“8. It is a mistake to think, as has been done, that Reformed churches, our own included, should concern themselves only with their own, that is, Reformed family.
If as is generally assumed the non-Reformed churches, whether Protestant or non-Protestant, are Christian churches indeed, even though they are defective enough, then surely the Christian Reformed Church for one should make it its business to labor with them in love in order to help them, by the blessing of God, to attain a more scriptural character. It cannot properly be adjudged presumptuous to do so. It would be clear evidence of the influence of the Spirit of Christ to undertake the task spoken of.
The ideal may seem incapable of realization, and the program involved may be deemed ambitious. Let us suppose that the plan is idealistic and that the task envisaged is arduous; the determining factor is the consideration that it is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God to gain and keep our ecclesiastical brethren in the measure in which it is possible for us to do so. The prospect of success or of failure has nothing to do with the duty of the Christian Reformed Church to ‘gain its erring brethren.’
9. But it does not follow with the duty just signalized that the Christian Reformed Church should undertake to deal with all non-Christian Reformed churches at once. It is doubtless the part of sound wisdom to begin from Jerusalem and to work out toward the circumference of the ecclesiastical circle progressively as time and strength and opportunity permit.
10. The first concern of the Christian Reformed Church may be well considered to be to enter into as close and active and constant association as at all possible with those faithful Reformed churches which cannot confederate with it on account of forbidding distances and the barrier of language.
The manner in which this so-called correspondence with associated Reformed churches is to be conducted is not our present concern. The general principles governing the relation of the Christian Reformed Churches to churches less pure than itself engages our attention at this stage.”
– Acts of Synod, 1944, pp. 359–360