One of the significant matters which required action by our Synod of last summer concerned a question regarding the correctness of a decision made by the Synod of 1960. The matter at issue involved the authority of our classes over their consistories. It is in connection with this case that I have been asked to write an […]
Last month I wrote an article on congregational meetings. We noticed that these gatherings are not governmental in the sense that consistories, classes, and synods are. Congregational meetings are gatherings at which the consistory informs the congregation regarding matters of interest pertaining to the church and its activities, consults with the membership as to its opinion […]
A few months ago the present writer—at the request of the editors—wrote a series of three articles for torch and trumpet regarding woman suffrage in the Christian Reformed churches. In these articles I sought to give an objective, historical account regarding the findings of certain synodical committees which had or which were studying the questions related to congregational meetings and woman suffrage. The writer felt […]
“And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him.” Does the reading of these words from Genesis 1:27 impress you but little? This may be due in part to the fact that you know them so well. As a morning mist obscures the beauty of a hillside landscape, so your familiarity with the […]
In two former issues of Torch and Trumpet I have first endeavored to state the issues involved in this question, and secondly indicate certain Scripture passages which have direct or indirect bearing on the question at hand. In this issue of our magazine I shall in the main reproduce the declaration adopted by the Reformed Ecumenical […]
In the October–November 1954 issue of Torch and Trumpet it was my privilege to present to the readers the issues involved in the question of ecclesiastical woman suffrage. Our Christian Reformed denomination has had this problem under advisement for a number of years. My first article aimed to be an objective statement concerning certain findings of […]
EDITORIAL NOTE: With this article Prof. Martin Monsma of Calvin Theological Seminary addresses himself to a problem of current interest in the Christian Reformed denominations. Unlike many churches, the Christian Reformed Church has usually allowed only the male communicant members to vote at the congregational meetings. We welcome the Rev. Mr. Monsma as a contributor […]