Becoming Congregational?
CRC or CCC? Christian Reformed Church or Christian Congregational Church? Presbyterianism or independentism? Unity or diversity? Do we all agree on certain teachings and abide by certain rules, or does each one go his own way? One minister preaches this, but another preaches that? CRC or CCC? What do you think? You judge.
1. Lodge Membership
Item: The Richfield Christian Reformed Church (Clifton, N.J.) wrestled with t he admission of lodge members. After a long study and lengthy report, the Synods of 1970 and 1977 repeated the historic position of the Christian Reformed Church by stating firmly and decisively that membership in the church of Jesus Christ is incompatible with membership in the lodge. They contradict each other. Richfield protested and asked classis to overture synod that they may “be entrusted with the essential responsibility of determining whether such persons [lodge members] become members of that congregation.”
Classis Hackensack at first approved the overture, but on more mature reflection, rescinded its action. Richfield then bypassed classis and appealed directly to synod. Synod again (1979) emphatically reaffirmed the inherent incompatibility of lodge and church membership. But Richfield went ahead anyway. Contrary to the advice of the church visitors in November, it accepted five lodge members as members of the church a few weeks later. When the January 1980 Classis was told of the situation by the church visitors, Classis turned down every motion to do something about it and thereby gave its silent consent. Fortunately, some consistories with courage are considering protesting.
CRC or CCC?
2. Women‘s Ordination
Item: The Synod of 1978 decided that women may be ordained as deacons. The churches and classes rose up in arms as never before and deluged synod with objections. In the light of this turmoil, the following synod (1979) appointed a new study committee and asked all consistories “to defer implementation of the 1978 decision, until the study committee has rendered its report to synod, and the churches have had opportunity to consider its recommendations.”
But at least one church went a head anyway and ordained women deacons!
CRC or CCC?
3. Biblical Inerrancy.
Item: Synod has repeatedly (1959, 1961) defended the historic Christian position that the Bible is completely trustworthy and has no errors in it. One retired missionary published a scathing attack against the inerrancy of the Bible (Above the Battle?). He confused many people because he said that the Bible was infallible but he poured a whole new idea into that word. Infallible means without error. But not for this missionary, who thinks the Bible is infallible with errors!! He confesses two contradictory ideas:
1. the infallibility of the Bible and 2. the erroneousness of the Bible (“the Bible is not inerrant in the accepted sense of the word,” p. 82; let us “not fear to speak the offense of the literal fallibility of the Bible,” p. 88).
With that as partial background material, the Synod of 1979 again firmly reasserted the inerrancy of the Bible. It did not buy this division between infallibility and inerrancy. Rather, it “reiterated the position taken by synods in previous years as listed below: a. The decision of 1959 that ‘Scripture in its whole extent and in all parts is the infallible and inerrant Word of God’ . . . . b. The decision of 1959 ‘that it is inconsonant with the creeds to declare or suggest that there is an area of Scripture in which it is allowable to posit the possibilities of actual historical inaccuracies (cf. Belgic Confession, ‘believing without any doubt all things contained therein’).”
As can be plainly seen, t he Synod of 1979 did not make a cleavage between infallibility and inerrancy, saying that the Bible was infallible but errant . Rather it said that “Scripture in its whole extent and in all parts is the infallible and inerrant Word of God.”
With that clear pronouncement in mind, this former missionary still goes about preaching: “I see no evidence in the Bible for the teaching of the inerrancy of Scripture. On the contrary, I see evidence in many places against it.”
CRC or CCC? .
4. Sunday Worship.
Item: Church Order of the Christian Reformed Church, Article 51: “The congregation shall assemble for worship at least twice on t he Lord’s Day to hear God‘s Word, to receive the sacraments, to engage in praise and prayer, and to present gifts of gratitude.” At least twice on Sunday. They may meet more, but not less.
Yet there are churches that have only one worship service. Hence the title of this article: CRC or CCC? What do you think?
Edwin H. Palmer of Wayne, New Jersey, is Executive Secretary of the New International Version of the Bible.