In an 80-page report, a study committee gives its advice to Synod on the matter of “Women in Ecclesiastical Office.” The majority of the committee asks Synod to adopt the following: “The practice of excluding women from ecclesiastical office cannot conclusively be defended on biblical grounds. Rev. Peter M. Jonker does not agree with the […]

REPORT OF THE DELEGATE TO THE FOREIGN MISSION BOARD The report of the delegate to the Foreign Mission Board of the Christian Reformed Church was delivered to the Classis of Chicago South on May 21, 1969. Rev, Jobn Bylsma, vice-president of the Christian Reformed Board of Foreign Missions, included in his report to Classis the […]

ISN’T IT TIME TO ALLOW LODGE MEMBERS INTO THE CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH? The rumor has been around for a while that some people in the Christian Reformed Church were quite dissatisfied with the current position as to the essential incompatibility of membership in oath-hound, secret societies and membership in the church. In short, that position […]

“RENDER UNTO CAESAR” When we pay our taxes we are doing what Jesus bids us do and we ought to do it as in His sight and service. But this is only a token payment of much more which we owe to our state and nation. The Bible tells us to become very involved in […]

THE LOVE OF GOD The love of God is a very popular subject today. And there is all kind of reason that this should be so, In most instances we find a discussion about the love of God manifested to his creatures, the love of God for all mankind and for his people in particular. And […]

It was a desire for some kind of unity of churches which occasioned the initial formation and the subsequent development of the World Council of Churches. This is evidenced, even today, by the fact that the continuing theme of Council utterances is “the unity that we seek.” It is supposed then that the present structure of the […]

A NEW TWIST Sitting in front of a renovated farmhouse, overlooking a warm, lush Vermont valley, this writer had the privilege of exchanging ideas on government aid to education with Paul Blanshard, author of many anti-Roman Catholic books, including his most recent one on Vatican II. At one point Blanshard turned rather triumphantly to quote Jefferson’s […]

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF STEWARDSHIP It can hardly be denied that the Bible establishes the right of private property and the responsibility of the individuals who possess it. It is God who gives us all things to enjoy and in giving us our possessions he at once also confronts us with the responsibility of stewardship. Private property and responsible […]

Sabbaticals Elsewhere in this issue is an article by the Rev. John De Kruyter on sabbaticals for ministers. He has amply established the value of such periods of study. We can be thankful to the Seymour Christian Reformed Church and other churches in taking the leadership in this. Such a policy that enables a minister periodically […]

The civil rights struggle of our day has given rise to considerable discussion and not a few pronouncements on the subject of civil disobedience. It is a subject which can hardly he discussed in the abstract in view of the fact that any conclusions in the matter are arrived at in the light of specific circumstances […]