" Declarations for Seceding Ministers Should ministers be allowed to lead secessions out of the Christian Reformed Church and still receive honorable release from the denomination? Not according to Classis Lake Erie. At its March 7 meeting at River Terrace CRC in East Lansing, Classis Lake Erie adopted an overture from its Women in Office Committee arguing that "to grant 'honorable release' to those who have participated in and encouraged schismatic activity 1) does not honor the 1993 synodical decisions concerning release, 2) does not demonstrate that the church speaks with integrity, [and] 3) does not demonstrate sensitivity to the remaining members of the denomination, especially to its female members." Synod 1998 will have to deal with the secession of most of the officers of the Interclassical Conference, including Outlook editor Rev. Tom Vanden Heuvel, whose honorable release was sent back by Synod 1997 for further review by Classis Grandville. Classis Grandville decided after further review to keep Vanden Heuvel's status as "honorably released," but Classis California South's next meeting will have to deal with the secession of a number of prominent conservative ministers, including Westminster Theological Seminary president Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, Interclassical Conference chairman Rev. Andrew Cammenga, Interclassical Conference secretary Rev. Randy Lankheet, classical stated clerk Rev. James Howerzyl, and retired Westminster professor Dr. Derke Bergsma. NR 1998-019: For Immediate Release: Classis Lake Erie Asks CRC Synod to Review "Honorable Release" Declarations for Seceding Ministers by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service EAST LANSING, MICH. (March 12, 1998) URNS - Should ministers be allowed to lead secessions out of the Christian Reformed Church and still receive honorable release from the denomination? Not according to Classis Lake Erie. At its March 7 meeting at River Terrace CRC in East Lansing, Classis Lake Erie adopted an overture from its Women in Office Committee arguing that "to grant 'honorable release' to those who have participated in and encouraged schismatic activity 1) does not honor the 1993 synodical decisions concerning release, 2) does not demonstrate that the church speaks with integrity, [and] 3) does not demonstrate sensitivity to the remaining members of the denomination, especially to its female members." Classis Lake Erie noted that the 1993 synodical procedure specifying that churches and classes are "to take into account the manner and spirit in which a minister has acted during the time leading up to and including his departure from office in determining what action to take" and that "schismatic activities are to be considered a serious violation of the sacred trust associated with ordination and a dishonoring of God which results in pain and brokenness in the body of Christ" will have special relevance this year. Synod 1998 will have to deal with the secession of most of the officers of the Interclassical Conference, including Outlook editor Rev. Tom Vanden Heuvel, whose honorable release was sent back by Synod 1997 for further review by Classis Grandville. Classis Grandville decided after further review to keep Vanden Heuvel's status as "honorably released," but Classis California South's next meeting will have to deal with the secession of a number of prominent conservative ministers, including Westminster Theological Seminary president Dr. W. Robert Godfrey, Interclassical Conference chairman Rev. Andrew Cammenga, Interclassical Conference secretary Rev. Randy Lankheet, classical stated clerk Rev. James Howerzyl, and retired Westminster professor Dr. Derke Bergsma. While not specifying any of the ministers by name, Classis Lake Erie cited several articles in Outlook calling for secession and quoted the official letter by the Interclassical Conference to the Christian Reformed synod as examples of conduct unworthy of "honorable release." As a result, Classis Lake Erie overtured synod to "carefully consider declarations of release for which approval is requested to make sure that such releases" meet the three tests cited by the classis. Recognizing that such an overture might produce further problems, classis included a closing section entitled "Vindictiveness or Fairness?" "Undoubtedly, some will assert that an overture objecting to a declaration of 'honorable release' is vindictive," wrote the classis. "Some will point to many years of good service given by those who are being released. That, of course, is not the issue. Even those who were deposed because of violations of the seventh commandment had given many years of good service to the denomination." "The point under consideration when a declaration of release is made is not years of good service," wrote the classis. "Rather, synod instructs the church 'to make a declaration regarding the resigned minister's status that is appropriate to the way and spirit in which the minister acted during the time leading up to and including his resignation from office." The overture drew criticism at Classis Lake Erie from ministers who agreed with its content but viewed it as pastorally insensitive or unwise. "I don't think that this should go to synod, and I'm going to vote against it, even though I'm totally in favor of it," said Rev. Richard Hamstra, pastor of Olentangy CRC in Columbus, Ohio. "It seems to me it would be better not to pass this, but to send this to [CRC General Secretary Dr.] David Engelhard and strongly advise him to remind people of the rules." Dr. Clayton Libolt of River Terrace CRC in East Lansing reminded classis of how the debate went on the Vanden Heuvel case before Synod 1997. "This was a case of a pastor who has in fact advocated churches splitting off from the Christian Reformed Church and has himself now left," said Libolt. "What happened at synod is people stood up and said, 'This man was my pastor, and he's a wonderful man, how can you say this about him.' What went through my mind is that if we pass this, instruct the classis to go back and give him something other than honorable release, we will lose people who are still loyal to the Christian Reformed Church." "We should cut a middle ground, say this is a loss of integrity here, but still respect what the political realities are in our denomination," said Libolt, who then moved to send the document to Engelhard as a letter rather than as an overture to synod. That reasoning didn't persuade Rev. Paul Bakker of West Park CRC in Cleveland. "I understand what Rich and Clay are saying, but I think they're wrong," said Bakker. "It may be that politically it may be right to send this as a communication rather than as an overture, but it is my understanding that a communication can simply be ignored. If this is going to be viewed as vindictive, maybe that's unavoidable, because we are simply asking synod to do what it said it was going to do, and act with some integrity." Pastor George Vander Weit, reporter for the classical women in office committee, strongly defended his committee's proposal to classis. "Whose voices are you going to listen to - the men who say, 'This is a good minister,' or the women who are pleading, 'How can you do this?'" asked Vander Weit. "When a classis says, 'We will honorably release you even though there is a violation of trust by advocating secession, that is something evil.'" "We've got a long history of advocating on this issue, we've got a long history of advocating on justice issues, and I hope that we send this overture to synod as an overture where it will get some visibility, and not as a communication to the General Secretary where it will see the wastebasket." Jackson CRC pastor Rev Bob De Vries said he spoke for Classis Lake Erie's synodical deputy, Rev. Bill Dykstra, who had hoped to be present at classis because of the overture under consideration. "There is a good possibility that this could mushroom beyond all belief in just the next year," said De Vries. "Something has to be done, a communication has to go in, the strongest terms to support our synodical deputies that you cannot do this. Bill is terrified of what could be coming down the pike - it's not just ministers exiting, it's all the retired ministers as well." Vander Weit and the other overture proponents didn't convince everyone. Elder Ray Koopman of Ann Arbor CRC warned classis that could be asking for much more trouble than it expected. "We as a synod have said there are two positions that both honor the Scriptures as the Word of God," said Koopman. "We need to keep in the forefront that there are two positions that are both Biblical and both seek to honor the Word of God." After the extended debate, classis voted down the proposal to redraft the overture as a letter, but did so by a narrow voice vote. Classis then adopted the main motion and sent it on to synod as an overture. Representatives of Classis Grandville and Classis California South both declined specific comment pending a careful review of Lake Erie's overture, but Classis Grandville interim committee secretary Rev. John Gorter - himself a synodical deputy - didn't like the concept. "It would be better if we could just go forward rather than keep bickering about these things," said Gorter. Classis California South stated clerk Rev. Randy Young indicated that his classis hadn't yet made any formal decisions on the status of their seceding ministers and would take up the matter at its next meeting in May. Cross-References to Related Articles: #1998-010: Classis California South Loses Third of Membership #1998-015: New United Reformed Churches Classis Southwest United States to Face Dramatic Expansion Contact List: Rev. Paul Bakker, Pastor, West Park Christian Reformed Church 3606 West 148th St., Cleveland, OH 44111 O: (216) 251-0782 * H: (216) 252-2261 Dr. Derke Bergsma 8974-424 Lawrence Welk Drive, Escondido, CA 92026-6473 O: (760) 480-8474 * H: (760) 749-1151 * FAX: (760) 480-0252 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 Rev. William C. De Vries, Pastor, First Christian Reformed Church 1444 Maryland, Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230 O: (313) 824-3511 * H: (313) 824-1789 * E-Mail: wilcdev@aol.com Rev. Bill Dykstra, Synodical Deputy, Classis Lake Erie 1111 South Grinnell, Jackson, MI 49203 H/O: (517) 783-6633 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: (760) 480-8474 * H: (760) 741-1635 * FAX: (760) 480-0252 Rev. John Gorter, Pastor, Second Christian Reformed Church 7588 Byron Center Ave., Byron Center, MI 49315 O: (616) 878-1221 * H: (616) 878-1097 Elder Ray Koopman, Clerk, Ann Arbor Christian Reformed Church c/o Ann Arbor CRC, 1717 Broadway, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Ph.: (734) 668-1887 * E-Mail: raykoopman@aol.com Rev. Richard Hamstra, Pastor, Olentangy Christian Reformed Church 6613 Barrett Lane, Columbus, OH 43229 O: (614) 451-0641 * H: (614) 433-9771 * E-Mail: rjhamst@freenet.columbus.oh.us Rev. James Howerzyl 1317 Ivy, Escondido, CA 92026 H/O: (760) 741-5319 Rev. Randal Lankheet, Pastor, Ontario United Reformed Church 125 East Philadelphia St., Ontario, CA 91761 H/O: (909) 984-8201 Dr. Clayton Libolt, Pastor, River Terrace Christian Reformed Church 2210 Moores River Drive, Lansing, MI 48911 O: (517) 351-9059 * H: (517) 371-4018 Rev. Thomas Vanden Heuvel, Pastor, Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) 2475 - 85th St. SW, Byron Center, MI 49315 O: (616) 878-9278 * F: (616) 878-3256 * E-Mail: TomLaur@aol.com Pastor George Vander Weit, Stated Clerk, Classis Lake Erie 2901 Waterloo Dr., Troy, MI 48084 O: (810) 645-1990 * H: (810) 649-5388 * E-Mail: northhills@juno.com Rev. Randal Young, Stated Clerk, Classis California South 6101 Cherry Ave., Fontana, CA 92336 O/FAX: (909) 899-7660 * H: (909) 899-4249 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-019.txt .