Edward Heerema, retired pastor living at Cape Coral, Florida begins a series of articles dealing with what promises to be a major issue at the next Christian Reformed synod—the issue of women in church office. An hour of decision for the Christian Reformed Church is due in June 1981. Then the synod is scheduled to […]
A few years ago, I was invited to conduct the worship services at a Christian Reformed church in western Michigan. Before the evening service, as I sat in the consistory room, one of the elders informed me that a vocal group from a local Baptist church would be presenting some “special music” before and during […]
Each year the OUTLOOK prints an overview of the materials which require the attention of the Christian Reformed Churches’ June synod. This year the printed Agenda is somewhat shorter than usual although it still includes 435 pages –more than most consistory members who obtain copies will ever read. A summary may be useful to them […]
This address was given by Rev. Rein Leestma of the Christian Reformed Church of Lynwood, Ill. at the 1977 annual meeting of the Reformed Fellowship in the Twelfth Ave. Church in Jenison on September 29. Because the matter promises to be a major item on the agenda of the C.R. synod in June, we are […]
The well-being of a church, as well as of a nation, is in jeopardy when, as in the day of the judges in Israel, every man does that which is “right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The classic passage calling for good government in the church is I Corinthians 14:40, “But let all things […]
It has become very obvious to many people that the confessionally conservative point of view does not do well at Christian Reformed synods in recent years. Dr. Lester De Koster, editor-in-chief of THE BANNER (the CRC’s “official” publication, still read by most members of the church) has signalized this in a series of recent editorials. […]
To experience a Christian Reformed synod as a delegate is a concentrated, complex and sometimes confusing business which makes a survey and analysis like this very difficult. This year’s synod faced more than the usual number of very crucial matters, and many delegates sensed that things were going on which might well have serious implications […]
The meeting of our churches’ representatives in their annual June Synod is a significant event which the Outlook usually makes a special effort to cover. I have been asked to make a preliminary survey of the agenda for that meeting. The 568 pages of material may be looked at from various points of view. The […]
Wednesday, June 21, was a historic day for the Christian Reformed Church. That afternoon, before a full house of observers, a decision with many implications was made by the Synod of our denomination. It was decided by a majority, but not unanimously, “That consistories be allowed to ordain qualified women to the office of deacon, […]
This completes the “Testimony” of which the first half was printed in October. The “Testimony” is the result of long discussion and a year of work by a committee and has been endorsed by over 40 Christian Reformed ministers who say that it expresses substantially their convictions on major issues that confront our churches today. […]