From: Darrell128@aol.com Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 07:44:45 EDT Subject: NR 98049: RCA Expresses "Grave Concern" on United Church of Canada Moderator's "Unbiblical Statements" NR #1998-049: RCA General Synod Expresses "Grave Concern" on United Church of Canada Moderator's "Unbiblical Statements" By overwhelming voice vote on June 8, the Reformed Church in America became the first denomination with representation in Canada to formally object to the United Church of Canada's toleration of widely publicized statements by its moderator that have received severe criticism from Canadian evangelicals. The RCA General Synod voted to direct its General Secretary, Rev. Wes Granberg- Michaelson, to write the top denominational board of the United Church of Canada "expressing the RCA's grave concern over the unbiblical statements of the moderator of the United Church of Canada." The General Synod action adopts an overture by the RCA's Classis of Canadian Prairies pointing out that UCC moderator Rev. William Phipps had "denied a number of nonnegotiable doctrines of the Christian faith" in 1997 interviews with the Ottawa Citizen and Maclean's magazine. "In these interviews, Phipps denied the deity of Jesus Christ; denied the bodily resurrection of Christ, considering the issue to be irrelevant; denied that Christ is the only way to God; dismissed the Bible as a valid historical record; and rejected the classic Christian understanding of heaven and hell," wrote the classis. "Contrary to condemning Phipps for his remarks as a heretic and attempting to have him removed from his office of moderator, the Executive of General Council (the seventy-person 'board of director') of the United Church of Canada voted to support the right of Phipps to express his belief that Jesus is not God." A number of the RCA's Canadian churches were originally United Church of Canada members which seceded when the UCC allowed the ordination of practicing homosexuals. NR #1998-049: For Immediate Release: RCA General Synod Expresses "Grave Concern" on United Church of Canada Moderator's "Unbiblical Statements" * Canadian Prairies Classis had targeted Rev. William Phipps for having "denied the deity of Jesus Christ, denied the bodily resurrection of Christ, considering the issue to be irrelevant; denied that Christ is the only way to God; dismissed the Bible as a valid historical record; and rejected the classic Christian understanding of heaven and hell." by Darrell Todd Maurina, Press Officer United Reformed News Service HOLLAND, MICH. (June 8, 1998) URNS - By overwhelming voice vote on June 8, the Reformed Church in America became the first denomination with representation in Canada to formally object to the United Church of Canada's toleration of widely publicized statements by its moderator that have received severe criticism from Canadian evangelicals. The RCA General Synod voted to direct its General Secretary, Rev. Wes Granberg-Michaelson, to write the top denominational board of the United Church of Canada "expressing the RCA's grave concern over the unbiblical statements of the moderator of the United Church of Canada." The General Synod action adopts an overture by the RCA's Classis of Canadian Prairies pointing out that UCC moderator Rev. William Phipps had "denied a number of nonnegotiable doctrines of the Christian faith" in 1997 interviews with the Ottawa Citizen and Maclean's magazine. "In these interviews, Phipps denied the deity of Jesus Christ; denied the bodily resurrection of Christ, considering the issue to be irrelevant; denied that Christ is the only way to God; dismissed the Bible as a valid historical record; and rejected the classic Christian understanding of heaven and hell," wrote the classis. "Contrary to condemning Phipps for his remarks as a heretic and attempting to have him removed from his office of moderator, the Executive of General Council (the seventy-person 'board of directors') of the United Church of Canada voted to support the right of Phipps to express his belief that Jesus is not God." The Classis of Canadian Prairies was particularly concerned that other denominations with a presence in Canada hadn't taken action to criticize toleration of Phipps' views by the United Church of Canada. "It is time for the Reformed Church in America to stand up and publicly proclaim its separation from the apostate United Church of Canada," wrote the classis. "By doing so, the RCA not only provides leadership to the RCA denomination as a whole but also sends a clear message and invitation to the many Canadians who are frustrated with the drift of their own church and who are searching for a denomination that believes and proclaims 'the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.'" The overture originated from a wing of the RCA that includes 13 congregations that had originally been members of the United Church of Canada but seceded when the United Church of Canada allowed the ordination of practicing homosexuals. Four of the ex-UCC churches have since disbanded, but nine of the RCA's 43 Canadian churches still trace their origins to the United Church of Canada. The RCA's regional synod of Canada, originally founded by members of the conservative Gereformeerde Bond within the Dutch state church who immigrated to Canada, is generally considered the most conservative of the RCA's eight regional synods. In related matters, the General Synod also adopted an overture from the same classis asking the RCA to "ask the World Alliance of Reformed Churches to clarify what membership in WARC means beyond mere recognition of Reformed heritage and Presbyterian church order" and "to ask WARC to state under which circumstances members of WARC might be asked to leave WARC, for report to the 1999 General Synod." A similar Canadian Prairies overture to "pursue deepening ecumenical ties with evangelical denominations" was answered by an affirmation of the RCA's "current efforts and ongoing intentions" in that area, noting closer RCA ties with the Christian Reformed Church, Evangelical Covenant Church, and National Association of Evangelicals. Rev. Randy Opmeer of Emmanuel Community Church in Calgary, Alberta, said the overture originated in the classical Overtures and Judicial Business of which he is a member. "They were saying, 'Nobody else has a problem with our position because we haven't gotten any negative feedback,'" said Opmeer. "It's heartening to have this passed. There are some things that we will not stand for, and we're of the belief this is one of them." However, the General Synod rejected efforts by the Classis of South Grand Rapids, Classis of Dakota, and Classis of Canadian Prairies to sever ties with the United Church of Christ in the United States on the grounds that the RCA is involved in a continuing discussion with the United Church of Christ on homosexuality. The United Church of Christ in the United States, while sharing similar theological positions with the United Church of Canada, has a separate denominational history. Other rejected overtures from the Classis of Canadian Prairies asked the RCA to "compile a list of all RCA ecumenical relationships and to specify for each RCA ecumenical relationship what type of ecumenical relationship it is," and to restrict an earlier "full communion" relationship to only the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America rather than the United Church of Christ and Presbyterian Church (USA). While disappointed that the General Synod hadn't adopted all of the overtures by his classis, Opmeer said he was glad the General Synod had done what it did. "Several of the overtures that were defeated had to do with the United Church of Christ, with which there is an ongoing dialogue and people wanted to see that dialogue continue," said Opmeer. "We were originally advocating loosening ties much more severely rather than what was passed, but politically it was more likely to be passed because the advisory committee was recommending the action." Cross-References to Related Articles: #1998-033: Three Reformed Denominations to Hold General Assemblies or Synods this Year in West Michigan Contact List: Rev. E. Wayne Antworth, Director, RCA Stewardship & Communication Services 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115 O: (212) 870-2954 * FAX: (212) 870-2499 * E-Mail: ewantworth@worldnet.att.net Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, General Secretary, Reformed Church in America 49 Yawpo, Oakland, NJ 07436 O: (212) 870-2845 * E-Mail: wes_granbergmichaelson.parti@ecunet.org Rev. Randy Opmeer, Pastor, Emmanuel Reformed Church 5300 Rundelhorn Dr., Calgary, AB T1Y 3Z5 O: (403) 293-8626 Rev. Charles Van Engen, President, RCA General Synod 1998 948 S. Bradish Ave., Glendora, CA 91740 O: (818) 914-3038 * H: (818) 963-9399 ---------------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/reformed/archive98: nr98-049.txt .